Having watched a lot of really low budget movies in the last few weeks, it was quite a change to experience "Neverwas". Once again, I was reminded that big names - and presumably a big budget - do not necessarily add up to a good piece of film making. "Nerverwas" is an example of all that can go wrong when you are dealing with an implausible, ludicrous script.
Like many such films, it begins promisingly enough. A young Psychiatrist ( Aaron Eckhart ) returns to the mental institution where his father ( Nick Nolte ) was once a patient. Here, he encounters the crusty Head Shrinker ( William Hurt ) who is reluctant to take him on. Our hero persists, and soon he is introduced to the "group". This is where the first red flag goes up. Although it is supposed to be a group of patients, it quickly becomes apparent that the only one Dr. Zach Riley - as well as the movie - is interested in is a reclusive eccentric named Gabriel Finch ( Ian McKellan, doing his usual thing. ) We soon learn that Zach has his own problems, which center around his late father, a renown author of children's stories. There is a psychological story here dealing with the relationship between Zach and his father, but it is eventually subverted by a lot of fairy tale clap-trap. We are plunged into a typical Hollywood world of fantasy running head on into reality. As usual, it's reality and logic that suffer the most damage.
In a typical case of Third Act-itis, the film totally disintegrates into downright silliness. It seems that Gabriel's "Kingdom" of Neverwas is threatened by evil developers, and it is up to Zach to save the day. What transpires next will leave you scratching your head and wondering why in the world - real or imaginary - you wasted your time with this pretentious dreck. But of course, it's all right you see, because the last scenes simply drip with feel goodness. This is supposed to make the viewer forget that the the whole thing is poppycock.
I have not dwelt on the acting because, in the end, it's all pretty irrelevant. Eckhart is, by turns, suitably tortured and heroic as Zach; McKellen does his thing; Hurt is his usual semi-catatonic self and Nolte: Well, let's just say that Nolte seems to have a penchant for getting himself into movies like this. Oh, and then there's Alan Cumming as the only other patient with more than two lines as well as Brittany Murphy as a totally wasted love interest for Zach. At least Jessica Lange is good as Zach's loopy mother.
All in all, a heck of a lot of talent squandered on a preposterous script. The Philip Glass score adds little.
Like many such films, it begins promisingly enough. A young Psychiatrist ( Aaron Eckhart ) returns to the mental institution where his father ( Nick Nolte ) was once a patient. Here, he encounters the crusty Head Shrinker ( William Hurt ) who is reluctant to take him on. Our hero persists, and soon he is introduced to the "group". This is where the first red flag goes up. Although it is supposed to be a group of patients, it quickly becomes apparent that the only one Dr. Zach Riley - as well as the movie - is interested in is a reclusive eccentric named Gabriel Finch ( Ian McKellan, doing his usual thing. ) We soon learn that Zach has his own problems, which center around his late father, a renown author of children's stories. There is a psychological story here dealing with the relationship between Zach and his father, but it is eventually subverted by a lot of fairy tale clap-trap. We are plunged into a typical Hollywood world of fantasy running head on into reality. As usual, it's reality and logic that suffer the most damage.
In a typical case of Third Act-itis, the film totally disintegrates into downright silliness. It seems that Gabriel's "Kingdom" of Neverwas is threatened by evil developers, and it is up to Zach to save the day. What transpires next will leave you scratching your head and wondering why in the world - real or imaginary - you wasted your time with this pretentious dreck. But of course, it's all right you see, because the last scenes simply drip with feel goodness. This is supposed to make the viewer forget that the the whole thing is poppycock.
I have not dwelt on the acting because, in the end, it's all pretty irrelevant. Eckhart is, by turns, suitably tortured and heroic as Zach; McKellen does his thing; Hurt is his usual semi-catatonic self and Nolte: Well, let's just say that Nolte seems to have a penchant for getting himself into movies like this. Oh, and then there's Alan Cumming as the only other patient with more than two lines as well as Brittany Murphy as a totally wasted love interest for Zach. At least Jessica Lange is good as Zach's loopy mother.
All in all, a heck of a lot of talent squandered on a preposterous script. The Philip Glass score adds little.