Peter Pan
Directed by P.J. Hogan
Review by Jim Eadon
2003 PG 13/12A
This divine movie took me by surprise. I very
nearly bypassed it, assuming it was a movie
for kids. The reality is different, indeed,
Peter Pan is too violent/disturbing
for little 'uns. Circa 16 year old males may
dislike this movie because it's not "kewl".
At that age you're bored with anything that
doesn't contain explosions, sex and action,
not a movie swarming with bratlets, and there's
nowt wrong with that!
But, for me, being a stately (i.e. way too ancient)
35 right now, I eventually twigged that this movie may
be interesting, so I have it a spin. And the wager paid off.
The Peter Pan story was nebulous to me, I've not
read the book or seen any PP movies (though
there exists a silent version that is magical, apparently).
All I remember is a scene or two from the cartoon of the once-great Disney
from when I was a diminutive brat myself. So
the plot twists in this movie were, to me,
unexpected events - which means I probably got
more out this movie than most, for
the very reason that most of the time I didn't have a clue what
would happen next.
I later learned that there had been some grumblings,
by righteous do-gooders no doubt, that this
movie somehow pandered to paedophilia. Absurd!
It's a shameful reflection on any society that
mistakes the child-like innocence that this
movie delights in as perversion. This is another
sign of the lack of perspective in supposedly
advanced quarters of our world. It is a deep
irony that this blind paranoia is exactly the
type of corruption of the adult mind that
Peter
Pan is opposed to! The magical
world of childhood is right here, in this movie
laid before us! A world where medicine is feared
more than death, a microcosm where fairies are
as natural as bees.
If indignant adults seriously want to protect kids, then obviously they should they protect them from sexual predators,
but likewise we should NOT permit a society that encourages kids to grow fat and ugly on
health-wrecking fast food and coke! It's all in the name of profits you know. If that isn't
perverse, I don't know what is!
I love the look of
Peter Pan: it brims with the cosy nostalgia of a lost world.
The casting is also perfect. OK, so PP didn't quite come
across as a skilled actor, but few would compared
to Wendy, more on her in a bit. But somehow he was fine, he got the
tone right, and that matters the most.
It seemed apt that he's a bit aloof, his role
is that of an alien figure from a parallel universe
forever elusive and out of reach. He is puck-like,
rather than sugary-cutesey.
Jeremy Isaacs tackles both Mr Darling and Hook and
the contrast draws attention to the fact that
he can A-C-T! Another display of thespian virtuosity is by the
lass that plays Wendy. She defies the law that
teenagers in Hollywood-produced movies are tedious, annoying brats. She is one of
the few actresses that can steal scenes in a
movie, let alone in a scene-stealing festival
such as this! Her ecstatic smile as she gazes
upon fairies: that's an unforgettable smile!
It is the smile of one that smiles at things
with innocence, something that I think I, and
perhaps nearly all 'Grown-ups', have forgotten
how to do!
Fairies! O the ethereal Tink, a dainty sprite
of joi de vivre! I only realised afterwards
that she is Ludivine Sagnier, the gorgeous seductress in
Swimming
Pool.
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spoilers corner
Spoilers!!!!
Warning: this box contains a movie post-mortem analysis that freely gives away
important plot twists and details. If you have not yet seen this movie and intend
seeing it, avoid this spoilers box until afterwards. Bookmark the page, see the
movie, see if you agree with my review then write an arsy comment saying I am talking total b*ll*cks :-)
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The "I believe in fairies!" montage could
have been so naff, yet the chant was effective
on the big screen. Chants are used a lot
in religion and spiritual pursuits, and
it's easy to see why. I fell for this
movie - my brain must be going soft :)
Smee (Richard Briers, I didn't recognise
him) proved that the best comic side-kicks
don't babble frenetically like a stand-up
comedian on whizz. The parrot alarm clock
scene was genius. The way Hook managed
to combine pathos and menace was just
incredible, the regret on his face at
the end was not just about the matter
of his imminent doom, but about something
yet sadder. Or am I just talking horse
shit? It's just a movie right!
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There are no more spoilers below this
point, except maybe in any user talkback
comments.
End of spoilers corner
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I'm Peter-Pan-ed, and never have to
see the inside of an office ever again. Make
it happen, Ludivine!
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