Flesh for Fantasy

Get your groove on at this year's St. Louis International Film Festival

A A A Comments (0) By Gregory Weinkauf Wednesday, Nov 10 2004

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The man behind the Pan: Johnny Depp (center) is J.M. Barrie in the warm and whimsical Finding Neverland.

Details

The thirteenth annual St. Louis International Film Festival, presented by Cinema St. Louis, runs November 11-21 at the Tivoli Theatre (6350 Delmar Boulevard, University City), the Hi-Pointe Theatre (1001 McCausland, St. Louis) and Webster University's Moore Auditorium (470 E. Lockwood Avenue, Webster Groves). For complete schedule and pricing information, call the festival hotline at 314-367-3378. For more RFT recommendations and reviews, see our SLIFF capsules.

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If you like the sound of that, definitely secure tickets for Finding Neverland from director Marc Forster (celebrated for the very fleshly Monster's Ball), a fictionalized account of author J.M. Barrie's creation of Peter Pan. Like Her Majesty, there's a surplus of syrup here, but it's quite pardonable as we partake of wunderkind Johnny Depp's charming turn as Barrie, a dapper Edwardian child-man with a robust brogue whose efforts to sustain the imaginations of four fatherless "lost boys" (and their mother, a steely Kate Winslet) result in one of the most enduring fantasies of all time. Ultimately, this subtle and elegant film strikes a fine balance of adult concerns and magical intervention -- for all ages -- making it a superb centerpiece for a festival as rich and diverse as this one.

May you be fully delighted.