Finding Neverland
***1/2
With his penchant for playing childlike characters it was probably only a matter of time before Johnny Depp did a film with connections to Peter Pan.  In Finding Neverland, he plays Pan author J M Barrie, a struggling writer who seems to prefer the company of three young boys, who have lost their father, to his wife.  In particular he is drawn towards the quietist of the boys – Peter – and, after much family tension, is made their guardian when their mother also dies tragically young after a long illness,
Finding Neverland is quite a good film though it doesn’t totally hold together.  Barrie is portrayed as caring and benign, albeit with strange priorities.  Depp and director Marc Forster successfully show the suspicion which greeted his actions at the time – actions which would be treated with greater suspicion nowadays.
All in all, Finding Neverland is a thought-provoking film with a further fine performance of a childlike adult by its star.  Not a classic but certainly worth seeing.
Released:  2004
Seen by me:  16.4.06  (with Naomi)

Forrest Gump
****
Touching Oscar-winning story about a very amiable, simple man of low IQ who unwittingly plays a leading role in several major events from the mid 1950s to early 80s.  Tom Hanks is excellent as the caring, bewildered Forrest as is Robin Wright as Jenny, the enduing love of his life.  Although some strangely criticised Forrest Gump as being reactionary, I’ve always found it funny, moving and life affirming.  Well worth seeing.
Released:  1994
Seen by me:  23/4/06  (with Naomi)

Full Metal Jacket
****1/2
A horrific but brilliantly made film about the Vietnam War by Stanley Kubrick.  Full Metal Jacket is split into two parts with the first 44 minutes covering the training of a new group of marine recruits and the remaining 76 at the war itself.
In the first act, the rookies are introduced to the sadistic, fowl-mouthed Sergeant Hartman (real life ex-marine Lee Ermey) who gradually dehumanises them into killing machines.  Among the men are Private Joker (Matthew Modine), the only soldier who retains something of a conscience and Private Pyle (Vincent D’Onofrio), overweight and slow to learn.  Pyle soon becomes the victim of Hartman’s relentless bullying but, under Joker’s wing, he begins to get things right and is an excellent shot.  The marines all pass their training but, on the last night before they go their separate ways, Pyle loses his mind with catastrophic results.
Cue to Act Two, Joker is now in Vietnam working for the heavily biased Stars & Stripes newspaper which is distributed to the troops.  On a reporting mission he comes across his old training camp friend Private Cowboy (Arliss Howard) and, with Cowboy’s platoon, they try to apprehend a sniper hiding in a nearby building.  The atmosphere and tension created in Full Metal Jacket is superb as the platoon try to catch the lone gunner with a climax in which Joker arguably comes to terms with what he solely witnessed with Pyle and is able to move forward as a killing machine.
Full Metal Jacket is an excellent film, enhanced by superb cinematography and some typical darkly whimsical Kubrick touches such as the opening credits during which the new recruits have their heads shaved.  The first act is incredibly powerful and disturbing and the second part tense and (I imagine) realistic.  Another classic Kubrick film.
Released:  1987
Seen by me:  29.8.06  (with Naomi)