The films by director Jean-Pierre Jeunet set a pretty high bar for each other. From the delicious “Delicatessen” to the surreal “The City of Lost Children” to the light-hearted “Amelie,” each film is something new and beautiful to watch. The same can be said of his latest masterpiece, the epic-feeling romantic voyage of a young couple, separated by World War 1, at the onset of their young love. Part fairy-tale, part war movie, the film unfolds like a curious canvas where everything seems both real and imagined. If a films could be judged by beauty alone, this one would win Miss Universe.

“The Woodsman” will no doubt be too heavy for most entertainment seeking moviegoers, but this usually the sign of something truly special. In many ways this might be the most skilled and controlled role of Kevin Bacon’s career. Playing a forty-something, recently paroled child molester launched back into the world, he returns to his old job working in a lumber-yard in an anonymous urban area. He wonders through his life stricken by both a devastating sense of guilt and shame, unable to free himself from the seemingly unconquerable affliction and affection for young girls. Bacon’s struggle and emotional decimation moves the film swiftly down the path that will either lead him to salvation or destruction. Since this is an indie film seeking more acclaim than an audience, you’ll have to see it for yourself. You’ll be glad you did.

Johnny Depp is as versatile an actor as any in Hollywood. He is a big budget star who rarely makes mistakes in choosing his movies, and, if he does, almost single handedly manages to make something interesting of it (e.g. “Pirates of the Caribbean”). With “Finding Neverland,” a small gem of film, he plays Peter Pan author J.M. Barrie during the period he spent with the family who became the inspiration for his story. Although at times things feel bit soft around the edges, the real story was bit like a fairy tale. Kate Winslet delivers her second incredible performance of the year, this time playing the widowed, dying mother of three wonderful boys who really do need something to believe in.