A sort of prototype for Paris Texas, with the same deliberate pacing and themes of alienation. Alice, however, is far more limited in scope. It presents the protagonist's emotional dislocation but it shies away from exploring the reasons or consequences of it. The characters are, therefore, flat, and their motives, while credible, are not particularly interesting. When combined with the meandering plot, it makes for a tedious watch, one which lacks emotional resonance.

Very calm, interesting and odd. It does not follow all the Hollywood road movie cliches and it stands somewhere aside from the rest of the genre movies. It is very nice to look at and, most of all, it is not boring at all. Very significant example of Wander's movies.

Narratively it's a bit weak with unreasonable events and actions, as well as threads that are left hanging. But the narrative is mostly a foundation for an incredible examination of a mood, a series of thoughts and feelings intrinsically tied to a time and a type of character but whose core strikes at the human need for acceptance and purpose.

What's original about this film?

Nobody manages it so well to bring two very different cities such as New York and Duisburg together in one movie than Wenders.

Truly a photographic masterpiece but, call me blonde - A bite boring...

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Nice little film about alienation and restlessness. Lags a bit.

Such an endearing philosophy on value. It's not -all that- but it is a very pleasant one-hour-and-fifty. No doubt Linklater saw this. Also reminds me of Keane due to the similar plot.

408

Typical Wenders fare, which is great if you're a fan.

Takes some time but than it's a great road movie.

Road movies are intrinsically about the journey and not the destination, so the fact that this movie meanders a lot didn't bother me. As an Americana-laced voyage of self-discovery, I view it as a precursor to Paris, Texas but not as irritating. There are a few annoying bits, primarily when Wenders seems to be getting overly snotty about American culture or tries to find a cute moment with Alice, but they're few and far between. Like most Wenders films, it's kind of underwhelming, but pleasant.

Wenders fashions a subtle and sedate narrative surface that deals only in humdrum events and that has an unerring sense of the stale taste of life on the road. Meanwhile, the really big subjects underlying this movie (the homogenization of Western culture, the rootlessness of the individual, and other such whoppers) are passed over lightly, felt but not examined, as if they were buried under a layer of ashes.

The American part was pretty stucky and uninteresting, but I liked Alice and her mother. Rüdiger did not touch that much. The European part got more and more better towards the end. Interesting road movie. Nice comparing with cities and countires. Well, actually continents. There was a funny announcement in the airport, Mr. Wenders.