Winter's Tale

In 1980, my brother (Stephen Simon) produced Somewhere in Time, a supernatural fantasy starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour that was crucified by critics but gained immense popularity when it was released on home video. I suspect that Winter's Tale—a spiritually surreal, stardust-sprinkled odyssey—may have a similar fate. In our cynical culture, it's difficult to suspend disbelief for a wondrous, logic-defying love story that transcends time and space. The story begins in 1916 in New York City, where a professional thief named Peter Lake (Colin Farrell) is cornered by nefarious thugs who are led by Peter's mentor, Pearly Soames (Russell Crowe). Out of nowhere, a winged white horse (aka Pegasus) appears to carry Peter away—into the life of Beverly Penn (Jessica Brown Findlay), a wealthy young pianist dying of consumption. Much to the consternation of her father (William Hurt), Peter's destiny happens to be intertwined with a red-haired woman and Beverly fits the bill—according to Soames, who actually works for Lucifer (Will Smith). A hundred years later, Manhattan's skyline has been transformed, and Peter is still mourning the loss of his beloved Beverly. Then he encounters a journalist (Jennifer Connelly) and his true calling becomes clear. Adapted from Mark Helprin's beloved novel and directed by Akiva Goldsman, Winter's Tale mixes fate, hope, and miracles, with angels and demons. Farrell seamlessly shifts from snarky to sincere, enraptured by Findlay, while Crowe reprises his Javert growl from Les Miserables. And viewers are offered a rare treat when Eva Marie Saint emerges in a cameo. Recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include “A Timeless Love” making-of featurette (6 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are additional scenes (12 min.), a “Characters of Good and Evil” behind-the-scenes featurette (9 min.), and bonus DVD and UltraViolet copies of the film. Bottom line: a decent extras package for an unabashedly romantic adaptation of Mark Helprin's wonderful novel.] (S. Granger)