Neverwas. A good movie? Or, never was a good movie?
My latest review is for the Miramax film, Neverwas, starring Aaron Eckhart and Ian McKellen. I’ve never heard of this film until I actually saw it, so it was interesting to go into something completely cold. So how was the experience? Well, it was a mixed bag with a promising start that ultimately disappoints.
The Plot
Eckhart plays Zach Riley, a psychiatrist who takes a job at a small under funded mental institution. Riley also happens to be the son of a famous author, played by Nick Nolte. His father’s book Neverwas is a hugely popular children’s story that has achieved a large following, much to Zach’s dismay. It turns out that Riley’s father committed suicide at the height of his popularity and Zach was the one who found the body. Zach has come to work at the institution, the same one his father visited frequently, to try and come to grips with the past.
As he begins working with the patients, he forges a special connection with one named Gabriel (McKellen). Gabriel seems to have an unusual connection to Riley’s father. You see, Gabriel believes that he is the king of Neverwas and has been captured by evil forces and imprisoned in this “dungeon”. Gabriel thinks that Zach is the long lost hero of the story who has finally come to save him. Riley brushes this off at first but Gabriel seems to show more and more of an intimate knowledge of his father and the world of Neverwas. Is the magical kingdom more than a fantasy or is the old man a raving lunatic?
The Rest
This movie comes off as a cross between K-Pax and Big Fish. The themes of parent/child relationships are explored, more specifically the father/son relationship. I think that this is the strongest aspect of the film. We learn of Riley’s conflicted feelings of love and hatred for his father. We can see the resentment he has for not having the man that the rest of the world is in love with. It is that resentment that makes him distance himself from the world of Neverwas, the world created for him. The issue of the reality of Neverwas is also explored and is fairly interesting, but the ultimate payoff is lacking to say the least.
The acting is all top notch. Ian McKellen is fantastic as usual. His Gabriel walks the fine edge between a proud King and a loony old man. Eckhart puts on a solid performance, but nothing that blows you away. Britney Murphy, who I usually hate, is very likable here as a student who is researching the author and falls for Zach. However, the best performance of the film belongs to Nolte, as the depressed, downward spiraling father. He plays the role with utter desperation and you can see him unraveling every time he is in a scene. You can easily see how Zach can love him and hate him at the same time. He is a man with a good heart buried under a pile of fear and desperation.
Unfortunately, the film falls apart in the third act. I watched the film with a friend of mine and neither of us were exactly sure what happened. I won’t say any more as not to spoil anything but I’ll just say that the ending is a major flaw. Another flaw is the side story of the romance between Murphy’s character and Riley. They have chemistry, but the storyline was not adequately explored and ultimately felt tacked on.
The Specs
The film is in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and is in Widescreen (2:35:1) ratio.
The Extras
None other than French and Spanish subtitles. It would’ve been nice to at least get a commentary to get some more perspective, especially on the ending.
The 411: Neverwas is a nice little independent film with some good performance and a story that keeps things moving along. Unfortunately, it all falls apart and leaves you scratching your head. I can’t say I’d run out and buy it, or even rent it, but if you happen to run across it in the five dollar bin or on cable, it might be worth checking out.
