Wonderland

Director Michael Winterbottom (Jude, Welcome to Sarajevo) goes the Ken Loach route in this rough-edged, naturalistic drama about a dysfunctional London family. Various interpersonal dilemmas plague this particular clan: one sister (Gina McKee) is a serial personal ads dater, another sister (Shirley Henderson) copes with single motherhood and an irresponsible ex-husband (Ian Hart), a third (Molly Parker) faces impending motherhood with an emotionally distant husband, all while their parents (Jack Shepard and Kika Markham) deal with an ever-more-acrimonious marriage of their own. Episodic stories like this one almost invariably depend on the strength of the acting and the consistency of the stories. On the first count, Wonderland is spot-on, featuring exceptional ensemble work. The stories, however, are much more hit and miss. None of the sisters' lives proves as gripping as the peripheral episodes: a boy wandering lost through an amusement park; the father enjoying an isolated moment of joy dancing with a neighbor; a man rehearsing telling his wife he's quit his job. Too, whenever the narrative does develop some low-key intensity, Michael Nyman's blasting score drowns it out. Jack Shepard's work as the sadsack father is almost enough to recommend this, but this slice of South London life is pretty sporadic in its moments of emotional force. Optional. (S. Renshaw)