Review by njashanmal

There is a new aesthetic of cinema currently evolving in Europe, of which Erick Zonca is a chief proponent. It achieves much the same effects as the those intended by the Danish filmmakers of the Dogma 95 school - but without having to adhere to their 'Vow of Chastity'. Zonca's feature film debut "The Dreamlife of Angels" takes flight in a way that a Dogma 95 just does not. "Alone" is a earlier short film of his and comes from very much the same social context/consciousness as "Dreamlife..." and is in many ways a precursor. The film is visceral and authentic - it manages to convey the protagonist's internal state of being solely through her action, both dramatic action and physical, something every film should strive for. There is no time given over to introspection, yet every action is motivated - what does she want? A job. It is an example, not just of good filmmaking, but of good screen craft - that is, the script is excellent, something that can be said for very few films - it is simple and elegant and this follows through the rest of the film. It is a film of the have nots of the modern European youth in which the imperative is to have a job, because without one, one simply does not exist.

"Rosetta" a film by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne and winner of the 1999 Palme d'Or at Cannes is another film from this aesthetic that is even more harsh in its examination.