jueves, 29 de noviembre de 2012

Finding Neverland



Finding Neverland (2004) is a drama based on the life of James Mathew Barrie, the author of the classic Peter Pan. Specifically, it is about Barrie’s friendship with the family who inspired him to create Peter Pan.
The story takes place in London in 1904. Barrie’s latest play has failed to impress the audience and he needs something new because his producer is clamouring him a new show, but he is at a loss of inspiration. However, Barrie's fortune changes during one visit to the park where he finds four young boys and their widowed mother Sylvia. Barrie is instantly attracted to the children. During the next months the author plays with the boys daily. He leads them in games involving pirates, cowboys and Indians; he dresses in funny costumes...
Barrie and the Davies family quickly become inseparable. The children like him and Sylvia is grateful for his attention, especially since she has developed an alarming cough and he helps her taking care of the boys. The only holdout is Peter, he is wise and solemn, and he feels the loss of his father more than his brothers. After a while, Sylvia's health worsens. The boys are reassured that nothing serious is wrong, but Peter is sure they are lying to him about her illness, as they did regarding his father disease.
 Simultaneously, the whole town is talking about Barrie and the Davies family. With reference to Barrie's wife, Mary, she rarely sees him at home and she is disturbed about his relationship with the Davies family. In addition, Sylvia’s mother is also worried by a man (Barrie) who wants to become the best playmate of her grandchildren. Nevertheless, none of these distractions take Barrie away from the boys, who are his muses.
Their imaginative games give him ideas for a new play.  He begins writing once again, and cannot stop.  Each new adventure with the Davies clan leads to pages and pages for his new play about a young boy and a visionary place called Neverland. The play’s opening night, Barrie invites 25 orphans and sits them through the audience, where their laugher stirs the adults to see the magic in the later renamed play.
The main actors and actresses of this film are Johnny Depp as Sir James Mathew Barrie, the protagonist of the film; Kate Winslet as Sylvia Llewelyn Davies; and Freddie Highmore as Peter Llewelyn Davies. Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet do a great job. However, from my point of view, the most remarkable performance is the one made by Freddie Highmore as Peter Llewelyn. This character really moved me.

I am of the opinion that Finding Neverland is a story very well told with some charm. Personally, I believe that it’s very emotive, tender and touching. And at the same time very funny.  The more I look it, the more I like it. For that reason, I strongly recommend you to see this film. Especially, for those who in a way refuses to grow up, and for those who like fantasy and creativity, because this film is a very good example of it.

MJSP

miércoles, 28 de noviembre de 2012

PROOF OF LIFE


PROOF OF LIFE

Cast: Meg Ryan, Russell Crowe, David Morse
Director: Taylor Hackford
Year: 2000


Peter Bowman (David Morse), an American engineer,  is living with his wife (Alice) and building a dam in the (fictional) city of Tecala, sited in South America ,when he is kidnapped by antigovernment forces during an intrusion in the city.

Alice (Meg Ryan) immediately turns to Peter’s corporation (sited in Houston) and they immediately provide help through Terry Thome’s (Russel Crowe) services, an ex-soldier turned kidnap and ransom professional negotiator. Terry immediately takes charge of the matter, but unfortunately after few days, news from Houston communicate to Alice that they are in a hard economic situation and consequently have no budget to afford the hostage insurance. However, the negotiator being already really involved with the case; decides to keep working on it on his own.

Due to this sudden situation things become complicated since they have no economic support to pay the ransom that Peter’s rescue costs. Thenceforward Terry starts preparing himself a rescue plan for Peter with some old colleagues’ help.

While this process and plan is being carried on, a close relation occurs between Terry and Alice, a kind of opposed feelings grow between them: Alice feels attracted to Terry but she is still worried and suffering about her husband’s situation, on the other hand Terry being extremely professional with his work and having always in mind the reason why he is there; cannot avoid feeling the same attraction to his client.
While watching the film there are two outstanding senses found: impossible attraction/relation and suffering mixed, so there is a bittersweet feeling transmitted during the whole movie.

The whole cast work it’s amazing, they reach the goal of performing in a perfect and realistic way.
As an absolute personal opinion I must admit that since the first time I saw this film became one of my favorites because the opposed feelings encountered.

One of the other occurrences in the movie that seems interesting to me is that through this kind of reports/films we can see how people who live in poor and underdeveloped countries have to act in order to protect and be able to feed themselves and their family. Nevertheless from my point of view it would not justify innocent people who’s just working or trying to help them having to pay and suffer for politic mistakes or deals.

Review by IPJ