Well, on the surface this is a no-nonsense film about the last days of a young man who is terminally ill and his three best friends ("I'm 29, won't be 30").
Take a step back though and approach the film as a story about growing up and leaving your childhood beyond, and suddenly a lot of things in the film acquire a new meaning (to me at least).
The title of the film is referring to Peter Pan, thus I think I can say with some certainty that I am not stretching the subsequent analysis beyond belief: James symbolizes the childhood/youth of the main characters (it is a fact that he will never grow up just like Peter Pan) and his death symbolizes the loss of said childhood.
The acting is brilliant all around,and should be noted for it's subtlety (Benedict Cumberbatch, I'm looking at you). The script is quite good, the scenery is beautiful and the symbolism is a little heavy handed from time to time. Let me just mention: The angel throwing away the watch in the beginning (nice touch), the lonely seagull leaving the flock then disappearing, the tunnel with the light,the older guy looking for star wars figures (yes- looking for his childhood, never giving up his dreams. And representing what will happen to our main characters if the are unable to let James go)).And finally, of course, the old boatman. Yes- we even get the boatman of the dead. I guess one way to see the eye makeup-thing is a reference to Charon's flashing eyes).
In conclusion: I like to be heavily manipulated sometimes, so I like this film. As a modern take on Peter Pan it's actually quite good.
Take a step back though and approach the film as a story about growing up and leaving your childhood beyond, and suddenly a lot of things in the film acquire a new meaning (to me at least).
The title of the film is referring to Peter Pan, thus I think I can say with some certainty that I am not stretching the subsequent analysis beyond belief: James symbolizes the childhood/youth of the main characters (it is a fact that he will never grow up just like Peter Pan) and his death symbolizes the loss of said childhood.
The acting is brilliant all around,and should be noted for it's subtlety (Benedict Cumberbatch, I'm looking at you). The script is quite good, the scenery is beautiful and the symbolism is a little heavy handed from time to time. Let me just mention: The angel throwing away the watch in the beginning (nice touch), the lonely seagull leaving the flock then disappearing, the tunnel with the light,the older guy looking for star wars figures (yes- looking for his childhood, never giving up his dreams. And representing what will happen to our main characters if the are unable to let James go)).And finally, of course, the old boatman. Yes- we even get the boatman of the dead. I guess one way to see the eye makeup-thing is a reference to Charon's flashing eyes).
In conclusion: I like to be heavily manipulated sometimes, so I like this film. As a modern take on Peter Pan it's actually quite good.