Saving Mr Banks

[Yinster]

Tom Hanks does the double in the LFF by having his film Captain Phillips opening the festival and this film closing it.

I seen this last month through work and personally I loved it. It tells of the story of how the classic Disney's Mary Poppins almost never made the screen and the relationship between Walt Disney and P.L. Travers with a back story of a 10 year old Pam Travers.

Both Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson were excellent in this. And it was interesting to see how Mary Poppins was so close to not being made. A film that many love. 9/10

[Yinster]

if you have time stay behind to hear the actual recordings that were made during the credits

[sophiep100]

I watched this tonight and thought it was a fascinating story, and really enjoyable. I saw Captain Phillips on Friday night (a bit of a Tom Hanks weekend!) and was glad that Saving Mr Banks was slightly less intense than that one!!

[alythonian]

I really enjoyed the film (I didn't enjoy the red carpet - why, oh why, is Alex Zane employed to do these??!!) and thought it was great that it was made. It was a fascinating insight into the story behind the story.
I know it was made on a tiny budget by Holywood standards but I'm sure they could have tried a bit harder to make California look a tiny bit like north Queensland if they'd tried a smidge harder? Tiny point, I know but it did niggle with me throughout the whole film. I've been to Maryborough and they have a Mary Poppins statue on the main street and a plaque.
Emma Thompson was fantastic in this as was Paul Giamatti.

Great film. 8/10 from me.

[LondonCityNights]

Christ, what a load of self serving sanctimonious gooey bullshit. Essentially it's about how ecstatic you should be to sign over your intellectual property to the beneficent Walt Disney corporation. Maybe if this story had been made by someone other than Disney it'd have been palatable, but a corporation making a film about how great they are is just repellent.

Tom Hanks as Walt Disney is completely flat, a result of a no-doubt strict mandate on what Walt Disney can and can't be seen doing. The end result being that a quite complicated man is whitewashed as cloyingly perfect (in practically every way). Thompson as Travers is a bit better, but the character is still pretty much a one-note caricature.

And those syrupy flashbacks to Australia. Bleergh.

2/5*

edit: and while I'm moaning the Lee Valley Odeon is the absolute pits. Out in the middle of nowhere next to a sewage plant, 30 minutes walk from the nearest train station, crap seating layout, small screen - and it's not even in the right place on Google Maps!

[yogi]

Loved it. Wondered how much of a story there could be in persuading someone to sign a contract, but its about so much more than that.

Heartwarming, heartbreaking, wonderful film. 9/10

[Sunny Saver]

Christ, what a load of self serving sanctimonious gooey bullshit. Essentially it's about how ecstatic you should be to sign over your intellectual property to the beneficent Walt Disney corporation. Maybe if this story had been made by someone other than Disney it'd have been palatable, but a corporation making a film about how great they are is just repellent.

Tom Hanks as Walt Disney is completely flat, a result of a no-doubt strict mandate on what Walt Disney can and can't be seen doing. The end result being that a quite complicated man is whitewashed as cloyingly perfect (in practically every way). Thompson as Travers is a bit better, but the character is still pretty much a one-note caricature.

And those syrupy flashbacks to Australia. Bleergh.

2/5*

edit: and while I'm moaning the Lee Valley Odeon is the absolute pits. Out in the middle of nowhere next to a sewage plant, 30 minutes walk from the nearest train station, crap seating layout, small screen - and it's not even in the right place on Google Maps!

So, you had a good time then .

[LondonCityNights]

So, you had a good time then .

I'll have a good time reviewing it...

Thank god Philomena was so great. It's funny, I was considering skipping Philomena and just going to this as it looked far more up my street. Glad I made both screenings though.

[McG]

Loved it. Wondered how much of a story there could be in persuading someone to sign a contract, but its about so much more than that.

Heartwarming, heartbreaking, wonderful film. 9/10

Totally agree, yogi!
I was very impressed by Emma Thomson. She was excellent as the troubled Mrs P.L.Travers. Tom Hanks was ok but nothing compared to Emma T. Before watching this film I'd no idea how difficult it had been for P.L. Travers to allow Disney to make the film of Mary Poppins and how she battled to keep some control. The part after the credits was very good as it played some of the actual tape recordings of P.L. Travers discussing what she wanted in the film . . .or rather, what she didn't want! It's amazing how similar Emma Thomson's voice was to the real PLT.
Lovely way to spend a Sunday evening.
Marks 9/10

[stuartboy]

SUPERCALIFRAGELSITICEXPIALEDOCIOUS!
Brilliant. Loved this so much.
Lots of neck-prickles and lumps in throats, and not necessarily at the bit(s) you might have thought.
Definitely a daddy and loss of daddy film which had a particular poinance for me tonight as it was a big anniversary of me losing mine.
Emma T deserves big awards. Loved the humour throughout. This would have been horrid if not also made by Disney as it was made by the inclusion of the various songs and numbers from the original which might not have been possible if it was made by an independant. So relieved to finally see clips of the original towards the end - Julie Andrews and Dick Van Cockney. This would have been more TV movie if it hadn't included the music and scenes.
Impressed at how believable T.hanks was as Walt. He seemed to morph into Disney facially - looked like a completely differnt person from Captain Mark Phillips.

I actually enjoyed the red carpet stuff. Pity though that the non-Times ticket holders - it was a multisource screening - came in at and after 7.30 as that was what was on their tickets. The ubiquitous Zane didn't grate too much, although he seemed to only have one question - "What do you think of our cherry-blossom red carpet set?". At least each of the celebs he interviewed had enough of their own interesting stuff to say.

Was quite long, what with the red carpet, but I was transfixed throughout.

Have to say that California playing Australia was far superior to California playing Scotland as in Brigadoon which I saw as a freebie last night!

Definite 9/10