A Fairy Tale Wrapped in a Wish

Rating: 9/10 (19 December 2004)

I've never been a big Depp fan... I still think "21 jump street" and shudder. I was pleasantly thrilled , therefore, to see him in a commanding performance as Sir James Matthew Barrie in the movie. It is by far his best feat of acting and quite possibly will earn him a nomination. The direction of the film was well played out and had no loss of continuity. Also it was quite artfully done. The soundtrack enhanced and did not overpower the scenes as is common in many modern films.
My only complaints about the film were the lack of subplots that were vastly hinted at. A more involved level of conflict between Mrs. Emma du Maurier (Julie Christie) and James would have been welcomed and lent some depth to all of the characters involved. The resolution of the film seemed a bit hastily done after the gentle expanding of the plot up to that point. One wonders if the deleted scenes that will be present on the DVD will add more flavor to the film... in fact I wonder if the deleted scenes or any subplots were actually planned by the filmmakers in advance... to further DVD sales.
A must see in the theatre. Worth every penny.