Review of Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974) by Brett B — 23 May 2012

When considered in the context of his entire body of work, few films - on paper - feel more out-of-place in Martin Scorsese's filmography than this one, but the resultant picture is very good. Ellen Burstyn delivers a justifiably lauded performance, and the supporting characters are realized to great effect by the respective actors portraying them.

The screenplay is fairly strong, both blunt and warm, and while Scorsese doesn't really indulge any of his more virtuosic tendencies in terms of technique, his direction presents a definite point-of-view without overwhelming the sensibilities and interests of the script.