Winter's Tale ***

Akiva Goldsman wrote and directed this Fantasy/Drama. Watch Preview. Cast: Colin Farrell, Jessica Brown Findlay, Jennifer Connelly, William Hurt, Eva Marie Saint, Russell Crowe, Ripley Sobo, Mckayla Twiggs. Rated PG-13 for violence and some sensuality. Running time is one hour and fifty-eight minutes.

Spanning more than a century, a story of miracles, crossed destinies, and the age-old battle between good and evil. Based on the acclaimed novel by Mark Helprin.

My wife and I watched this and both of us liked it very much. I note that isn't the case with the national critics who seem rather uniform in their dislike. That may be because they're comparing the novel to the movie, I don't know, but I got the sense many of them didn't understand what was going on. In order to appreciate this film you have to realize it's set in an alternate reality. One that seems almost the same as ours, but not quite. Consumption (tuberculosis) seems to manifest itself somewhat differently, as does  the appearance of the devil, demons, angels and miracles. As long as you understand you're in a reality somewhat different than ours, the film makes perfect sense, and is quite moving at times. The cast is excellent and the production values are first class. While it's a little longer than I usually like, the pacing is such I never once looked at my watch. Consider this a romance for older patrons (the younger ones will be attending About Last Night), be willing to suspend belief for a couple of hours, and I think you'll find this quite enjoyable.

There are no additional scenes once the final credits begin. Screen size is relatively unimportant. Theatres/Times.