Neverland

SYNOPSIS

Fantasy and reality combine to magical effect in this deeply affecting drama from Monster's Ball director Marc Forster. Adapted from a stage play by Allan Knee - and taking a few liberties with events - it's a beautifully crafted account of the creation and evolution of the children's classic Peter Pan. A perfectly cast Johnny Depp portrays the young-at-heart Scottish playwright JM Barrie, whose career is reinvigorated when he befriends the four fatherless Llewelyn Davies boys and their recently widowed mother, Sylvia (Kate Winslet). Depp is magnificent, alternating between playful and sensitive as the joys and tragedies of this inspirational relationship unfold. It's a performance of genuine emotion, superbly complemented by Winslet's tender turn. But the movie's real soul comes from the youngsters, particularly Freddie Highmore as the serious-minded Peter. Forster matches his actors' talent with imaginative visuals, giving even mundane events an enchanting sense of wonder.