Flying men (and boys)
I watched two great movies this week: Finding Neverland and Batman Begins.
Finding Neverland is a beautiful family film about playwright James Barrie (played by Johnny Depp). Barrie, who has unfortunately just weathered the commercial failure of his latest play, happens upon a fatherless family in the park. Sylvia Llewelyn Davies' husband has passed away, and she has been left to care for four very rambunctious boys: Peter, Jack, George, and Michael. Barrie falls in love with the young boys, and to an extent with their mother, because he discovers they stoke his own child-like imagination. Together, Barrie and the boys are pirates, cowboys, circus performers, and more. Inspired by the little family, and particularly by Peter Davies (played with aching accuracy by Freddie Highmore), Barrie pens the stage play Peter Pan, which is a resounding commerical and critical success for him.
This movie is a beautiful story about imagination, renewal, and growing up. Young Peter is scarred by the death of his father, and he observes his mother's illness with growing trepidation. He is an old soul in a young body, which seems to be why Barrie names his own primary character after him. Barrie hopes that Peter can feel young again, can rediscover the carefree life of childhood. Of course, there are complications. Barrie's wife, Mary (played by Radha Mitchell), doesn't appreciate all of the time he spends with the Davies family, nor of the affection he feels for Sylvia. As well, Sylvia's mother disapproves of Barrie's presence in her daughter's life. However, our protagonist overcomes both obstacles, and the resulting story is both hopeful and triumphant.
The performances in the film were particularly good. Depp is subtle and endearing as Barrie, playing a character much more true-to-life than his turns as fantastical Jack Sparrow, Willy Wonka, and Edward Scissorhands. Winslet is also excellent. Some of the scenes in which she revealed and dealt with Sylvia's illness were wonderful little gems in the film. She makes Sylvia such a likable character that it is difficult not to root for her whole-heartedly. Also, Freddie Highmore was astonishing as young Peter. I loved him in the scenes at the premiere of the play. Overall, his scenes with Depp were all quite good.
Batman Begins was also a treat; I really wish I had seen it in the theatre, on the big screen! To be honest, I was a little wary upon hearing that ANOTHER Batman movie was going to be made, but this film does the legend justice. The film starts rather haltingly, with the viewer seeing images of a young Bruce Wayne trapped in a cave, terrified of the bats that live there, juxtaposed with images of an older Wayne (played by Christian Bale) in a foreign prison. Viewers then witness more scenes from Wayne's childhood, interspersed with his odd (and slightly insane) journey to martial arts mastery. However, once Wayne leaves the "League of Shadows" (corny, but that's the name), the story begins to pick up. Fortified by his newly-minted combat skills, he returns to Gotham, where he vows to clean up the city's crime problem.
Of course, adventure ensues! Viewers are treated to "the making of Batman," including the wit and heart of such characters as devoted butler Alfred Pennyworth (played perfectly by Michael Cain) and cunning scientist Lucius Fox (played by Morgan Freeman). I cannot say enough about the impact of both Cain and Freeman on this film. They both offer an experience and a mastery of their craft that is a pleasure to watch. Cain gives the film some of its most emotional moments, but he is never too maudlin or sentimental. Freeman, though not the father figure that Cain is, is a cunning friend to the young billionaire, and he provides lots of chuckles and smiles by the virtue of his excellent line delivery and facial expressions. I thoroughly enjoyed both of their performances. (Gary Oldman, as Lt. Gordon, isn't shabby, either. He makes a great cop and a great "good guy.") Bale was good in the film, but it is difficult for me to see him as an actor, cloaked as he is in the whole Batman mystique. (So much of it is the cape and the ears, right?) Katie Holmes played Wayne's childhood friend Rachel Dawes, now a young lawyer with Gotham's D.A. office. Though her role wasn't large, I thought she turned in a solid performance.
This was a fun action film, and I didn't think it was too violent for young families. However, if you are planning on buying the DVD in order to get extras such as deleted scenes, interviews with the actors or technicians, or other goodies, think twice!! Our DVD contained nothing except the movie and its trailer. We found this VERY DISAPPOINTING. Shame on you, Warner!!
Finding Neverland is a beautiful family film about playwright James Barrie (played by Johnny Depp). Barrie, who has unfortunately just weathered the commercial failure of his latest play, happens upon a fatherless family in the park. Sylvia Llewelyn Davies' husband has passed away, and she has been left to care for four very rambunctious boys: Peter, Jack, George, and Michael. Barrie falls in love with the young boys, and to an extent with their mother, because he discovers they stoke his own child-like imagination. Together, Barrie and the boys are pirates, cowboys, circus performers, and more. Inspired by the little family, and particularly by Peter Davies (played with aching accuracy by Freddie Highmore), Barrie pens the stage play Peter Pan, which is a resounding commerical and critical success for him.
This movie is a beautiful story about imagination, renewal, and growing up. Young Peter is scarred by the death of his father, and he observes his mother's illness with growing trepidation. He is an old soul in a young body, which seems to be why Barrie names his own primary character after him. Barrie hopes that Peter can feel young again, can rediscover the carefree life of childhood. Of course, there are complications. Barrie's wife, Mary (played by Radha Mitchell), doesn't appreciate all of the time he spends with the Davies family, nor of the affection he feels for Sylvia. As well, Sylvia's mother disapproves of Barrie's presence in her daughter's life. However, our protagonist overcomes both obstacles, and the resulting story is both hopeful and triumphant.
The performances in the film were particularly good. Depp is subtle and endearing as Barrie, playing a character much more true-to-life than his turns as fantastical Jack Sparrow, Willy Wonka, and Edward Scissorhands. Winslet is also excellent. Some of the scenes in which she revealed and dealt with Sylvia's illness were wonderful little gems in the film. She makes Sylvia such a likable character that it is difficult not to root for her whole-heartedly. Also, Freddie Highmore was astonishing as young Peter. I loved him in the scenes at the premiere of the play. Overall, his scenes with Depp were all quite good.
Batman Begins was also a treat; I really wish I had seen it in the theatre, on the big screen! To be honest, I was a little wary upon hearing that ANOTHER Batman movie was going to be made, but this film does the legend justice. The film starts rather haltingly, with the viewer seeing images of a young Bruce Wayne trapped in a cave, terrified of the bats that live there, juxtaposed with images of an older Wayne (played by Christian Bale) in a foreign prison. Viewers then witness more scenes from Wayne's childhood, interspersed with his odd (and slightly insane) journey to martial arts mastery. However, once Wayne leaves the "League of Shadows" (corny, but that's the name), the story begins to pick up. Fortified by his newly-minted combat skills, he returns to Gotham, where he vows to clean up the city's crime problem.
Of course, adventure ensues! Viewers are treated to "the making of Batman," including the wit and heart of such characters as devoted butler Alfred Pennyworth (played perfectly by Michael Cain) and cunning scientist Lucius Fox (played by Morgan Freeman). I cannot say enough about the impact of both Cain and Freeman on this film. They both offer an experience and a mastery of their craft that is a pleasure to watch. Cain gives the film some of its most emotional moments, but he is never too maudlin or sentimental. Freeman, though not the father figure that Cain is, is a cunning friend to the young billionaire, and he provides lots of chuckles and smiles by the virtue of his excellent line delivery and facial expressions. I thoroughly enjoyed both of their performances. (Gary Oldman, as Lt. Gordon, isn't shabby, either. He makes a great cop and a great "good guy.") Bale was good in the film, but it is difficult for me to see him as an actor, cloaked as he is in the whole Batman mystique. (So much of it is the cape and the ears, right?) Katie Holmes played Wayne's childhood friend Rachel Dawes, now a young lawyer with Gotham's D.A. office. Though her role wasn't large, I thought she turned in a solid performance.
This was a fun action film, and I didn't think it was too violent for young families. However, if you are planning on buying the DVD in order to get extras such as deleted scenes, interviews with the actors or technicians, or other goodies, think twice!! Our DVD contained nothing except the movie and its trailer. We found this VERY DISAPPOINTING. Shame on you, Warner!!
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