A perfect title for a wonderful film

Rating: 9/10 (6 March 2005)

This is modern film making at its best. While it was a treat to both the eyes and the ears, the story and the actors were what carried the movie. I had already held both Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet in high regard as actors, but their performances in this film have turned that regard to admiration.
As playwright JM Barrie, I was expecting that Depp would be a man searching for a child's imagination, but he finds so much more, with the love and compassion of a child unfolding in him throughout his performance. Perhaps what he does best in this film is he does not steal any scenes, instead acting as more of a vehicle for the subject matter. Seeing this movie made me want to watch Edward Scissorhands again, as Depp really seems to have built on that subtle style of his, and found brilliance in this movie.
If you want to find a parallel for Kate Winslet's role in Finding Neverland, just think of a woman in a desperate situation, who has a very pushy mother, who finds somebody that opens up a new world of possibilities. Of course, as we have seen in Titanic, Winslet is perfectly capable of playing such a role. But, like her co-star, she goes beyond mere capability in this film, and again it is done through interaction and subtlety, as opposed to overpowering speeches and "heavy" emoting.
Of course this interaction which is carried out so wonderfully by Depp and Winslet cannot exist without a strong supporting cast. To have four children do such a wonderful job as the actors who played Sylvia's (Kate Winslet's) sons, is a genuine treat to see.
As for the story, it is quite simply about finding Neverland, as the characters each endeavour to find their own Neverland in their own way, no matter how great or small. If you want to find it, if you're an adult who still takes to daydreaming, or if you just like the story of Peter Pan, then you will probably enjoy this film as I did.