Wonderland

"Michael Winterbottom's stylish, engrossing look into the lives of three sisters is absolutely riveting on DVD. It's rather hard to assess the video quality, because the original print is frequently grainy. This seems to be the original intent of the director, most likely to add touches of documentary atmosphere. Fortunately the grain never becomes a distraction, as the 2.35:1 widescreen presentation allows Winterbottom to fill the screen with compelling, masterly images. When it comes to sound quality, there is a similar lack of definition, but only with dialogue. The Dolby Digital Audio actually gives powerful immediacy to the material, but some of the actors have thick, British accents, and murky audio prevents complete understanding of some patches of dialogue. Like the grainy video, the audio's lack of range would seem to be Winterbottom's intention, as it adds a huge dose of reality to the movie; in the movie, just as in life, one doesn't understand everything one hears. Michael Nyman's sweeping, Baroque score is life-affirming and dynamic in its presentation. Supplemental features are nonexistent, outside of a brief, interesting theatrical trailer and a ""Chapter List,"" which allows instant access to the DVD's 19 chapters. Though additional supplemental material would have been valuable, Wonderland is essential viewing nonetheless."