Rent Alice (1990)

Midlife Comedy. - Alice review by Steve

 This is one of Woody Allen's many attempts at magic realism, and a comic revision of his 1988 drama, Another Woman. A rich, materialistic wife and mother (Mia Farrow) enters middle age and begins to review her childhood, her past choices, and her present circumstances. Including her marriage to a very unfaithful high roller (William Hurt)

And she throws away all her privileges to work for charity in India. She is aided in her self discovery by the herbs of a wise Chinese doctor which allow her special gifts so she might mend her heart. She is able to become invisible, and fly high over Manhattan to meet the ghost of a former love...

Unfortunately, either Mia doesn't have the energy and charisma to carry the film, or Woody needed to write a more substantial lead character.  And this vacuum in the heart of the film exposes other flaws, like repetition from the director's earlier work. And a feeling that the poor of Kolkata are being exploited to illustrate the first world problems of a rich New Yorker.

Still, it's a cute idea and there are a few good laughs. And the film successfully sends up the vacuous privilege of  its assembly of super-rich trophy wives and their frivolous diversions. Though by the fade out I wondered if it might have been improved with Judy Davis in the lead rather than her eye-catching cameo as Mia's new squeeze's ex wife.