If you haven't already watched Finding Neverland, please do so!!!
I won't be writing a synopsis since the URL above provides one, and also due to a lack of time. Oh ok, it's due to pure laziness.
Johnny Depp, as always, is brilliant in his portrayal of James Barrie, the author of the children's classics Peter Pan. Barrie is a character who is both man and boy at the same time. Depp turns in a sensitive performance of a man confronted with the realities of adult life, such as a crumbling marriage and societal obligations, but yet has also retained the child in him with his vivid imagination of adventures and fairy tales.
Depp excels in playing such quirky characters. Be sure to catch him as Willy Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory come July. I'm definitely watching this movie! It's one of my favourite books from childhood! Go here for the trailer.
The four young boys playing the boys who were the inspiration for Barrie's classic charm audiences with their antics, games and dialogue. The young actor who plays Peter, the precocious child, is proving himself to be a quality actor already with the maturity displayed in his acting.
Kate Winslet who plays the feisty and independent widow and mother to the four boys, puts in a believable performance as a strong, young single mother who is nonchalant about how the conservative society of 1904 London views her friendship with Barrie. Her character, Sylvia Davies, is determined only that her sons lead as fulfilling a life as possible despite the loss of their father.
Veteran actress Julie Christie is spot on as the stern and steely grandmother, Emma du Maurier, to the boys. A character whose bark is worse than her bite, we are won over by this character at the end of the movie. Dustin Hoffman, on the other hand, is thoroughly forgettable as Barrie's patron. A pretty bland character altogether who didn't exude much screen presence.
The movie is heartachingly sweet and moving. It's been a long time since I last cried at the movies. The beauty of the movie is that it manages to bring the audience into Neverland with its beautiful sets and cinematography. An apt title, as at the end of it, I seemed to have found Neverland myself.
Posted by DSD at February 13, 2005 10:44 AM | TrackBackI don't think I will go and see Finding Neverland. I saw the trailer in the cinema and I was saying to myself - "geez, are the movie makers running out of ideas?". On the other hand, I will definitely go and see Willy Wonka because it is also one of my favourite books from childhood. Grrr... I don't really like Johnny Depp though but I can't do anything about it.
Btw, have you ever tried Willy Wonka Chocolates? They have been selling these chocolates here in Australia for years but I still haven't tried them yet.
Pretty poignant show with its ending. Painfully slow although i must say Depp once again gave a very good account of himself and the 4 boys were a joy to watch. Peter reminds me of Joel Harley (?) in The Sixth Sense and i especially enjoyed the part where George gave his grandma a dressing down =D.
Posted by: roblee7 at February 14, 2005 2:24 AMhmmm intrigued... i'll keep an eye out for both...
Posted by: tiggie at February 14, 2005 2:48 AMFelix: No, i haven't tried Willy Wonka Chocolates. Didn't even know they existed in real life!
roblee7: I didn't think the movie was 'painfully slow'. But yeah, the young actor who played Peter is really good.
tiggie: Yep, i think you'd enjoy the movies.
Posted by: dsd at February 14, 2005 9:58 AM