SAVING MR. BANKS (2013) – Movie Review ★★★★½

SAVING MR. BANKS stars Tom Hanks, Emma Thompson, Colin Farrell, Ruth Wilson, Paul Giamatti, Jason Schwartzman & Bradley Whitford – Director John Lee Hancock brings us the story of Author P. L. Travers that not only reflects on her childhood spent with a loving, caring but alcoholic father but also looks at the many trials and tribulations filmmaker Walt Disney had in securing the rights to Ms Travers beloved character MARY POPPINS and the process in bringing it all to the screen VERDICT I’ve yet to meet anybody who dislikes Robert Stevenson’s Mary Poppins and watching SAVING MR. BANKS sorted of acted as a behind the scenes glimpse at want went on back in the 60’s of this much loved Disney Classic – Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson are both outstanding as Disney & Travers respectively but it’s easy to overlook two other towering performances from Colin Farrell playing the drunk but loving father Travers Goff who you get to meet in various flashback in Australia in the early 1900’s, it’s a deliverance of such a role that makes me believe Farrell is right up their amongst the elite in his field and then there’s Paul Giamatti who plays the delightful Ralph a limousine driver who strikes an unlikely friendship with Travers whilst driving her around LA – Hancock and his team manage to capture the era of the time perfectly, it’s cinematography is delivered with stunning beauty and them familiar, chirpy tunes from 64’s Mary Poppins are introduced throughout the movie and delivered wonderfully well by the Sherman Brothers who are played so so well by Jason Schwartzman & B.J Novak – my favorite scene in the movie has to be Travers singing and dancing along to “Let’s Go Fly a Kite”, it’s pretty emotional and nailed by the cast – overall SAVING MR. BANKS is a delicious feast of family entertainment that will make you look at Mary Poppins in a different way but love it even more….