Saving Mr. Banks (2013)

Has everyone seen Mary Poppins? Even if you haven't, don't sweat it—the backstory of how that movie actually came to be is just as fascinating. We've got Saving $\text{Mr. Banks}$ coming from director John Lee Hancock ($\text{The Blind Side}$), featuring Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson as Walt Disney and author P. L. Travers. The film is sitting pretty at a solid 81% on Rotten Tomatoes, and while it's a bit lower at 65% on Metacritic, it's still holding up well. The real standout here is Emma Thompson; people are already buzzing about her potentially snagging an Oscar nomination for Best Actress this year.

Official synopsis:

Walt Disney courted P. L. Travers into letting Him option The rights to Mary Poppins is brought to The Screen in this non-fiction drama starring Tom Hanks, Emma Thompson, and Colin Farrell. A doting father, Walt Disney (Hanks) promises his adoring daughters that he will bring their favorite fictional nanny Mary Poppins to the big screen. Little does Walt realize that surly author P. L. Travers Has no intention of seeing her most famous creation bastardized for moviegoers, a fact that makes keeping his promise a difficult endeavor. Years later, however, when Travers' book sales begin to slow, dwindling finances drive her to schedule a meeting with Disney to discuss the film rights to the beloved story.

Directed by: John Lee Hancock
Written by: Kelly Marcel, Sue Smith
Cast: Tom Hanks, Emma Thompson, Colin Farrell, Paul Giamatti, Jason Schwartzman
Release Date: December 20, 2013 [USA], January 16, 2014 [USA]
Genre: biography, comedy, drama

TRAILER

In the US, they're playing it during the last two weeks of the year, but we'll get to see it in theaters on January 16th. For those who can't wait, the screener is already out.

Honestly, such a surprisingly great flick

this movie is absolutely phenomenal!!
I honestly can't believe it only snagged a single Golden Globe nomination... I’m really hoping the Oscars make it right—they simply have to... I don't even know where to start because everything about it is just top-tier... maybe I'll write more later...

p.s.,
I just watched the trailer, and I realized I actually knew nothing about the film before now... and man, modern trailers... they spoil every single important beat... if I had seen that beforehand, who knows how much it would have impacted my experience... seriously, don't watch the trailer

The movie was alright—definitely decent enough. The biggest highlights were easily Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson (especially her), who absolutely killed it. Sadly, that wasn't quite enough to win me over since the plot itself felt pretty thin. This kind of drama is super predictable and loaded with clichés, so from a storytelling standpoint, it didn't really bring anything new to the table. I hadn't seen Mary Poppins before either, and honestly, this version didn't exactly make me want to go track down the original.

It’s a shame, really, because all that acting talent could have been used way better—instead, I just have to settle for giving the film a "meh" rating. 7 out of 10

It really shouldn't have sparked any sudden urge to go watch Mary Poppins, considering it's essentially a children's movie.

The whole point of this film is actually one singular personal narrative—it's the story of the author who penned the original book.

Personally, I found the film quite good; it was unexpectedly subtle, yet brutal all at once.

I'd recommend it to those who appreciate subtle cinema, where the drama doesn't rely on people just shouting at each other.

An eight out of ten.

goldenhound32 said:I’d recommend this to anyone who actually appreciates subtle filmmaking where the drama isn't just people shouting at each other.

An eight.

🙂

In that case, it might actually be worth my time... plus, I have a nagging feeling that Emma Thompson absolutely nailed it; you can just see the brilliance written all over her face.

goldenhound32 said:it shouldn't have even sparked an interest in watching Mary Poppins—that's just a kids' movie.

Just a passing thought, really.

Great movie. It’s subtle, the dialogue hits right, and it feels like a real life story.
Some people might find it boring, but it was right up my alley.
Emma Thompson could definitely sweep the awards circuit for this role. I can't stop thinking about her performance in Nanny McPhee. I guess I just keep making that connection because of the similarities to Mary Poppins.

What makes this movie hit different is how it dives into some pretty heavy stuff for a Disney flick—like an alcoholic dad and even suicide attempts. It adds such a raw emotional punch, especially during that ending.

Emma was honestly incredible. I really loved how much she poured herself into the role. Tom was good too, I guess, but she pretty much just stole the show from him. The further the movie went, the more I found myself digging it. Like someone else said, it just needed one little thing more to be a perfect ten.

Chloe Alvarez said:Like someone once said, it was just missing one little thing to make it a perfect ten.

If they’d stuck a bit closer to the actual facts, it might have landed better.

Otherwise, it's a decent enough flick, but—just like so many others before it—certain details were definitely massaged to make it more "palatable." Disney had the rights to the movie; she wasn't some blackmailer holding them over their heads, nor did he actually sit down and talk to her properly... let alone fly halfway across the country just to offer a sincere apology at her place. And honestly? She absolutely loathed the movie. She was so livid at the premiere—crying from pure rage, mind you, not sentimentality—when she saw that animation sequence. She basically told the whole lot of them where to shove it (there was even talk of a sequel) and banned those writers from ever touching her work again. But, man... if only real life were ever filmed quite like that...

Caught this a few weeks back—really enjoyed it. It’s a genuinely warm, human film and honestly hilarious at times 🙂.

If we’re going to nitpick about every single "based on a true story" flick that takes massive liberties with the actual facts... well...

The premise is palatable, and the direction remains steady and predictable, making Saving Mr. Banks the quintessential example of a genre we once assumed had been wiped out by high-budget filmmaking: the holiday movie. Whether we care to admit it or not, our society has become considerably more cynical than it was fifty years ago. In this current climate, films like Mary Poppins simply wouldn't be greenlit; nobody would sit through them. There are many reasons for this decline, primarily that children are now captivated by action figures and interactive consoles, rendering a nanny who flies via umbrella and explains life through song quite tedious—especially if it isn't presented in 3D. Consequently, Saving Mr. Banks serves as a film for adults and, I would argue, the nostalgic.
What elevates this production above the mediocre is its polished execution and the abundance of clever little details scattered throughout, such as the map of Florida featuring a circled Orlando hanging in Disney's office, coupled with top-tier acting. Tom Hanks is a master at portraying warm, salt-of-the-earth characters and possesses an impeccable ear for accents, which makes his portrayal of Walt Disney nothing short of divine. Paul Giamatti delivers a brilliant performance in a role that is uncharacteristically cheerful for him, while Schwartzman is surprisingly grounded. However, the true star of the film is Emma Thompson, a woman who captures both the essence of Traverso's and the classic "old-school" Englishwoman stereotype. One must also acknowledge her softer side, which is masked by fears of a modern world that tends to trivialize and ridicule her deeply personal memories. It truly baffles me that she didn't receive an Oscar nomination, as she absolutely deserves one for this performance. I certainly cannot pull five superior performances out of my sleeve, but the Academy's paths are often strange indeed.

more at:
http://film-na-dan.blogspot.com/2014...-mr-banks.html
or subtitled in English: