On second thought...

Rating: 5/10 (1 April 2005)

I submitted a commentary, since deleted, on 'Finding Neverland' after I first saw it. Now I've seen it again and have altered my initial opinion substantially. The first viewing left me feeling a bit bored, albeit intrigued, and finally moved, as the makers intended me to be. I was charmed, and that's not a bad thing. Upon second viewing I am confirmed in my earlier suspicions that there is much less to this movie than meets the eye, mind or heart.
I was, and still am, impressed by Johnny Depp who turns in yet another fine performance, delivering his lines with a natural Scottish brogue. There are other fine performances, notably Kelly MacDonald's Peter Pan. Kate Winslet is a fine actress and does what she can with the one-dimensional character written for her. And it's good to see Julie Christie still at her most acerbic. I sensed she was holding in laughter the whole time for some reason. She plays a tinsel gorgon and seems to not really believe in the character's motivations. This isn't surprising as none of the characters seem to evolve out of any sort of authentic human spark. They are all cardboard cutouts. The usual portrayal of "uptight" Victorians as seen by Hollywood is in full evidence. Even the children are too clean, their little pranks and fights all choreographed and careful. Fortunately the four Davies boys are played by fairly natural actors who are happily free of cuteness or obnoxious precociousness. Young Michael is especially engaging. The focus boy, Peter, is too glum by half but well acted.
The story is interesting but has not been brought very effectively to the screen in this movie. It's a surprisingly "down" film with little humor. It has charm of a Disney-esquire nature but it rings false most of the time. The writer has attempted to manipulate emotions from the viewer, leaving one feeling a bit conned in the end.
I can't put my finger on it other than to say something went awry in the conceptualization meetings in pre-production. A wrong turn was taken somewhere and the result is an oddly shallow and predictable charade. A high-tech panto for adults.
It's all a pity because the cast is very good. The technical side, of which the production team seemed especially proud of themselves in the "special feature" sections on the DVD, is also good. But that's what this film feels like, a show-off piece for fancy camera/ computer work and cleverly edited scenes. The movie flows like a very shallow rivulet when I really would have liked a more deeply flowing river. Charles Sturridge did it better in 'A Fairy Tale' and without the blatant emotional manipulation.
I didn't dislike 'Finding Neverland' but I think I'll just read the play 'Peter Pan' next time.
But then there is Johnny Depp's Barrie and Kelly MacDonald's Peter Pan that will probably charm me back to the DVD again.