Saving Mr Banks film review

Went to see the preview screening of this movie last night thanks to those good people as ShowFilmFirst and my husband and I were pleasantly surprised at what an interesting film it was.

IMDB describes the movie as: Author P. L. Travers reflects on her difficult childhood while meeting with filmmaker Walt Disney during production for the adaptation of her novel, Mary Poppins.

Emma Thompson (Nanny McPhee, Love Actually) is exceptional as P. L. Travers, a complicated character who is hard to love and Tom Hanks (Forrest Gump, The Green Mile) plays the inimitable Walt Disney in this John Lee Hancock directed movie.  The film plays out the battle between them over the film rights to her character Mary Poppins, as Mr Disney has promised his children that he will bring it to screen (even if it takes 20 years) and Mrs Travers does not want to let her beloved Mary Poppins be reduced to a 'silly cartoon.'  Paul Giamatti (Sideways, Saving Private Ryan) is an excellent foil to the crotchety Mrs Travers, playing her driver whilst she is in America and he really adds an extra dimension to the film and the Mrs Travers character.

The film also features flashbacks to the young P. L. Travers when she is a child in Australia.  She has a complicated childhood because of the dependence her father has on alcohol, which results in the loss of more than one job and an unsettling move.  Colin Farrell (Phone Booth, In Bruges) is cast well as her father and Ruth Wilson (Anna Karenina, The Lone Ranger) nails her role as her mother.

B.J. Novak (The Office) plays Robert Sherman, Jason Schwartzman (Bored to Death) Richard Sherman and Bradley Whitford (The West Wing) Don DaGradi, who have to try and work with Mrs Travers when she clearly does not want to work with them.  Some of the quirkiest scenes are whilst the three attempt to sell ideas and, horror of horror, songs to her.

The film was not just a schmaltzy Disney vehicle, as we had assumed, but runs the full gamut of emotions via the flashbacks and present day scenes, rounding out the reasons why Mrs Travers is so determined not to bring Mary Poppins (her 'family') down to the level of money alone. 

Tagline:  Where her book ended, their story began.                                        7/10

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