JohnnyDepp-Zone.com

“Johnny Depp adds to his growing rep as a wonderful screen actor with a guileless performance as playwright James Barrie, the man who created Peter Pan,” writes Ray Bennett in his review of FINDING NEVERLAND in today’s Hollywood Reporter. Bennett adds, “FINDING NEVERLAND is a rewarding piece of filmmaking that has all the makings of a classic weepie with boxoffice returns to match.” Both of the big Hollywood trade publications, Variety and Hollywood Reporter, have now given rave reviews to FINDING NEVERLAND–they single out Johnny’s performance for the highest praise, but they also love the film, Kate Winslet, the supporting cast, Marc Forster’s sensitive direction, and the overall look and style of the movie. The trades are predicting great success for FINDING NEVERLAND at the box office, and they also expect its excellence to be recognized at awards season. Thanks, Emma, for sharing this great review with the Zone. You can read Ray Bennett’s complete review on the News & Views forum, but once again beware of spoilers–for some reason these critics seem compelled to give away the entire plot of the movie!

Variety’s Todd McCarthy calls FINDING NEVERLAND “impeccably made and genuinely moving [. . .] .Marc Forster’s astutely judged follow-up to MONSTER’S BALL is the rare modern film that, like Hollywood fare of the classic studio era, can play well to all age groups.” McCarthy notes that it is Johnny Depp’s “delicate and inviting portrait of an unusual man” that makes the film work: “Impeccably groomed and as boyishly handsome as ever, Depp takes a cue from the soft lilt of his beautifully rendered Scottish accent to create a gently nuanced portrayal of an artist who at least this once found a way to transform troubled reality into an imaginative work for the ages.”

McCarthy salutes Kate Winslet, Freddie Highmore, Julie Christie, and Dustin Hoffman as well–the ensemble worked beautifully together. The Variety critic also has high praise for Marc Forster’s subtle direction, David Magee’s imaginative screenplay, the production design, cinematography, costumes and score. Although he did not care for the closing song by Elton John, everything else in the Variety review is a rave! Thanks to DeepinDepp for posting the review on the news board, but once again beware–there are many plot spoilers in the full review.