Saving Mr. Banks

Emma Thompson delivers some of the best acting of the year, joined by the always charming Tom Hanks in role he was practically born to play, in a film that reminds you about the magical joy of movies, particularly Disney movies.

Saving Mr. Banks tells the story of the notoriously difficult time Disney had in adapting P.L. Travers’s novel Mary Poppins into a film.  All of this takes place in 1961, and the film does a great job of transporting the audience to that time (something I’ve noted previously that I always enjoy and appreciate).  It has been years since I’ve seen the classic Disney logo, and I have to admit it a refreshing wave of nostalgia watched over me as soon as the movie began because of it.  In addition, seeing classic Disney characters/toys pleased my inner child.  I was also impressed at how they were able to recreate Disneyland itself as it would have looked in the ’60s.  But as stated earlier, all of this revolves around the classic Disney film Mary Poppins, and a lot of the nostalgia comes from that.  I remember loving this film as a child, though I did, even as a kid, notice some dark moments and themes in it (though they were always overshadowed by “Supercalifragilisticexpealidocious” and Dick Van Dyke dancing with animated penguins).

Speaking of which, the music is classic and still memorable to this day, and hearing it being created and discussed and almost shot down, was great to hear.  Also, geniusly, the soundtrack has some alternate arrangements of classic Disney songs, not just from Mary Poppins either.  Seeing actual storyboards and sketches for the film was also mesmerizing, and certainly added authenticity to the film.  In addition, be sure to stick around a bit after the credits to hear the actual tapes from the meetings Travers had with the Disney crew, it’s pretty awesome (and shows you how well the actors did in recreating those moments).

The film also smartly interweaves the tragic back story of P. L. Travers with the troublesome production meetings for the film.  After seeing everything that Travers went through, it makes you appreciate the film that came out of those struggles so much more; I’ll never see the film the same way again!

But where this film truly shines is in it’s incredible cast and the phenomenal acting they provide for the film.  Emma Thompson does an absolutely incredible job bringing the bitter, angry, jaded P. L. Travers to life.  Every sour look and every nasty remark was both painful yet funny to watch on screen.  And there’s no better joy than watching her slowly crack into the saccharine magic of Disney, and to finally realize at the end how beautiful her story can be when put in the right hands.  This brings me to the wonderful job done by both B.J. Novak (yes, the guy from The Office) and Jason Schwartzman as the musical geniuses behind the film, the Sherman brothers.  They have such a great chemistry with each other and actually seem like blood brothers.  The way they sing with such enthusiasm, despite Travers obvious disapproval, is inspiring and fun to watch.  They, along with Don DaGradi (played very well by Bradley Whitford), make a great team, doing simply what Disney asked them to do in a room with a woman who despises just about all of those ideas.  Seeing them struggle to keep their cool in front of such an unruly woman is a delight to watch.  Which brings us to Disney himself, played remarkably by Tom Hanks.  Hanks does a great job showing us a side of Disney we never really saw, a frustrated and very assertive side that occasionally smokes and drinks to calm down.  But of course, we also see the side of Disney we all know and love, a man who simply wants to show everyone the magic he sees in things.  Seeing him interact with Travers is an interesting love/hate relationship that is so much fun to watch on screen.

Props also have to be given to Paul Giamatti, who plays Travers’s driver Ralph.  Though his role is fairly minimal, he has a big impact on the film the few times he is on.  His character is so genuine and sweet, and having that once again paired with such a sour woman, is jarring at first, but makes the evolution of their relationship that much more fun to watch.  Finally, Colin Farrell does a sensational job as Travers Goff, father of P. L. Travers.  His character is complex, a wonderful caring father who has his own demons that he deals with in unwise ways.  Seeing him essentially play two characters, and play them so well, made the back story of P. L. Travers so powerful and emotionally-charged.

FINAL DIAGNOSIS: 9/10

This is certainly one of the best movies of the year thanks to it’s incredible cast who all act superbly.  It shows another side of a Disney classic, and in doing so reminds us what made that movie, and what makes all movies (particularly Disney films) so magical and powerful. Don’t be surprised to see some Oscar buzz at the very least for Emma Thompson, if not for some of the other great acting in the film.  If you love Mary Poppins, Disney, or filmmaking in general, you absolutely must see this film!

QUICKIES! 6 movies, 1 post!

Hi everyone!

As you may have noticed, I’ve been AWOL lately…  Life has been busy, and other distractions have gotten in the way of my reviews.  But that hasn’t stopped me from going on some cinematic adventures!  And with the holiday season right around the corner (which means plenty of awesome movies around the bend), and life not getting any less busy, I want to quickly recap some movies I’ve seen since my last post.  I hope to continue to write my regular-sized posts in the future, but if I don’t write these mini-reviews now, I feel like I never will and will just fall behind, so please excuse the irregular format this time around!

1) Bad Grandpa – 5/10

In another case of the trailer spoiling the best parts of the movie, all the funniest scenes in the film were given away in the trailer.  The rest was just Johnny Knoxville being Johnny Knoxville: outrageous, gross, and rude, which is what you come to see when you go to any of his movies.  This is certainly not as funny as any of the Jackass films, which I feel are bolstered by Knoxville’s crazy friends.  The child actor in this film is hilarious, and Knoxville does have a handful of humorous moments that aren’t in the trailer, but overall you won’t be missing anything if you skip this film.

2) Ender’s Game – 6/10

As with just about every single one of my other reviews, I have not read the book that this film is based on, but even I feel like it’s probably way better than the film.  In what is essentially a space version of Harry Potter (a chosen, gifted boy is asked to save the world using his skills) or a live-action version of StarCraft (strategically place your units in the right places to defeat the aliens), the film can be a bit boring and slightly confusing at times.  The twist at the end of the film is interesting, but not enough to save the rest of the film.  The acting either falls flat is overly bombastic many times, which is a shame considering the star-filled cast (Asa Butterfield, Harrison Ford, Ben Kingsley, Viola Davis, and Abigail Breslin).  The special effects are decent, but certainly not the best that we’ve seen in recent films.  Once again, you’re not missing out if you decide to skip this film entirely.

3) Dallas Buyers Club – 9/10 

2013 seemed to be the year of McConaughey, as he starred in yet another incredible film.  Unlike his role in Mud, this time around McConaughey plays a man you love to hate and hate to love.  While he is an ignorant homophobe who makes his feelings and opinions very well known throughout the film, it’s this same stubbornness and brashness that makes him so appealing.  Jared Leto does a phenomenal job in his role as the transgender woman Rayon, who is so compelling and charming.  Both actors went through drastic physical transformations to embody their roles.  Jennifer Garner does a satisfactory job in her role.  The story is hilarious and heartwarming, difficult yet delightful.  Not too many movies have really dealt with the issue of AIDS (especially in the early days of it), and this movie definitely does a great job of showing the struggle that people with AIDS faced, particularly the ignorance people had about the disease and its contagiousness.  This one is sure to garner some Oscar buzz, and is certainly worth seeing!

4) 12 Years a Slave – 10/10

An immensely powerful film, it is no surprise that it has already received so many award nominations.  This is absolutely Chiwetel Ejiofor’s breakout role, and he does a fantastic job in a very difficult role.  Showing the extremes that this man would go through just to survive is heart-wrenching, as well as how “normal” this whole insane world was for everyone involved.  For example, in one scene, Ejiofor’s character is practically hung on a tree, with his only means of survival being desperately trying to stand on his tip-toes.  Throughout his entire struggle, other slaves walk around him, children play in the fields behind him, and the white people simply check in on him every now and then as if he is a nuisance.  Other powerful roles are offered by Paul Giamatti, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano, Michael Fassbender, and of course Brad Pitt.  Believe the hype, this is definitely a great movie that, as hard as it can be to watch sometimes, needs to be seen, and displays one of the most difficultly realistic views of slavery in media of any form.

5) Frozen – 10/10

One of the BEST Disney films (and animated films in general) of recent history, and a true display of the talent that Disney Animation has without the aid of Pixar, this is a movie that both kids and adults will love.  Like every great Disney film, it has a great balance of humor (Josh Gad as a magical snowman?  Yes please!) and sweetness (the relationship between the sisters, Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel is uplifting).  Also, as a musical enthusiast, this movie has one of the best soundtracks of any Disney film out there, with a nice variety of sounds and styles that fit wonderfully into the film; I guarantee you’ll be humming at least one of the songs you hear in the movie for weeks to come.  In another awesome twist, the true love displayed in the movie doesn’t rely on romantic love, but rather the love between family.  The 3D looked great as well and was truly immersive.  The Frozen will rekindle your faith in the power of animated films and remind you about what you loved about them as kids, and I absolutely recommend it!

6) The Hunger Games: Catching Fire – 9/10

Finally, in the blockbuster sequel to the blockbuster original, this film has all the action and excitement that you would expect, and a revolutionary story that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the end.  Again, I’ve never read the source material, but people that I know who have read the books say its a pretty faithful interpretation.  Jennifer Lawrence is as incredible as ever, and the rest of the supporting cast return in excellent form, with a few notable new faces as well (Philip Seymour Hoffman in particular).  While it is over 2 hours long (146 minutes to be precise), it flies by quickly, and ends rather abruptly (which, like any great cliffhanger, simply leaves you excited for the conclusion).  The effects are great and the cinematography is excellent, and its a great follow-up to what I feel will be the biggest trilogy of recent times.  If you liked the first one (or just like action films in general), you definitely should see this one!

That’s it for now, more reviews and other posts coming soon!  Thank you all for continuing to read these posts!  In case I don’t get to chat with you all again in the next few days, I hope you all have a Happy Holidays and New Year! 🙂

-Dr. A