I’m pretty interested to get a look at Johnny Depp’s next project, Finding Neverland. Depp’s choice of projects is often spotty, but this time he’s hitched himself to something Peter Pan related… and for me that’s always a hook (bad pun intended). Sure, last year’s Peter Pan movie wasn’t exactly a raging success (HOOK FLEW!! What where they thinking???) but I still can’t get enough of the boy who never grew up.

So I’m a little jealous of fellow Dallasite Clifford who wrangled his way into the Finding Neverland screening that happened here in town without my knowledge. I need to have a word with him about sneaking me in to things like this! Here’s one of the first reviews on the planet of Finding Neverland from Cliff:

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DISCLAIMER
I am not a professional critic nor am I even a writer. I just love movies. A LOT. I do, however, know the difference between a masterpiece like House of Sand and Fog or The Door in the Floor and something like, oh, say, Van Helsing, which I'm still not sure if I really did see (what with all the blurry action.) So please don't blast me for liking everything about this film, because I tend to like most everything. Even Aliens Vs. Predator... a little.

THE Q&A WITH THE DIRECTOR
After the film, Marc Forster sat down in front of the audience and answered questions. This was probably my favorite part of the evening. It was kind of surreal to actually be in the same room with the director or Monster's Ball and be allowed to ask him a question. I asked him if there was anything cut that he would have liked to see left intact in the film. Interestingly enough, there were only 2 scenes cut during the cottage sequence that he said didn't really give anything to the story, but nothing else. It's obvious with his responses that Marc Forster knows what he wants and knows how to achieve it. The level of chemistry between the actors in the film is the best I've seen this year. Other interesting tidbits answered for us included Dustin Hoffman's sneak-attack inclusion into the movie and mentions of historical inaccuracies. I found it highly commendable that the director would readily acknowledge what he changed for the purpose of the story, such as the fact that Sylvia's husband was actually alive when J.M. Barrie met the family. Another cool fact is that a descendant (Granddaughter I think) of J.M. Barrie has a small cameo as a women who exclaims "so this is Peter Pan!" towards the end of the movie during an after-party sequence.

The director also talked about Monster's Ball, his first films, and answered questions about his motivations toward the film and how he cast the actors, especially the children. Sorry I can't be more specific but I'm pretty scatterbrained. Marc is surprisingly young and down to Earth. He really doesn't come across as a director, except for the German accent. He is easily the most approachable director I've been in the company of, and yet he has this otherworldly aura of Monster's Ball about him. It's the aura of a genuinely good director, who definitely has a shot at revitalizing an industry fraught with absolute disasters, so long as he manages to succeed in his upcoming project in which he cast Will Ferrell. Here's hoping Marc can save that man, because lord knows nobody else has. However, I really want to thank Marc for actually showing up in person and not charging us $12 a seat to answer pre-fielded questions like our ex- favorite Shyamalan. Kudos!

THE FILM
I'll be honest. I am not a fan of any Peter Pan movie. I didn't much care for Hook and I sure as hell wasn't interested in watching the pedophiles' bastardization called simply, "Pan." But this film, in the able hands of director Marc Forster, has made me a believer. This film is amazingly family-friendly while maintaining some intelligence and adult- themes. Johnny Depp stars as J.M. Barrie, the author of the Peter Pan. The film follows the events that led him to write the play, basing it largely around his friendship with the 4 children of the widowed Sylvia Llewelyn Davies, who is played beautifully by Kate Winslet.

But the real stars of the show are the 4 children, whose performances are so amazingly honest that I dare you not to adore them. Freddie Highmore plays Peter with such honesty that you'd swear he wasn't acting at all. In that respect, all characters are played impeccably by a very well- chosen cast. Each actor or actress fit the part perfectly and had you believing their motivations through and through. Dustin Hoffman has a subdued role in the film that unfortunately reminds me of his part as Norman in Sphere. Maybe that's because Sphere is one of my all-time favorite films and I watch it constantly. But the film could have done just fine without him, which is what the director originally intended, as I stated above.

In either case, I really only have minor gripes about this film. The motivation behind J.M. Barrie's love for these children isn't really explained enough for the casual moviegoer. I just didn't see why someone who obviously loves children so much would suddenly decide to devote himself to this particular set of kids, especially with his aristocrat wife (played by Radha Mitchell) and Sylvia's mother (Julie Christie) disapproving the whole way; both assuming his intentions are less than noble.

Ultimately the movie plays out in a rather linear fashion. You can see what's coming and there are too few surprises to excite the many Paul W.S. Anderson followers who will no doubt show up expecting another quirky character from Johnny Depp. To be honest though, he really holds his own and gets to exploit a wide range of characters via the many imagination sequences, ranging from pirate to Indian.

My other beef is with the historical inaccuracies cited by the director per the other section above. But that's really a very minor gripe for this movie. It really is enjoyable and appeals to a very wide audience. The cinematography is just beautiful and there were all the indications of a director who knows his subject. None of the performances felt ham-fisted or forced. Every heart- warming or tear-inducing moment was entirely believable and I identified with many of the characters from the young to the old. I wouldn't change a thing about it. But then again, that may just be me.

Cheers.

Clifford Lynch

P.S. I give the movie 4 stars

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Thanks Cliff. Sounds promising, especially since you liked it and aren’t even much of a Pan fan. Some day the world will have the good sense to acknowledge the genius of Hook. Till then, this sounds like one to watch out for.

Yo ho me Lost Boys yo ho in The CB Forum.
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