I was really looking forward to seeing this film, being a fan of Terry Gillingham's work. But after a promising start, it just got progressively more weird (and not in a good way) until I was literally being begged to turn it off.

As is evident from Gilliam's lenghty repetoire, he is a director of the senses, whether it be the dizzying discombobulation of time travel, the blurred hallucinogens of drugs, the blinding wonder of the fantastical, and so the list goes on.

Tideland offers a unique perspective however, in that of a child, Gilliams inner, he tells us. And while the similarities with Lewis Carol are bluntly outlined with blatant reference, the nightmarish reality absorbed by the main protagonists childlike naevity are far beyond the comfort zone of Carol's Edwardian mythos.

Strong performances from Jodelle Ferland as Jeliza-Rose and her more seasoned support, accenuate what is already uncomfotable viewing, as while the world of Jeliza-Rose is magical and eschews vibrance from the real world melancholy, it's difficult to acclimatise your mind-set beyond that of a cynical adult, compelled to keep watching in stark horror of the situation.

While Gilliam's trademark visual flair helps us view Jeliza's imagined world and elevates this film beyond the main, it's the grimmest of hill-billy fairy tales, delivering revulsion wrapped in candy-floss wonderment as if it might soften the blow.

Disturbing, degenerate, but relentlessly engaging, Tideland will leave you shaken and conscious of a world where innocence isn't lost and horror is not what you think.

Visualy this is a fantastic movie,but I cannot pretend to be intelligent enough to know what the hell was going on.The director explains this film should be viewed through the eyes of a child,which makes some sense,however as an adult with limited imagination and zero innocence,rekindeling that childlike state of mind was difficult for me.If you are a child at heart,broadminded,(and I must add not easily offended),you may enjoy this movie.Had Louis Carrol been a writter in todays generation his efforts would have been similar to this(there are many references to Alice in wonderland).If you want a film that dosnt require any depth probing(Im talking to the Steven Siegal fans)you wont enjoy this film on any level.