Le royaume imaginaire

In some ways this film is reminiscent of films such as "The Fisher King" and "They Might be Giants". In both of those films the central idea was that the mad have a separate reality. In this story, the main character, Zachary, is a psychiatrist attempting to understand the nature of his father's madness. He takes a position at a mental institution where his father had been hospitalized. There he meets and becomes friends with an old man, Gabriel, who knew his father while they were both inmates. He comes to realize that the old man's delusion was the basis for his father's inspiration as a children's fantasy writer. After his father is "cured" through the use of psychotropic drugs of his manic-depression, he loses his will to write. His son had been an integral part of the writing process and when that part of his father's life is over, he feels betrayed. Their relationship is destroyed and the boy, now the psychiatrist, is seeking to come to grips with his unresolved pain. Gabriel is convinced that Zachary has come to rescue him from his enemies and draws him back into the fantasy world. The climax comes when Zachary must either choose between the realities or try to integrate them. The ending is logical and works, but it's too easy. Zachary takes his stand and the world accommodates itself, no problem. The ending should have been edgier. They should have had to work at it more. It is unsatisfying but everything that has gone before is is quite good. There is some high-powered talent at work here among the supporting character actors and they alone make it worthwhile.

I could extol the effectiveness of the photography, or the superiority of the acting. I could cheer for a film that has so many talented and revered actors. Also, I could urge you to give "Neverwas" your complete attention so that you do not miss the subtle hints or twists in the plot, or encourage you not to reject this film too early in the narrative because some parts may be too dark or puzzling with a modern psychological scrutiny that would endear any viewer who loves Hitchcock. However, I won't.

This movie contains the absolute Truth about the purpose of human existence. I hope that (as a viewer) you have the insight to perceive it.

I don't know where eabrownfield (reviewer) gets off telling people to "stay away" from Neverwas. This is a magical, and very touching story.

An excellent premise with a superb cast and stellar performances from all involved. The scenic settings were well shot and lit, often showing the differences between the dark and lighter sides of life.

I say dark, yes there are parts in this film that are hard hitting, poinient moments that really make you think and get you inside the characters being played, again i think this is down to the great acting.

The flip side is the fairy tale narrative that runs through the whole film, not that it turns in to a children's film at all, as its a story I'm sure many can relate to and will enjoy being told in this fashion. I will say it probably deserves its pg13 rating, its perhaps not for the very young, despite its fairy tale like appearance.

Overall go and see this film, you wont be disappointed, i had a great time.

This is one of those quiet little movies that you go to see one day because you have nothing better to do and the plot sounds OK but you really haven't heard much about. Then you come out of the theatre wondering why everyone else you know hasn't gone to see it yet. Ian McKellan and Aaron Eckhart both give strong performances easily pulling off the emotionalism needed for the movie, and throwing in enough humor to keep you interested. Nick Nolte, Jessica Lange, William Hurt, and Brittany Murphy all pull off great supporting roles without overshadowing the main actors. Alan Cumming, although his role is small, really pulls at the heart strings with his portrayal of a patient of the institution.

Because this movie has had little (if any) publicity, I think this movie will do well based on word of mouth alone. Definitely a "hidden gem".

I thought one of the best things about this film was its score. Philip Glass is no second rate composer, that's for sure. And his score certainly adds richness to the film. I'd never heard of the film until I saw it offered on DVD. And after watching it I was amazed by some of the very negative reviews from film critics when it was originally released. The performances were all quite good, especially Sir Ian McKellan's. Looking at the cast list it seems like some of the characters were cut from the finished version. Wouldn't it be interesting to see a director's original cut of this? I really enjoyed the fantasy vs. real life theme of the film. I think we all could use a Neverwas to escape to once in awhile.