The Rev. Charles Dodgson must have been an enigmatic figure. Quiet and withdrawn when in the company of adults, he metamorphosed into a riveting teller of stories, riddles and anecdotes when a child was listening. "Dreamchild" addresses this remarkable facet of his personality in a way that leaves the viewer truly in awe.
Augmented by Jim Henson's Creatures, which are fantastic and amazing, they are the perfect foil for the delicate nuances of the Rev. Dodgson's love for Alice. Coral Brown should have gotten the Oscar for this role; she is devastating as the dying, repressed but ultimately enlightened Alice. Her realization that Dodgson truly loved her in a pure, reverent way is a masterpiece of acting. The film resonates with the power of Brown's performance, Amelia Shankley's bravura acting as the young Alice, and Ian Holm's as Dodgson. I couldn't imagine another actor in any of these roles, and that's as high a tribute as I can give. Watching Holm's face as he listens to Alice sing, without her knowledge, almost breaks your heart.
In a movie this fine, I can only find one drawback, and that's the subplot of the modern love story between the reporter and her maid. But it's a small quibble. This film deserves to be seen again and again, as I've watched it.
Augmented by Jim Henson's Creatures, which are fantastic and amazing, they are the perfect foil for the delicate nuances of the Rev. Dodgson's love for Alice. Coral Brown should have gotten the Oscar for this role; she is devastating as the dying, repressed but ultimately enlightened Alice. Her realization that Dodgson truly loved her in a pure, reverent way is a masterpiece of acting. The film resonates with the power of Brown's performance, Amelia Shankley's bravura acting as the young Alice, and Ian Holm's as Dodgson. I couldn't imagine another actor in any of these roles, and that's as high a tribute as I can give. Watching Holm's face as he listens to Alice sing, without her knowledge, almost breaks your heart.
In a movie this fine, I can only find one drawback, and that's the subplot of the modern love story between the reporter and her maid. But it's a small quibble. This film deserves to be seen again and again, as I've watched it.