Saving Mr Banks [DVD]

I remember when I went to the cinema to watch this when it first came out; I was absolutely blown away by it, Tom Hanks pulled of an amazing performance as well as Emma Thompson. Not enough credit has been given to this film which is such a shame. I highly recommend this,

As always, no spoilers whatsoever in this review because that's just plain inconsiderate.

Saving Mr. Banks is a dual narrative portrait of the author of Mary Poppins and the creative team at Walt Disney that worked to bring it to the big screen. In one thread (1961) we have the curmudgeonly author behaving like a stark raving... well, curmudgeon as she tries to exert control over the creative process. In the other thread (1906, Australia) we unwind the story of her grim childhood that makes her a curmudgeon in the first place.

This movie has a lot of things to say not the least of which is to cast an entirely different light that beloved American classic of childhood. Mary Poppins ain't quite what you think it's about as a kid (but then what good movie IS what you think it's about when you're a kid). It's also a powerful demonstration of how our childhood influences us as adults sometimes in ways that we don't quite grasp until we look back on them from a great distance.

It's also interesting to see behind the curtain of the creative process. Avoiding spoilers, the author's primary objection is that Mary Poppins and the Banks family have become, in truth, her family over the years and sharing that vision and letting someone else have a piece of them is frightfully difficult. It does make a person wonder if all authors have this same struggle when crossing mediums.

Lastly, I'm a sucker for sentiment but this movie had the audience blowing its nose and audibly sniffing for a good hour. It's an incredibly intimate portrait. However, the kids won't think much of it and the group in the theatre with me was 50+ for the most part. All that said, highly recommended for anyone with a sentimental streak. Best movie I've seen in a month or more.

PS: The patient who sit through the credits will be treated to some photos from the movie's production and a section of the recorded conversations between the author and the production cast.

I thought that Emma Thompson, portraying Pamela Travers, author of my beloved "Mary Poppins" was an absolute delight. Thompson can easily take the audience along with her in an Oscar-worthy performance, as she shows us Travers' metamorphosis from disgruntled stiff-lipped Brit to kite flying dreamer. The rest of the cast don't disappoint: Tom Hanks paints a masterly portrait of Walt Disney, with a team of visionary animators, all trying to persuade Pamela Travers to give her approval (and rights) for Mary's reincarnation on the blue screen.

On the verge of poverty, Pamela Travers cannot really refuse Disney, even though he stands for all she hates, and she fears to lose her beloved Mary to "silly cartoons". This is a Disney production, so we don't get to see any of the Mr Disney's controlling tendencies and darkness, he is simply this benevolent visionary who promised his girls to bring Mary Poppins to life. It's Pamela who gets to have all the issues - daddy issues, first and foremost. Colin Farrell is well cast as Traver's beloved alcoholic Aussie dad - sweet and carefree, full of tales for his little girls, but not enough order to keep down a job, he is full of his personal demons. And Rachel Griffiths convincingly plays the super efficient great-aunt who comes to the aid of the Travers family - and her character is instantly recognisable as a real Mary Poppins in young Pamela Travers life, down to the big black umbrella.

All in all, a good thoughtful film (not really for kids), but it's Emma Thompson who steals the show.

Walt Disney's daughters begged him to make a movie of their favourite book, P.L. Travers' "Mary Poppins," so he promised them he would.

In his quest to obtain the rights, he comes up against a writer who has absolutely no intention of letting her beloved creation get ruined by Hollywood. But, as the money grows short, Travers reluctantly agrees to meet and hear Disney's plans for the adaptation.

Walt pulls out all the stops. Armed with imaginative storyboards and songs, he launches an onslaught on P.L. Travers, but she doesn't budge.

But Walt discovers the truth about Mary Poppins, and together they set her free.....

Brilliant is one word to describe this movie, and it's all thanks to Thompson. Her portrayal of Travers is wonderfully complex. At once, you see a meddling Battleaxe, but at the same time, you see a child begging to come to the surface, and you cannot help but like her, despite her little outbursts.

Hanks knows he's not going to outshine Thompson, so he is wonderfully restraint as the big man, and it's to his credit, he's a joy to watch too.

Its funny and equally heartbreaking in parts, and the best parts of the film are set in Austrailia, these set the foundations of the narrative, and really add gravitas to the Disney scenes, honestly, this is Farrell's career best performance, even if he does seem to be channelling Johnny Depp on occasion.

If you are a fan of Mary Poppins, this is a must, and if your not, it's still a fascinating insight into one woman's love of her work, and how much it means to her.