Tideland

Tideland is the latest film from Terry Gilliam, and is based on the novel by Mitch Cullin. The film follows young Jeliza-Rose (Jodelle Ferland), who lives with her drugged-out parents (played by Jeff Bridges and Jennifer Tilly). After the untimely death of her mother, Jeliza-Rose and her father up-and-leave, arriving at her grandmother's house in the prairies, in the middle of nowhere. With her father continually in a drug-induced haze, Jeliza-Rose is left to explore the countryside with her collection of doll heads, letting her imagination be her playmate. She soon encounters Dell (Janet McTeer), the witch-like woman who lives over the next hill, and her mentally-impaired brother Dickens (Brendan Fletcher), who's imagination is as active as Jeliza-Rose's.

Adjectives that could describe this movie: dark, twisted, creepy, disturbing. Audience reaction was definitely mixed on this one. A few people walked out during the screening. There was muted applause at the end, probably because many were wondering what to make of the film. Jodelle Ferland does a good job, which is a good thing as she has to carry the bulk of the film. There are a lot of uncomfortable moments, especially some scenes between Jeliza-Rose and Dickens that really push the edge. Comparisons have been made to Alice in Wonderland, and even the film makes reference to it, but don't go in expecting some sort of fanciful dream world. A die-hard Terry Gilliam fan would probably appreciate the film, but most others might not.

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