Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Winter’s Tale’

Written by Shae Rufe 

Winter's Tale is a love story. And that's as much explaining as I can do. Okay, that's not true. This is a movie based off a book, as most are, and supposedly, the book is fantastic. I, however, did not know this was a book, nor did I have any idea what this movie was about before seeing it.

At first, the movie made some sense. It was an adorable, cheesy, romance. Romeo, I mean Peter (Collin Farrell), breaks into Juliet's, I mean Beverly's (Jessica Brown Findlay), house. And from then on, he loves her with all his soul. But there's a catch, Beverly is dying and Peter's ex-boss, wants him dead. Typical romance! Hey, known you for 5 minutes, let's be soul mates! This totally happens, all the time. So, anyway, Peter also has a white horse, and some strange things are happening. Strange, unexplained things. Stealing seems to be the main focus of Peter and the gang he used to run with, led by Pearly who is played by Russell Crowe. 

Of course, Pearly has some vision and draws some picture in some waiter’s blood. He then determines that Beverly is who Peter will use his Miracle for. Wait, what? Yeah, I was just as confused by this too. It took a bit into the film to really understand what was going on. Pearly, as it turns out, is a demon; the white horse is really a spirit guide; Peter's friend Cecil is really a guardian angel; and Peter is completely human. Sadly, they don't explain this terribly well. But everything gets figured out eventually. Miracles are something the demons want to collect or keep from happening. Stars are apparently people, or people's souls, or at one point suggested to be the wings that people get when they turn into angels. Really confusing. I love the fantasy idea, just would have liked a better explanation. But I digress. Beverly, despite dying, is also madly in love with Peter instantly. As is her father and little sister, Willa. Peter accompanies Beverly to where her family is, some place Pearly and his men cannot follow them to.

---

​Pearly does what any man in his situation would do, he visits Lucifer. Who just happens to be played by Will Smith. I squeed at this part! He gets no help, so he calls in a favor owed from an angel and said angel poisons Beverly. Who dies. Who dies, and doesn't come back to life. Even after Peter kisses her all romantic like. Angered, Peter confronts Pearly. Here we find out that the white horse has wings made of light and can totally fly. (That would have come in very handy for, I don't know, making a run for it?) But Peter stays and gets beaten, and Peter is thrown off the bridge and presumably dies.

Only, Peter doesn't die. For 100 years he lives with no memory of his past, or Beverly. He draws, with chalk, on the ground the same picture Pearly had drawn earlier in the movie. A girl with red hair, reaching for the moon. At the park, he bumps into a little girl. He gets involved with her and her mother. Pearly finds out. Peter gets his memory back. Pearly wants the little girl dead. Why? Beverly used her miracle on Peter. He's supposed to use his on the little girl, Abby. Who has red hair, and cancer. They all figure this out. Pearly finally faces off against Peter and loses, turning to snow…and then Abby dies. Peter and her mother cry; Peter begs for Abby to come back, and then she does! At the very end of it all, Peter is taken by the white horse to Beverly, where they become stars together and live a happy eternity together. The. End.

Now, my mother and sister adored this movie back in the day when we saw this. They even went out and bought the book immediately after. I think if I had had more information or understanding of the plot beforehand, I would have enjoyed the movie just as much as they did. It's a great romance story and a fun one to watch with your significant other. Also, Will Smith as Satan? Totally made the whole movie worth my while.

---