The One with the Jacko Clone

Finding Neverland
Rating: 9/10
Oscar chances: Best Picture; Johnny Depp, Best Actor; Marc Forster, Best Director; Adapter Screenplay, Original Score

Johnny Depp stars as Scottish playwright James M. Barrie, the man who created Peter Pan and the wonderful world of Neverland. Barrie’s marriage is on the rocks, his last play a complete bust, and the pressure increases from theater producer Froham (Dustin Hoffman) for Barrie to write a play that will bring in the needed revenue to keep the theater afloat. While sitting on a park bench looking for an inspiration, he meets Sylvia Davis (Kate Winslet), and befriends the widow and her four little boys. Inspiration is exactly what he finds, as Barrie begins to paint the magical picture of Neverland with an imagination mirroring that of a child's.

When I found out that Marc Foster (of Monster’s Ball fame) was at the helm, the film’s stock dropped dramatically in my book. I’m not a big fan of Foster, so I was apprehensive on how he will handle a material that should theoretically cater to both young and old. Needless to say, I am thoroughly impressed with his work. He was able to blend the grim background of the events surrounding the creation of the beloved play and the youthful imagination of the Neverland sequences with relative ease, cleverly mixing reality and fantasy sequences to weave a clear narrative of the story behind Peter Pan. Credit should also be given to the writer (Mr. Writer, if you read this, give yourself a pat in the back!)

Depp dishes out another fantastic performance as Barrie, but on a different level. As against the quirky and eccentric character for which he was nominated last year for Pirates of the Carribean, he is more subtle and subdued this time, but just as intense. He is proving himself to be one of the finest actors of today, and another nomination for an Oscar should be in place. Kate Winslet also delivers quite a fine performance as Sylvia, possibly another nominee herself for a supporting role. One of the characters that I enjoyed the most is Sylvia’s controlling mother, played wonderfully by Julie Christie. In one scene, it will be shown how Captain Hook came to be with the help of her character. [spoiler start]And unlike how the age-old adage “Nasa huli ang pagsisisi” are often forcibly incorporated in films, Christie’s character believably makes that transition at the end. [spoiler end]

It’s 12-year old Freddie Highmore who shines as the boy who becomes the inspiration for Peter Pan. Highmore magnificently portrays little Peter, who has grown up too fast for his own good after having gone through one of the most painful experiences a child can suffer: [spoiler start]losing a parent. And the prospect of losing yet another loved one will be too much to bear for his young soul, forcing him to discover the strength that only adults can muster, leaving his childhood innocence for good. [spoiler end] Highmore steals every scene that he is in, much like how Haley Joel Osment came into our consciousness in The Sixth Sense. To this day, it baffles me that his name hasn’t come up in any of the award radars given the strong performance he put as Peter. So impressed was Depp with this kid, he convinced director Tim Burton to cast Highmore as Charlie in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, a remake of another child classic.

Finding Neverland was a pleasant surprise; it will bring the childhood out of you without bearing you down into “believing”. The film illustrates the story behind one of the most loved plays of all time with excellent use of emotion and imagination. If you liked Burton’s Big Fish, go see this film. Definitely one of the year’s best.

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This was originally posted in PinoyExchange, at the Finding Neverland thread. Some reviews I've read pointed out the similarities of J.M. Barrie with Michael Jackson. Funny how peoples' minds work. :p

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The Portland Trailblazers will miss the playoffs this year. They're in the ultra-competitive Western Conference, they haven't played well, and Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Darius Miles, two of their three leading scorers, were placed on the injured list, meaning they'll miss at least five games. The Blazers are utterly hopeless. Bye bye playoffs!