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Title: Stellar cast can't enliven this dull film
Review: It is amazing that a first-rate cast (Aaron Eckhart, Ian McKellen, William Hurt, Nick Nolte, Jessica Lange, Britney Murphy, Alan Cumming, and an interesting premise on paper can turn out to be such a sleep-inducing film, but "Neverwas" is just that. The film was made in 2005 and never got a commercial release and was eventually shown on a cable network. Eckhart plays a psychiatrist who accepts a position at a mental institution where his father committed suicide. There, he reconnects with friends from his childhood as well as a patient (McKellen) who knew his father well and helps Eckhart undercover buried secrets, among them the secret fantasy world that his father created in a popular book. The film has a colorful visual style but it is not enough to bring any interest to this terribly boring film. Eckhart and McKellen are fine in their roles but actors like Jessica Lange, William Hurt and Alan Cumming are wasted.
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