27.1.06
Empire of the Sun and Finding Neverland
Empire of the Sun – 1987
I love films that tell history through the eyes of a child, this time a English aristocratic boy called James (Christian Bale). I must have watched this 10 times as I grew up. The original story was written by J.G Ballard who wrote it based on his own childhood in Japanese occupied Shanghai. In the film you see the chaos everywhere around Jim, but he sees it differently to the adults around him. It is sometimes a very moving film, as Jim warms to English folk taken from their wealthy lifestyles to internment camp conditions and starvation, captured American pilots and even the Japanese through his passion for planes. The whole region was complete chaos and this film captures it well. 8.5/10
Jim: If the Americans land, the Japanese will fight.
Dr. Rawlins: You admire the Japanese?
Jim: Well, they're brave, aren't they?
Dr. Rawlins: That's important, is it, Jim?
Jim: It's a good thing if you want to win a war.
Dr. Rawlins: But we don't want them to win, do we. Remember, we're British.
Jim: Yes.... I've never been there.
Finding Neverland – 2004
Depp was so very the right man for this role. He always manages to grab these kinds of scripts. It is very touching to watch a character so obviously still a child at heart; he almost gives the impression of a child not understanding grown up things like love, breaking up and death. Depp is brilliant and one of my favorite actors. Not many can dislike this guy with good reason. The brief recreation of Neverland, in the film, really warms you to J.M. Barrie's creation. Paul Whitehouse was in the film who some may recognise from British television (In fact, I noted Depp guest starred in one episode of Whitehouse's 'The Fast Show'; he is a fan of the show). Mackenzie Crook, who starred with Depp in pirates also makes an appearance. I also noted, Depp has played a number of British accent roles. Peter in this film is played by Freddie Highmore who Depp requested to play Charlie in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which I must see. Finally may I say Kelly Macdonald makes a very attractive Peter Pan. 8.5/10
If you read into the history of Barrie's life after he adopted the 5 sons (Peter, Jack, George, Michael and Nicholas) it is quite a unhappy tale.
If you read into the history of Barrie's life after he adopted the 5 sons (Peter, Jack, George, Michael and Nicholas) it is quite a unhappy tale.
