finding neverland

imagination is a powerful force: it allows us to create worlds that
would not otherwise exist. Belief too is powerful: it bridges the gap
between what is real and what we create in our heads. Believe in what
you imagine, and sometimes you can create something that is both real
and what you imagined, as wonderful as you thought it would be.



that, as far as I could gather, was the message that 'Finding Neverland'
was sending. It seems somehow fitting that a story written about the
person who wrote a wonderful story should itself be full of wonder.
From start to finish, the film is enthralling stuff. The script itself
is solid, well paced and sprinkled with well-written passages like
fairy dust. Together with the acting and direction, this truly allows
the film to soar.



on the acting front, Johnny Depp turns in another superlative
performance as the writer/playwright ('it's different', the film tells
us) James Barrie, the real-life author of 'Peter Pan'. His screen
presence is tremendous, enough to carry the film by itself, and it's
well-complemented by the rest of the cast. From mischief to melancholy,
there's nothing he doesn't pull off with tremendous success. I won't be
surprised if his name is among the favourites for the best actor
oscar; he's just that good.



he's helped by some deft direction from marc forster (of 'Monster's
Ball' acclaim). He fills this particular product of his imagination
with technicolor and sudden zany leaps into fantasy worlds, which
brings to mind a gentler, more innocent 'Moulin Rouge'. Nicely
contrasted with the bleakness of everyday london, the world his
characters imagine seems more full of life than the one they usually
inhabit.



'A leather cover and a good title, and you're almost there.' Mr Barrie
thus advises young Peter Davies on what makes a good story.
Nevertheless, while 'Finding Neverland'
may not meet both (or either) requirements, there's little doubt that
it is a
very, very good story indeed.