Alice (2019)

Josephine Mackerras’ Alice is a tense depiction of a mother’s struggle to stay afloat in the face of a life-shattering discovery. Finding herself in a devastating situation, Alice acts quickly to safeguard her livelihood.

Emilie Piponnier shines as Alice, playing the character with sensitivity and poise, and effectively portraying her growing confidence as she begins to gain power over her life, despite her circumstances. Her performance is filled with tenacity, but she also brings humour to the role.

The filming style is effective in evoking the confined life from which Alice slowly begins to break free, in an albeit unconventional way, and the film offers an interesting perspective on self discovery.

One of the great strengths of Alice is it’s simple way of questioning morality, casting light on the grey area between right and wrong. The film is dramatic without being sensationalist and succeeds in making her husband’s Francois’ actions seem disturbingly plausible.

Mackerras’ inspiring story of making the film adds to its effectiveness as a story of motherhood and determination. After a film project fell through when she became pregnant, she wrote the screenplay and set about trying to find a producer. When unable to find a producer who shared her vision, Mackerras attempted to find actors and technicians who would work for free, based on their belief in the film. The themes of motherhood are strong in the film, and crucial to the portrayal of the moral questions and the character relationships within the film; that of Alice and her husband, her child and her own mother.

The increasing twists and turns towards the end are perhaps gratuitous, designed to keep the audience guessing where there is already enough tension to carry the story, yet Alice remains gripping until the end.

Ultimately, Alice is an arresting story of a young woman breaking down the walls in her life and determining her own path with increasing confidence and grit. Mackerras has created a thought-provoking and gripping drama.

Alice will have it’s UK premiere at the Edinburgh International Film Festival.