The best movie I've seen all year

Rating: 8/10 (3 January 2005)

Granted, I haven't seen all of the critically heralded films of 2004, but I believe this would stay my favorite no matter how good the others turn out to be. The magic and wonder of this story captured me from the very first moment that Barrie meets the boys and gives them his dancing bear show.
J.M. Barrie (real-life author of Peter Pan (please tell me you've heard of it) played by Johnny Depp in the film) is a playwright whose last play was not up to his usual snuff, most likely due to his lack of inspiration from his life with his wife, Mary (Radha Mitchell). Seeking solitude and ideas, Barrie goes for a walk in the park where me meets Sylvia Llewelyn Davies (a widow, Kate Winslet) and her children, a meeting that sparks many more meetings and imaginative games that inspire the story of Peter Pan.
The cinematography is spectacular. Director Marc Forster makes excellent choices with the camera that seem to play along with the screenplay and the score. These three elements work together quite well and turn a simple story into a masterpiece. There are a few times when I felt I was being rushed through certain parts, but the movie makes up for it with it's incredible cast.
After seeing Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean, I was shocked to see how well he can underplay a character. Depp gives an already poignant character and even more strikingly poignant manner with every inflection, movement, and look. Kate Winslet is equally touching, and while she does not have as much to do as Depp, she matches his talent with brilliant skill of her own. Julie Christie and Dustin Hoffman give good turns as Sylvia's mother and the producer of Barrie's play, respectively.
I think the player that the critics have sinfully underrated is Radha Mitchell. I barely read any praise for her wonderful job as Barrie's wife in any review when she deserves just as much as Depp or Winslet.
This is a moving story that everyone should be subjected to, no matter what age or mindset. Man, I loved this movie.