Saving Mr Banks

****THE 57TH LONDON FILM FESTIVAL****

Director: John Lee Hancock

Stars: Tom Hanks, Emma Thompson, Colin Farrell, Paul Giamatti, Bradley Whitford, Jason Schwartzman, B.J. Novak.

Released in UK: 29^th November

The Film Festival finally closed it doors for another year this Sunday, and the chosen film to bid it fare well was the greatly anticipated European premiere of John Lee Hancock’s Saving Mr Banks.

Its 1961, and after twenty years of resisting Walt Disney’s (Tom Hanks) desire to buy the rights to her book, P L Travers (Emma Thompson) finally agrees to leave the confinement of her cherished London home and fly out to meet the house-of-mouse King in Hollywood to oversee the screenplay for the film version of her beloved book, Mary Poppins.

It’s a clear clash of titans and while the agreeable Disney is clearly not used to being said no to, Travers is the ultimate British battle-axe stubborn to the core and very objectionable, disliking the idea of the film being a musical, and downright forbidding the use of animation! She rejects everything about the flashy lights of tinsel town, from the confectionary and lunchtime snacks, to the glorious sunny weather and with that the ‘sunny’ disposition of everyone around her, her informal ways (‘It’s Mrs Travers!’) conflicting with the overly friendly Americans.

While the chalk/cheese relationship between Disney and Travers is stretched to breaking point over the few weeks that she stayed in LA, her involvement in the early production stages of the film triggers memories of her childhood and that of her beloved, but tragic father (Colin Farrell).

To say the relationship between Disney and Travers was strained is an understatement, although she flew out to him in LA she refused to sign the rights over for weeks…like dangling bread in front of a starving man. Travers gleefully reminded Disney of this fact continually, that if he didn’t do it the way she wished, she simply wouldn’t sign and it would all have been for nothing. In a sense Travers made everything extremely difficult for the entire production team, rejecting many ideas and refusing to cave in to happy carefree ways of LA life choosing to stay totally serious and ‘appropriate.’ However she had her reasons, as this book was her baby and she was fiercely protective of it and the characters.

Director Hancock is well suited to challenging Banks, having directed a biopic before with his success with 2009’s Oscar nominated The Blind Side, so he is at ease here. The writers Kelly Marcel and Sue Smith have done an excellent job with the witty and charming script, which is why the characters come across as so lovable and engaging. Its highly unlikely it was this gloriously humorous in real life, so it’s a joy to see the actors clearly having so much fun on set with their characterisations.

The cast is wonderful. While he may not look exactly like the real man physically, Hanks was born to play Disney, bringing a warmth and kindness but with a firm arrogant persistence as Disney was in real life. If Hanks looks well enough like Disney, Thompson unfortunately looks nothing like Travers, too young and, sorry to say, attractive to be the real deal. However, she embodies her in spirit perfectly. She is just wonderful and very, very funny. She is also careful not to make her too caricature-ish, giving her Travers a human side and vulnerability no doubt the real lady would have found it difficult to show. A wonderful moment where she finally embraces the fun side of the music and dances with the script writer during their demonstration of ‘Lets Go Fly a Kite’ is a delightful little montage and gratefully received break from the stern ice-lady.

While the two leading actors are superb, it would not be half as enjoyable if it weren’t for the supporting cast who are all fantastic, and all play subtly important roles. From the staff who work at the Disney studios, including wonderfully witty turns from Kathy Baker and Bradley Whitford, to the music composing duo Sherman brothers (Jason Schwartzman and B.J. Novak), and Paul Giamatti (who has been working like a race horse recently appearing in just about everything) as Travers’ kind and friendly chauffer.

Everyone pulls their weights and makes the whole experience thoroughly enjoyable. Colin Farrell plays against his usual type performing in one of his best roles yet as Travers irresponsible and yet adoringly loving father. It was he who inspired Mary Poppins in the first place, and his memory that triggered the script change so that Travers could ‘Save Mr Banks’ in the film, where in real life she couldn’t save her father from his downfall.

The only issue comes as the film constantly flitters from the current storyline in 1961 to Travers’ childhood in the outback of Australia. While the whole story certainly benefits from a detailed background giving reason into why Travers acts the way she does, and why indeed the characters in her story (especially Mr Banks) were so precious to her, the narrative is disrupted one too many times and spoils the flow. We just don’t need so much of something that is theatrically envisioned when really we will never know the true state of what happened, it’s quite speculative. Having said that the scenes with her father are moving, and well thought out. 

There are some truly ‘magical’ moments in the film, from the moment when Travers first arrives at her ‘Disney’ enhanced hotel room, to the scene where she dances. The trip to Disneyland, where Walt manages to persuade her to hop on the merri-go-round and even gets a smile from her is charming.

There is so much joy to be had watching Saving Mr Banks, and one you will gladly enjoy again and again as it’s practically perfect in every way.

VERDICT: * * * *

A sweet, engaging and hilariously funny tale of how Mary Poppins came to be. The two central performances are superb, but the whole supporting cast adds that extra sparkle making it a truly enjoyable folly. You’ll be toe tapping along before you know it.

Saving Mr Banks closed the London Film Festival on 20^th October. It is released in the UK from 29^th November.