Neverland Revealed. Review on Finding Neverland Movie

If you go to my blog and look at my profile you'll notice under movies that I say anything with Viggo Mortensen and Johnny Depp. So there was never any question of whether or not I was going to be seeing Finding Neverland.

In brief the movie deals with the story behind the creation of the play Peter Pan by the author J. M. Barrie. Coming off a flop he sets to find something new to write about: in the words of his producer to put ''Play'' back into Theatre. It is through his introduction and interaction with the Llwellyn Davies family, Mother and four boys, that he finds his muse. In return for their gifts to him he brings new hope and joy into a family that has been rocked by the loss of their father and husband.

This brings about the major conflict in the movie. J. M Barrie is a married man who begins to monopolize the time of a recently widowed and attractive young woman. This of course sends tongues a wagging both about the two adults and any untoward behaviour that may be happening between the man and the children.

The acting is suppurb from the adults on down through all the children. Somehow or other Johnny Depp manages overcome his natural charisma and creates a character shy and awkward, whose charm is in his playful nature not his sexuality. In other words Mr. Depp is brilliant as usual. Kate Winslett as the widowed mother is wonderful, getting the most possible out of a potentially sentimental role. Instead of slipping into the maudlin, she fills in details to create a strong woman, faced with horrible realities, and doing the best she can.

In secondary roles Dustin Hoffman as a theatre producer is wonderful and Julie Christie as Kate Winslett's mother avoids the stereotypical battle-axe with the heart of gold magnificantlly. The four young men playing the the boys are especialy natural and never strike a wrong note. I find it interesting the difference between how children perform in European movies as compared to those in major Hollywood productions. Real as opposed to surreal is the best way of describing it I guess.

The director and the screen writer have done a wonderful job of taking a potentially sentimental mush of a story and elevating into a truly moving experience. Some of the most interesting scenes though remaining the ones of the play within the movie, gas lighting, rope and wire flying systems, all combine to re create what it must have been like to actualy attend the opening of Peter Pan in the West End.

I would highly recommend this movie to all people.