Saving Mr. Banks Film Review

style="float: right; margin-bottom: 10px; font-weight: 600;"Fri 18th Apr, 2014

 


After watching this film, you will most definitely want to watch the Disney movie Mary Poppins again, as it will have a whole new meaning. The film itself will become even more magical than before, if that could be at all possible, as you come to learn the true meaning about one of Disney's most beloved characters.

Saving Mr. Banks tells the untold true story behind the creator of Mary Poppins, Pamela L. Travers, otherwise known as Mrs. Travers. Throughout the film we learn about the long struggle between Walt Disney and Mrs. Travers in bringing Mary Poppins to life.

Emma Thompson who plays Mrs. Travers is delightful to watch and as the film goes on, you can really sympathise with her into why she doesn't want to give the story up to someone else to recreate. Thompson is also able to convey the emotions of Mrs. Travers well, including her cold hard manner at the beginning, followed by the change in her nature as the film develops. Thompson's relationship with Tom Hanks, who plays Walt Disney himself, is also fun to watch. Their relationship is rather humorous at times, especially due to their different mannerisms, with Disney being overly friendly and a rather happy kind of chap and Travers being a little more reserved and formal.

Not only does the film go into the true meaning of the character Mary Poppins and how important she is to Mrs. Travers, as she is actually family to her, with her being rather a fictional character, who came to help the Banks' family out in particular Mr. Banks. But there are also many light hearted and funny moments throughout the film. One of the most beautiful relationships, which develops within the film is the one between Mrs. Travers and her chauffeur, Ralph, in LA played by Paul Giamatti, whereby we are able to see first-hand the change in Mrs. Travers character, as she goes from being hostile to developing a kind of friendship with Ralph, the chauffeur.

The film doesn't just focus on Mrs. Travers and Walt Disneys' struggles into turning Mary Poppins into a film but also it divulges into Mrs. Travers life as a child, played by Annie Rose Buckley. The film flips back and forth to the present Mrs. Travers and the many decisions that has to be made for the movie with Walt Disney and the production crew for her film, to her actual family life as a child including, the woes and troubles of her father, Mr. Banks along with her loving relationship she has with him. It is through this depiction that we are able to fully understand who Mary Poppins is and what she means to Mrs. Travers.

Overall, the film is pleasant to watch and uplifting. Not only that, but following the film, it allows us to look at not only Mary Poppins but other characters in a different light. After all, we as an audience may interpret films and characters one way, but for the creator another interpretation could be behind the character. And it was truly a joy to watch and learn about the reality of Mary Poppins!


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