I've said for years that film is the ultimate storytelling medium. Unlike photography, painting, writing, or music, film combines other mediums and creates a tapestry of what makes all of those things beautiful. Listening to a song which makes you happy is extenuated when combined with a picture that makes you happy. Lay over a story behind the picture and you get film. When a film does all of these things right, either by a perfect balance of these things or a meaningful detraction of one, film can be an overwhelming experience.
Finding Neverland is the story of James Barrie, the creator of Peter Pan, and how the lives of a family influenced his work and life. Johnny Depp plays the lead and shows off his ability to play a more subtle character than usual. He is one of the dwindling few American actors who can play British (even though the character is Scottish) when usually it's vice-a-versa. Kate Winslet plays the mother of the four boys Barrie comes to adore and she is exceptional as usual. The star of the movie however is Freddie Highmore. Now a teenager, he was barely older than ten when he made this movie. He does a remarkable job as a boy who, so affected by the death of his father, lacks the imagination, joy, and free spiritidness of youth. In addition, Marc Forster does a fantastic job directing. Dabbling in moments of magic into an otherwise real life story creates a more enjoyable film. Oftentimes he dabbles at the perfect moments to offer genuine amusement, much like James Barrie himself.
If you can't hold back tears, grab a box of tissues and get prepped. It truly stimulates an emotional response without overtly manipulating the audience. It simply runs it's course and the characters take the reins. One of the most underrated movies of the last five years, it's one to put high on any list.
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