Old School Film Making, Parr Excellence!

Rating: 10/10 (25 November 2004)

While recuperating from a critical and audience drumming of his latest writing effort, J.M.Barrie finds solace and inspiration from a local widow and her 4 young sons. One of which goes by the name of Peter.
Despite being born and growing up in Germany, Director Marc Forster seems equally comfortable in victorian London as he did in the deep south of 'Monsters Ball'. By these 2 films alone he doesn't seem to have to much more to prove to anybody.
Finding Neverland is a beautiful and engaging film from start to finish in the finest tradition of sumptuous storytelling. Funny, dramatic and heart wrenching in equal measure, it never once drops the ball. Jonny Depp is excellent in the lead role of J.M.Barrie (creator of Peter Pan). His family friend and father like affection for the 4 boys is impossible to dislike and never once leans towards suspicious, despite the accusations of other characters, especially the boys Grandmother, another commanding performance from Julie Christie. Kate Winslet puts in another perfect English Rose as the Widowed mother of 4, and cold is the heart that isn't moved by her plight.
Part of the reason this film stands apart from the usual, true story, period piece, is in its continual flirtations between reality and fantasy when Depp is entertaining the children. Jumping between the real and imagined several times in a single scene you'll fondly remember how, with a little imagination your back garden could be anywhere you wanted it to be. It also serves as a beautiful way with which we see Barrie slowly creating the world and characters for his most famous creation.
Finding Neverland deserves all the praise and accolades it may or may not receive. Direction, script, acting and cinematography are all first class. Go on, treat yourself. Search for Neverland and you too will find yourself clapping saying "I believe in fairy's".
One warning, don't be mislead by the Peter Pan back story, while I wouldn't advise against little children seeing it (There's certainly nothing they shouldn't see). This is a family drama and children under 10 may get a little bored.