Saving Mr Banks

[Ms Thrifty]

Well, it was interesting to catch this at last and to see how Disney does Disney. Pretty much as I expected and not something I would have pa*d for, but hardly surprising that the makers of this film couldn't leave well alone, just as it would have us believe they wouldn't with Mary Poppins itself. Was that a deliberate irony or what?

Must say I'd have expected better from Emma Thompson - a little more restraint would have pa*d off handsomely, and if they weren't going to stick to the truth anyway, why not at least a plausible alternative? But no, P L Travers was depicted being far too easily won over in the end, and as for the ghastly, melodramatic version of her childhood, yuck!

7/10 from me.

[jo_c78]

I agree. Thoroughly enjoyed this movie. I never expected it to be as emotional as it was...I was in tears at the end! I feel I need to watch Mary Poppins all over again now! 9/10

[midian]

I have revised my score of this down a star to 1/5*. It's a truly despicable bit of historical revisionism, taking a financially vulnerable author and manipulating her to seize control of her creative works.

Here's my full thoughts:

http://www.londoncitynights.com/2013/10 ... -john.html

I'd advise you read up on P.L. Travers - who in real life detested Disney so much that she stipulated in her will that no Americans ever be allowed to work on Mary Poppins again. If she was furious about her creations being Disneyfied, god knows what she'd have made of her life being sugar-coated and fuzzied up to make Disney Corp look great.

really enjoyed your review. spit spot on.

i had actually been avoiding this as it was a disney. then there were so many tix i thought i'd give it try. then stuff kept happening at the last min and i would be unexpectedly delayed and miss it. I have finally seen it and am just saddened. wish i hadn't bothered.

even tho the movie was clearly sending up travers' stiff upper lip I was with her all the way. I particularly hate overly friendly strangers and i shuddered with her each and every time instead of thinking 'she's weird' and laughing as the people behind me did. I didn't know anything about her before i went in but the placing of gurdjieff & the buddha on the bedside table, i guessed, was a shorthand for where her mind was at and i could see why she would be opposed to the disneyfication of her creation. and now to add insult to injury they have done the same to her life.

if the film has done anything good it is that it made me curious about the truth behind her and read the original poppins books (maybe). I am interested in what travers was actually like and not what disney said she was like. it was definitely a film of david being beaten by goliath.

4/10

[missunique]

Really enjoyed this film, some really funny bits and Tom hank never disappoints

[Ms Thrifty]

LondonCityNights and midian whilst I share your reservations, I rated this film far higher, for the acting. I could sum it up as "great cast in a bad film", which is a frustrating combination but at least allows for that redeeming factor.

[tanga]

LondonCityNights and midian whilst I share your reservations, I rated this film far higher, for the acting. I could sum it up as "great cast in a bad film"

Totally agree with you, Ms Thrifty. Whilst this wasn't really my kind of film - I have to say that Emma Thompson was brilliant.

[Lozmaka]

Great film.. if you enjoyed Mary Poppins as kid, this is one for you. Big thumbs up

[FBS]

Thoroughly enjoyed this, great fish out of water story. Emma Thompson is simply fantastic and Hanks reins it in so he isn't the centre of attention.

Regarding the depiction of PL Travers, Disney made the film so they are not going to show them in the worst light possible. But personally I think Travers comes out of it better than Disney

[RAZORBACK]

Saw this last weekend and unfortunately wasn't all that impressed, it had some great moments but they were too few & far between (I also thought that the flashback sequences were depressing and rather dull).

Performance wise Thompson was very good (although her character was pretty irritating throughout) and Hanks, Giamatti & Farrell were okay (but nothing special).

However I did think that Whitford, Novak & Schwartzman were very entertaining indeed and as they made seeing this film an almost worthwhile experience I'll give it an almost respectable 6/10...

[caitlinmorton]

This is very interesting. Tom Hanks discovers some interesting facts about both Walt Disney and the movie business.

http://www.ellentv.com/videos/0-oexqv2zg/