Saving Mr. Banks
2013
**½
Director: John Lee Hancock
Cast: Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks, Paul Giamatti, Jason Schwartzman, Bradley Whitford, B.J. Novak, Colin Farrell, Ruth Wilson, Rachel Griffiths
Walt Disney makes one final attempt to sign the movie rights to Mary Poppins by flying the defiant author P.T. Travers to Los Angeles to go through the script. We all know Disney succeeded, but this fictionalised true story shows us how it all transpired. Travers, as portrayed here by Emma Thompson, seems incapable of basic human interaction and the frequent flashbacks to her childhood in Australia reveal how she became so withdrawn. However, these sections are the downfall of a perfectly enjoyable drama comedy. Firstly, their dramatic impact does not justify the amount of time we spend there. And secondly, jumping back and forth constantly breaks the flow of the Hollywood scenes, which are (repetitive but) the true meat of the story. The performances are good, though.
