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Wonderland (2000)
Released By: Universal Studios Home Video   Rating: R   In Theaters: N/A
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Studio: Universal Studios Home Video
Genre: Drama
MPAA Rating: R
Director: Michael Winterbottom
Language: English
Official Website: N/A
Theatrical Release: N/A
Home Video Release: N/A
Cast: Ian Hart, Stuart Townsend, Molly Parker, John Simm
Published ID: 949041
UPC: 025192125522,
Plot: The members of a British working-class family see their lives starting to come apart as the Nation prepares to celebrate Guy Fawkes Day (named for an anarchist who tried to blow up Parliament) in Michael Winterbottom's drama Wonderland. Eileen (Kika Markham) and Bill (Jack Shepherd) are a married couple with four grown children. Bill has lost his job and is drifting through life, unsure of what to do. He's also having sexual problems with Eileen, who is being driven insane by their noisy neighbors. Neither Bill nor Eileen have seen their son Darren (Enzo Cilenti) for a long time, and his birthday is a heartbreaking experience for them. (Darren, on the other hand, would prefer to celebrate his birthday by spending the night in a hotel with his girlfriend rather than seeing his parents.) Bill and Eileen also have three daughters, Nadia (Gina McKee), Debbie (Shirley Henderson) and Molly (Molly Parker). Nadia works in a cafe and has trouble meeting men; she's signed up with a dating agency, but has yet to meet anyone she likes. Debbie is suddenly a single mother after separating from her drunken lout of a husband. Debbie drowns her sorrows in a series of meaningless one-night-stands, while her husband flies into uncontrollable rages and their son is left with no one to turn to on either side. And while Molly's story seems happy on the surface -- she's soon to give birth to her first child and her husband has done well in kitchen sales -- she's suddenly thrown into instability when she finds her husband has quit his job, without telling her, to follow his dream of becoming a chef. Wonderland received enthusiastic reviews for its ensemble cast when shown at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
IDDateTimeTitleReviewHelpfulVotesTotalVotes
wonderland-dvd
Added 8/14/2009

Arrived very, very early and it was brand-spanking new as indicated by the seller and I was extremely happy...I will use this seller again and again.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
A very special film
Added 12/26/2006

Only watch this film if you have experienced a profound sense of loneliness at some point in your life.

The storyline isn't anything special, but the STUNNING performances will pull you in. The musical score adds infinite emotion. This film is a small slice of life, and can be a bit too morose for some.


0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
a slice of real life
Added 6/25/2006

It aint no Hollywood glamour film.Some reviewers have deemed too morose but it is life in the real world, whether it's London,New York or Hamilton.Working class life is a struggle for survival wherever you live.This is a family surviving life in London.Both Gina Mckee and Shirley Henderson are great in their roles.And the ending-Awww,it's gorgeous.Well worth viewing.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
Just too morose
Added 12/23/2005

This is one of those "small" films that I want to like. But like many "realistic" portrayals of working class London, it is just too morose. Every one of the characters is wallowing in unhappiness. The film is very well made, and you can empathize with several of the characters, but this is too much of a downer. This version of working class life has been done too many times before. "Realistic" need not always mean "depressing." Think about seeing "Me and You and Everyone We Know" instead.
4 out of 9 people found this helpful.
Michael Winterbottom and the compassionate gaze
Added 8/12/2005

Like the more recent film Code 43, Wonderland is marked by director Michael Winterbottom's realist style. The grainy images of London don't have a tourist brochure look, but they do give you a sense of what it's really like to live there. The characters (three very different sisters and their extended family) are well drawn and compelling, easy to identify with despite their flaws. The strong musical score supports the emotive impact of the film, expressing what the dialogue omits. Overall one is left with the feeling of having looked with compassion into the lives of real people, perhaps gaining insight into one's own situation in the process. The film raises some interesting issues about gender relations, with male characters getting pretty rough treatment and not always deserving it.
4 out of 4 people found this helpful.
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