A Strong, Somewhat Magical Film

Rating: 8/10 (24 January 2019)

12 December 2004. The beginning 20 or 30 minutes of the film seemed to move with slow, almost languid movements that threatened to put me to sleep. There were suggestive flights of fancy such as "Big Fish" that never seemed to quite push the envelope of delight. Nevertheless and overlooking John Depp's accent, this movie build slowly and like a magic present, it kept unfolding its mysterious until the fantasy and the poignant reality met in the great bittersweet ending. The tender, unassuming relational angles and tensions, the backdrop of a Peter Pan Classic, the suggestive hints of humor of Dustin Hoffman, and the underlying premise of childhood and adulthood all packaged into a resonating exposure onto the big screen is a feast for the eyes and mind. Eight out of Ten Stars.