Alice is a wicked, delicious ride that pulls both laughs and tears from the audience. Keke Palmer absolutely slays as a plantation slave in Georgia who escapes to find herself in 1973. Taken in by truck driver Frank, played by Common, Alice devours books and media about the American civil rights movement and activism to date, and fuels a burning desire for revenge and justice for the rest of her family still trapped in slavery.
The orientation first third of the film is a tough watch – if you’ve seen 12 Years A Slave or Django Unchained you’ll feel similarly sickened by the scenes of abuse, torture and slavery itself. The middle third, when Alice escapes and discovers the 1970s, is an exciting and at times comical sequence that sees Alice montage into her new self, complete with gogo boots and afro. The climax had everyone in the audience riled up, as Alice travels back to the plantation to exact her revenge in epic, righteous Django fashion.
As a whole, Alice is a well-crafted drama that stirs strong emotions through its fantastic performances, especially by lead Keke Palmer. It encompasses the central excitement of a revenge thriller, with period perfection and a super juicy realisation moment, and all packed tightly into 96 minutes. A must-watch. Extremely moving and extremely entertaining.
Kena
Alice
Sydney Film Festival