BEFORE: I'm counting this as a movie, but it's really a 6-episode BBC mini-series. Which makes it three hours long, so I'm spreading it out over two nights, but only counting it as one film - I think that's a fair compromise. It was written by Neil Gaiman, who later turned it into a novel (not the other way around). Some of Gaiman's other books have been turned into films, most notably "Coraline" and "Stardust".
If you don't know who Gaiman is, he's also the author of the famous and wonderful "Sandman" comics, and other novels I enjoy, such as "American Gods". And if you are a comic book/fantasy geek, then saying Gaiman writes great fantasy stories is a bit like saying that eggs are an important ingredient when making omelettes. I'm placing this film here because I think he fits in the pantheon of fantasy authors along with Lewis Carroll, J.K. Rowling, and, um, the author of tomorrow's film.
Linking from "Alice in Wonderland", Timothy Spall was in "Vanilla Sky" with Laura Fraser (last seen in "A Knight's Tale"). Tomorrow I'll neatly link out of the film through its other major star....
THE PLOT: Richard Mayhew leads an ordinary life in London when one day a girl named Door falls, injured, across his path. The next thing he knows, his life is gone and he's pulled into the fantastical world of London Below.
AFTER: Hmm, three fantasy films in a row set in the U.K. Funny how I just noticed that...
I did read the novelization of "Neverwhere" a few years ago, and I have to point out that the book was much more detailed. Like Alice moving across the chessboard, the story details a fantasy quest that travels through London's literal, and figurative, Underground. If I remember correctly, the names of the tube (subway) stations were very important, with actual Black Friars found at Blackfriars, and a station stop named Angel, Islington inspired a character named Islington who is (what else?) a real angel.
There's a mythology that riffs off of the fact that London's homeless are "invisible" to most ordinary people - so here they are literally invisible, and contact with one of them rubs off on the main character. To his friends, co-workers and fiancée, he essentially ceases to exist. He seeks out the girl that he helped in order to try to get his old life back, but instead gets pulled into a complex fantasy world with its own set of unlikely rules.
Unfortunately, the production values are quite low. 1996 must have been a tough year at the BBC. The special effects are minimal, and even the regular live-action scenes look only marginally better than you'd see in, say, a low-budget porno (or slasher film, take your pick). As a result it's difficult for the series to illustrate the magic powers of Door, who can open almost anything, and create doors in walls. You can only accomplish so much with careful editing, and the story suffers as a result.
The lead actor, Gary Bakewell, is best known for playing Paul McCartney in "Backbeat", one of my favorite films (and also in the TV movie "The Linda McCartney Story"). As a result I have trouble seeing him as anyone BUT McCartney - I have the same problem with Ian Hart, who played John Lennon in the same film. As an actor? Well, I think he actually improved over the course of these 6 episodes - at the start, his character was supposed to be confused about the goings on in London Below. But he played it so laid back, it seemed like he didn't care - and if he doesn't care, then how is the audience supposed to feel? By episode 5 and 6, he started to show some passion, which I guess is easier to do in fight scenes.
I'm reminded of the original "Lord of the Rings" film, the animated one. It only told half the story (the story wrapped up in a made-for-TV animated "Return of the King") and the animation quality was questionable (rotoscoped orcs?) but without it, Peter Jackson might not have been inspired to make the big-budget live-action version. There's enough good intent in "Neverwhere" that it should warrant a big Hollywood version, or at least a sequel.
Also starring Hywel Bennett, Clive Russell (last seen in "Sherlock Holmes"), Paterson Joseph (last seen in "In the Name of the Father"), Tanya Moodie, and Peter Capaldi.
RATING: 5 out of 10 candles
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