Neverland Lost.

Rating: 5/10 (15 September 2015)

Finding Neverland (2004): Dir: Marc Forster / Cast: Johnny Depp, Kate Winslet, Julie Christie, Radha Mitchell, Dustin Hoffan: Set in 1903 London and regards James Barrie, a failed playwright about to embark on his biggest success in Peter Pan. It regards imagination and the hope Barrie gives to a widow and her four children. Predictable yet contains inventive visual splendor. Well directed by Marc Forster who won acclaim with Monsters Ball. Unfortunately this film must rely on its visual splendor and a fantastic performance by Johnny Depp as Barrie whose imagination has no limits. He allows people to step outside of reality and experience freedom through one's creative thoughts. Supporting roles are the film's biggest problem. Kate Winslet as the widow makes things far too obvious with her coughing spells what her fate will be. Julie Christie is wasted as Winslet's strict mother. Radha Mitchell as Barrie's wife is forgettable. Dustin Hoffman plays the producer of the play and perhaps more of him would have rewarded the film better, otherwise he is underused. Overrated film that pretty much takes an interesting idea and botches it extremely within formula writing. Theme of imagination and the willingness to dream is positive and quite evident but perhaps if the screenwriter wasn't dreaming so much then maybe this film might be taken more seriously than it is. Score: 5 ½ / 10