Set in present-day London, Michael Winterbottom's WONDERLAND follows each of three generations of a family through one wintry November weekend during the city's traditional Bonfire Night celebration. Their respective places in life--from that of the mildly unhappy, aging parents (Kika Markham, Jack Shephard) to those of the three searching daughters and estranged son (Shirley Henderson, Gina McKee, Molly Parker, Enzo Cilenti) to that of their young grandson--weave together in a vivid kaliedescope that is simultaneaously invigorating, depressing, challenging, and endearing.

Winterbottom's choice to film WONDERLAND on location in the pubs and streets of London in super-16mm, with a hand-held camera and natural lighting, gives the film a realism that is at once tragic and honest. Added to this is the entire cast, who embody their characters so completely that one might forget they're even acting. Michael Nyman's despondently blissful score appears under the sped up and slowed down images of a dreary London, boldly expressing the characters' inner melancholy, making WONDERLAND a film that retains a glimmer of hope even at its bleakest moments.