Saving Mr Banks is a worthy, solid and frequently charming if ultimately inconsequential film that charts the interesting if slight tale of the Mary Poppins author's clash with Hollywood and Walt Disney. Juxtaposing Travers' Australian outback childhood with the L.A. tales of adapting the book for the classic Disney film becomes an increasingly obvious and predictable exercise, all leading inexorably to a inevitable reveal and conclusion. Hanks is on fine form as a rather soft version of Disney the man, and likewise Thompson gives a precise and well-drawn performance as Travers, even if she tends to come across as an eccentric Englishwoman to make her character a bit more likable. In smaller roles, Paul Giamatti is wonderful as Travers' driver, Ruth Wilson does a lot with little as the outback housewife, and Colin Farrell is sincere if at times melodramatic as the author's imaginative but dissolute father. This is a well-made, well-meaning film that spins a reasonably entertaining yarn out of somewhat slight material.
No comments:
Post a Comment