saving mr banks – NZ Film Freak

Director: Rob Marshall
Writer: David Magee, Rob Marshall and John DeLuca (based on story by P.L Travers)
Released: December 2018
Starring: Emily Blunt, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ben Whishaw, Emily Mortimer, Julie Walters, Dick Van Dyke ,Angela Lansbury, Colin Firth, Meryl Streep
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Well, I thought this was a scene-by-scene remake. That’s what the rumours said anyway.

However, as the title does actually suggest, this is a sequel. It follows the lives of Michael (Ben Whishaw) and Jane (Emily Mortimer) as adults – the brother and sister in the first film.

After the death of his wife, Michael’s repayments on the house lapsed. The bank demanded that he now pay up in full – which he can’t possibly afford.

Thankfully, Mary Poppins (Emily Blunt) arrives just in time!

It’s a good thing you’ve come along when you did, Mary Poppins.

I have been looking forward to see this movie for ever! So as part of my hen do, we all went to watch it. It was such a magical day.

It is a beautiful film; a real feel-good movie! I would absolutely recommend it to anyone needing cheering up.

I had to hold back the tears throughout most of the scenes because everything is just so beautiful!

Everything is possible, even the impossible.

Emily Blunt is 100% the only option to play Mary Poppins. Mary is a tough and tender character; maternal but fierce. And I think that’s Emily Blunt in a nutshell. Plus, who else is a triple threat – a singer, dancer and actress?

(Remaining ‘practically perfect’ on set was said to be difficult though!)

You’ll probably find that you adopt a frightfully posh English accent after the movie, and make promises to yourself that you will start dressing up and paying more attention to your hair style after watching Mary Poppins Returns.

Nothing. Such a useful word, isn’t it? It can mean anything and everything.

Apart from Mary, I’m sure the favourite character of many would be Jack (Lin-Manuel Miranda) the cockney street lamp lighter. He’s happy and smiley and fun and wonderful!

I adored Julie Walters too, but sadly Meryl Streep’s character was a tad too eccentric for my liking.

I’m not generally a musical fan, but I enjoyed this one. Every song is catchy and uplifting. Particularly ‘A Cover is not the Book‘ and ‘Trip a Little Light Fantastic‘, but the latter is 99% because of the choreography with the streetlights.

This is history in the making – you must go to see Mary Poppins Returns in the cinema. It’s simply the only way because it’s like a stage play.

Before you go to see it though, I’d recommend watching the original Mary Poppins as well as Saving Mr. Banks to fully appreciate the history of the Mary Poppins character.

I enjoyed the echoes in the first film, including the penguins, which were drawn in the traditional way – frame by frame – by the original Disney artists. Such a lovely touch!

100% must-see if you’re feeling blue.

Jodie’s rating: 8/10

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Welcome to the 400th post! It’s taken six years and four months to get here.

Director: John Lee Hancock
Writer: Kelly Marcel, Sue Smith
Released: November 2013
Starring: Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks, Paul Giamatti, Jason Schwartzman, Bradley Whitford, Colin Farrell
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I think Saving Mr. Banks is a brilliant take on the Mary Poppins story. It’s not a remake or a sequel, it’s more of the ‘behind the scenes’ of the classic Mary Poppins story. It’s the story behind the story.

It follows Pamela Travers (Emma Thompson) who is approached by Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) himself regarding her children’s book series, Mary Poppins.

Walt Disney: Look at you! I could eat you up!
P.L. Travers: That wouldn’t be appropriate.

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While we follow her reluctancy to give up the copyright, her guard is ever so slowly lowered as we begin to find out the root of her Poppins stories. They are in fact based on a lady who comes to look after young Travers and her siblings while her dad, ‘Mr. Banks’ (Colin Farrell) suffers alcoholism and slowly dies.

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It comes to be that the Mary Poppins character in Travers’s childhood is a woman who isn’t there to save her or her siblings, but is there to try and save her beloved father. Hence why Travers is so reluctant to have her stories meddled with; she’s still coming to terms with the guilt.

Walt Disney: “No whimsy or sentiment!” says the woman who sends a flying nanny with a talking umbrella to save the children.
P.L. Travers: You think Mary Poppins is saving the children, Mr. Disney?
[Walt and the other filmmakers are stunned silent]
P.L. Travers: Oh, dear!

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Throughout the melancholy scenes are the uplifting songs that Walt Disney’s composers are developing. The music that we associate with the 1964 Mary Poppins musical is reused to support Travers’s journey of trusting Walt Disney and their rocky working relationship.

Richard Sherman: Room here for everyone / Gather around / The constable’s “responstible!” / Now how does that sound?
P.L. Travers: No, no, no, no, no! “Responstible” is not a word!
Richard Sherman: We made it up.
P.L. Travers: Well, un-make it up.

Saving Mr Banks is an incredible story that simultaneously warms and breaks your heart. I was crying my eyes out through much of this film, especially the ‘let’s go fly a kite’ scene, holy Jesus. It brings a whole new meaning and depth to the Mary Poppins we have come to know.

Tom Hanks was the perfect choice to play Walt Disney. They both have an optimistic persona, while being untouchable American treasures.

I love this ‘prequel’ of sorts to the Julie Andrews musical. It’s entertaining and insightful, although perhaps a little dry in places, and a little too heavy in others.

Jodie’s rating: 6/10