Star crossed lovers caught in a battle between good and evil takes centre stage in Winter's Tale, the directorial debut of Akiva Goldsman who balances the right amount of love story tenderness & big budget sheen, yet fumbles with the many supernatural elements that befuddle and robs the film of its emotional weight.  

To gage an idea on what the directorial debut of a screenwriter will be like, you only have to look at the directors he/she has worked with. In the case of Akiva Goldsman, the name Ron Howard is a constant connection, with five collaborations between them, one resulting in Oscar wins for A Beautiful Mind. (Five collaborations were also had with Joel Schumacher, with the low point of their careers the much maligned Batman & Robin.)

No surprise then to find Winter's Tale has the same kind of grandiose feel & technical wizardry that Howard's movies are known for. What is missing is Howard's golden touch with Hollywood style storytelling, an element that Goldsman the director still needs to work on and that stops Winter’s Tale short from becoming that fantasy/romance classic it so pines to be.

Based upon the 1983 novel written by Mark Helprin, Winter’s Tale stars Colin Farrell as Peter Lake, a thief with a bounty on his head who falls in love with Beverly Penn (Jessica Brown Findlay) a heiress who is dying of tuberculosis. While that right there sets the stage for the kind of weepie expected during this Valentine’s Day, the world which these characters inhabit adds many complications in their destined romance, with demons, flying horses and other matter of supernatural forces a part of a New York City that is ground zero in a war for souls.

Goldsman is not very subtle in the introduction of the many supernatural elements within Winter’s Tale. By all accounts Winter’s Tale author Mark Helprin was praised for his handling of the many theological, metaphysical and spiritual dimensions that made his novel (haven’t read it) a highly regarded piece of American fiction. Whatever magic was woven by the pen has not transitioned well to the screen, which – although clocking in at 118 minutes – needed more time to flesh out the complexities of its traditional Christian meets fairy tale brand of fantasy.

What does work is the central romance between sensitive thief Peter and enchanting mop of red curls Beverly. The chemistry between Farrell and Findlay is palpable, and really sells this fragile love where even a dance could lead to fatal consequences for the fever stricken beauty. For his part Farrell brings on that soul aching whimsy, along with his bag of ticks and hesitations that blends well with Findlay’s direct sensuality.

Also good is Russell Crowe, who plays demonic baddie Pearly Soames with a bulldog physicality and gravely Irish brogue. Crowe has taken to playing much more animated characters of late (Man with the Iron Fists, Les Miserables) and while this is no match to the stellar work he’s done in Goldsman’s other scripted works (A Beautiful Mind, Cinderella Man) Crowe is never the less entertaining. Same can be said about fellow superstar Will Smith who appears in a minor turn as Lucifer, although his participation is more a curious distraction than anything.

Try as they do, this talented cast of thespians can’t elevate Goldsman’s take on this material to the heights it should have reached. Caleb Deschanel provides exquisite photography, Oscar winning actors are game, and an acclaimed classic novel set the blueprint. Yet what was no doubt a passion project for Goldsman has proven to be a satisfying, yet underwhelming movie.

Had Goldsman adapted Winter’s Tale into a longer movie or better yet a mini-series, then maybe it could have blossomed into the old fashioned supernatural romance classic that it had the potential to be. As it stands there are parts to like here, but not much to cherish. Here’s hoping for an extended cut in the near future.