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Finding Neverland
It's beautifully acted, expertly directed and features some gorgeous scenery. But it left me cold. Maybe it's because I've never been a big fan of the Peter Pan story. If one isn't enchanted by the Neverland saga, one isn't likely to be enchanted by the experience of someone conjuring it up.
Still, I wasn't bored and, more importantly, I wasn't uncomfortable watching this (heavily fictionalized) story of how English playwright J.M. Barrie inserted himself into the Davies family and used them as raw material for his most successful creation. In different hands, both behind and in front of the camera, this could have been downright creepy. Johnny Depp's portrayal of Barrie is so winning, and Marc Forster's direction is so assured, that the more questionable elements of the story remain banished to the edges. It's also good to have Dustin Hoffman (as Barrie's producer) and Julie Christie (as the Davies grandmother), because their characters supply a needed dose of skepticism and a tartness that helps cut the sentimentality.
I doubt Johnny Depp will win the Oscar for this film, unless it's considered some sort of make-up. But he's always interesting to watch, and this film is no exception. I can't quite bring myself to recommend this, but I don't think you'll feel the time was wasted.
M.
"Most people never have to face the fact that, at the right time and the right place, they're capable of anything." -- Chinatown
"What kind of movies would there be if everyone in them had to do what we thought they should do?" -- Roger Ebert
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