Neverland Films Views

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As much as I would like to give the lion’s share of credit for the film’s near brilliance to Depp, I believe I must dish that up to Marc Forster’s direction. He didn’t move me as much as some with Monster’s Ball, but his effort here reveals a style and intuitive frame that may one day render his films as easy to identify by ‘feel’ as Altman’s. Together, Depp and Forster move well beyond the only slightly above-average screenplay by unknown David Magee. Based on the play The Man Who Was Peter Pan by Allan Knee (which is not as maudlin), Magee’s screenplay overindulges frequently. This is perhaps the true test of Finding Neverland, or perhaps the fire that tempers it, because in this case (luckily) the play is not the thing. For Depp and Forster to deliver despite some missteps inherent in the material renders them both the more enjoyable. (It doesn’t make perfect sense even to me)

Finding Neverland is a film that I missed out on when it came out in 2004. At the time I didn't think it would be a movie I would of liked. But after watching all of director Marc Forster's work and liking all of his films (including Quantum of Solace, Stranger Than Fiction, Monster's Ball), this film was last on the list. And it also had Kate Winslet in it, who I consider as of this writing the best actor working in movies today. So I needed to see this film.