Saving Mr. Banks is immensely likeable and a treat to watch. Two-time Academy Award winners Emma Thompson and Tom Hanks star in this gem of a movie. Walt Disney (Tom Hanks), has promised his daughters to bring Mary Poppins, the book, to the big screen. Bringing this enduring piece of storytelling to life will prove harder than he could have imagined, as PL Travers (Emma Thompson), who is the author of the book, is against Mary Poppins being shown on the screen. However, as she is in need of money, she decides to fly down to Los Angeles and meet Walt.
Walt goes all out to convince Mrs. Travers that Mary Poppins should be made into a movie. As they go through the script, Mrs. Travers begins to find faults with almost everything contained therein. It is now all but certain that the movie will not be made. Is it possible for Walt to convince Mrs. Travers against all odds? Well, the viewer shall have to watch the movie to find that out.
Emma Thompson has given a brilliant performance as the obstinate yet sentimental Mrs. Travers. The emotional scenes where she is taken back to her childhood days are dealt with deftly. Collin Farrell plays Robert Goff Travers, the father of a young Emma Thompson, who is played by Annie Rose Buckley. Accompanying them are Ruth Wilson and Rachel Griffiths in engaging performances. The latter, along with Collin Farrell and Annie Rose Buckley are seen in the flashback scenes. Colin Farrell and Annie Rose Buckley shine in their respective performances. Paul Giamatti plays Mrs. Travers’ chauffeur, and carries out his role admirably. Tom Hanks as the persuasive Walt Disney is excellent. The rest of the cast, including the Sherman brothers, play their parts perfectly.
In Saving Mr. Banks the viewer will see a nice blend of a fine story and some brilliant performances to back it up. The movie gingerly meanders its way through to the finale. Albeit, a little slow paced at times, it picks up the pace at the right moments and manages to engross the audience. The music and lyrics of the movie are effervescent and will leave the viewer humming. Watching Saving Mr. Banks should definitely be on your list of things to do this weekend.
Precious
February 10, 2014A very heartfelt movie especially for persons like me who grow up watching and waiting for Mary Poppins to pop out of the window flipping my fingers when cleaning. The movie really told the true and great story behind the success of the book. Thumbs up!