-Written by Kyle Bain.
Alice: The Girl with the Birthmark depicts, well…just that: Alice (Jesseca Lynn Stadtlander), a girl born with a birthmark on her face as she deals with isolation, seclusion, and the mental toll that it has taken on her. Writer-Director W.Y. Geng looks to explore these ideas, while telling the touching story of this young woman, plagued by something so insignificant, yet so paramount to her character.
Alice’s actions feel unnatural, incapable of conveying emotion the way they are meant to. At least in the opening moments of the film (and at four minutes, that’s a good portion of the film).
With that, I feel that the film lacks a bit of authenticity as a result of Alice’s actions. While I can understand that her actions may be a tad unorthodox as a result of her peculiar situation, leading an orchestra of glasses or playing with a paper boat don’t lend themselves to accessibility on the part of the viewer. With Alice: The Girl with the Birthmark being only four minutes in length, viewers need to create a connection with the character almost immediately, but that’s not the case here. It took about two minutes for me to be able to appreciate Alice and her plights. With nearly half of the film gone at that point, I felt disconnected from Alice: The Girl with the Birthmark, and I wasn’t given enough time to jump back in.
The cinematography is what ultimately kept me immersed in the film from the start. Even with that aforementioned disconnect, Alice: The Girl with the Birthmark focuses on Alice in an up-close-and-personal fashion, one that almost puts you in the shoes of the film’s protagonist. It’s easy to see the expressions on her face, able to see exactly what she’s doing throughout, and ultimately how she’s feeling.
Alice: The Girl with the Birthmark relies heavily on emotion, on Stadtlander and the cinematography to keep emotion right at the surface throughout. Geng does a great job in this regard, capturing emotion, but also in the casting of Stadtlander. Even in the moments that seemed to lack validity, the intensity and intimacy captured through the cinematography and on the face of Stadtlander worked to immerse viewers in this film. There is, again, a level of intimacy present throughout, and I think it’s nearly impossible to ignore that aspect of Alice: The Girl with the Birthmark.
Geng’s comments on isolation are honest and breathtaking, capturing the reality of this sentiment with grandeur and aplomb. Viewers certainly understand this sentiment, as it’s present in every fiber of Alice: The Girl with the Birthmark. I do wish that the film had been more effective in regard to how they conveyed Alice’s isolation, specifically regarding the activities in which she participates throughout. There is, again, a disconnect–and there’s a bit left to be desired here. Overall, I do feel that Alice: The Girl with the Birthmark is effective in expressing these ideas of seclusion and isolation, and once again Geng is able to convey emotion in a way that ultimately reaches her viewers.
Written & Directed by W.Y. Geng.
Starring Jesseca Lynn Stadtlander.
7.5/10 = WORTH RENTING OR BUYING
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