Saving Mr Banks Movie Review

Heed me words, this movie is getting nominated...

Saving Mr Banks is the almost certain Oscar contender directed by John Lee Hancock and starring Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks, Colin Farrell and a whole host of other talented actors/actresses. The film follows the creation of Disney's classic movie Mary Poppins, based on the work of author P.L.Travers. The story arcs beautifully into the young life of this famous author plus shows us the influences in her life that she put into her classic book, and also the 1964 feature length film.

Before walking into the theatre I had heard great things about Saving Mr Banks, mainly due to the performances the main actors give. Sometimes I feel it necessary just to walk into a movie theatre and block out all the hype I hear about certain films and just judge it based on what I see. What I saw from Saving Mr Banks was a great movie, which balanced feel-good moments with some touching emotional tones.

The Academy is going to flat out love this movie, and for good reason. The performances given in this movie are so intricate yet beautiful, making it that little bit easier to seriously connect with the story and the characters.

Ultimately, this is Emma Thompson's movie. She plays famous author P.L.Travers in a way where she does come across as a bit of a bitch, but a likeable bitch! A tight, engaging and funny script allows her to deliver some well timed comedic moments, but it is during the emotional scenes where her acting ability is required where she shines. And shine she does. A nomination will be coming her way very shortly indeed, I'm positive.

Tom Hanks is great as Walt Disney because he captures everything we have come to know about the eccentric and imaginative man who created the world's most famous film making coorporations. However, he is not the best male performer, despite being really good.

That accolade goes to Colin Farrell. I didn't rate him much as an actor before this but my word does he deliver a fantastic performance in this movie. This guy steals every single scene he was in. Every time he was on screen I was so engaged in every single word that came out of his mouth.

Admittedly, it is Emma Thompson's movie and a lot does hinge on her performance. Thankfully John Lee Hancock's good direction and some masterful script writing help her succeed.

Her character develops very nicely as the movie progresses leading to a changed person during the last few scenes. A selection of well-timed flashbacks provide a lot of the development that happens and all of the events that made her the person she is, plus the things that influenced her writing. By the end of the movie, you come to realise just how important Mary Poppins (and Mr Banks) are to her.

At times the movie does become a little bit too heavy handed but thankfully it doesn't for long as some beautifully edited and shot scenes allow your emotional dominoes to fall. Trust me, there was a knot in my throat at many points during Saving Mr Banks. Either you'll cry, or you'll want to!

Most of these emotional scenes do work and often hit home. However, a lot of the time I did feel really happy while watching Saving Mr Banks. When a movie can pull of both ends of the emotional spectrum well that is never a bad thing. Saving Mr Banks offers up some clever subtle comedy as well to keep you entertained throughout.

It was really cool to see all the details that led up to Mary Poppin's creation, but at times the elements were either forced or predictable. More than a few times did I notice something and then make a mental note to remember that for something inevitably about that later on in the film. Unfortuanetely, this did detract from my experience.

Overall, Saving Mr Banks delivers well with it's emotional tones and is pioneered by some really mature, well handled performances and had some really cool, three-dimensional characters.

I loved my time watching Saving Mr Banks. I would rate it like this:


Rating - A-


1 sentence summary - A well toned movie with a well developed story, but is ultimately led by some stand out performances.

Best picture winner? We may have a dark horse.

Thanks for reading,
Matt