What made Peter Pan, Tinkerbelle, Captain Hook and some flying children a special fairy tale in our childhood was, for sure, our creative imagination. Those stories would have meant nothing without our endless imagination. Remember how I wrote in the last issue, "There are movies which are produced for the sake of art...." This week you're very lucky: you have the chance to see a movie made simply for the sake of art. "Finding Neverland" is an incredible movie, which lifts you up in the air and makes you forget all the negativity in your mind. That is possibly why it has been nominated for seven Oscars this year, including "Best Motion Picture" and "Best Actor."
Dustin Hoffman, Johnny Depp, Kate Winslet, Julie Christie and Radha Mitchell (a flawless cast?) play the main characters in the movie. Depp is the author/playwright Sir James Barrie; Hoffman portrays the owner of a theater; and Radha Mitchell plays Barrie's wife. The movie starts with a play that was written by Barrie. Unfortunately, it fails to impress the audience, and he finds himself in a place where there is no sense of imagination and happiness. However, Barrie's fortunes take a u-turn as the result of an ordinary visit to a public park. He comes across four spirited boys and their widowed mother (Kate Winslet). An instant bond forms between Barrie and the children. Inspired, he starts to write again, and his words take him back to his imaginary childhood place, "Neverland" (a place filled with happiness and peace). As the film proceeds, it turns out to be as magical as the story that inspired it.
I believe the movie can become a classic for two main reasons. First of all, it seems in all respects to be made for the sake of art, considering the strong infrastructure, including editing, art directing, screenwriting and performance. Secondly, the story and the acting find the key to your heart by giving the film huge emotional content. From the beginning to the very end, the film tries to express the idea, "You can change things by simply believing them to be different." (Note: A lot of things, for sure, but not everything.) Also, Barrie makes an inspiring speech that sheds more light on the story: "You find a glimmer of happiness in this world, and there is always someone who wants to destroy it."
I believe that the film, with this sentence, criticizes the fact that many people are so prejudiced and deprived of imagination. After Barrie finds the spirit of imagination in the boys, he writes a play that is very successful, unlike his unsatisfying previous attempt.
Besides all this, the movie has a significant strength in its acting. Each actor performs flawlessly, even the four boys. The "mature and truthful" child character Peter, in particular, is incredibly well-acted. The presentation of character analysis and the interaction of these characters (especially Peter and Barrie) is a great accomplishment on the part of the director. Peter's and Barrie's contrasting perspectives lead to an intermixture of fantasy and reality images. In conclusion, I can state that "Finding Neverland" is a strong candidate for the Oscars in most of the categories it is nominated for. Since some answers to life's questions are hidden in every page of your imagination, return to innocence and take a trip to your own Neverland.

Rating (4.5 out of 5):

Atilla Karakurum (IE/IV)