Saving Mr. Banks

Trailer- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5kYmrjongg

Behind every great story there's often an even greater story behind it. It's a much used phrase when it comes to the film industry but nothing is more true when it comes to the story of Mary Poppins. Fans of the history of Walt Disney- this is your perfect film. It's interesting, funny and  has a whole tonne of heart.

The writer of Mary Poppins, PL Travers, was famously unhappy with what Walt Disney turned her beloved book into. Saving Mr.Banks explores the feuds and negotiations between Disney and Travers while creating the motion picture of Mary Poppins while looking into why the original story meant so much to it's writer.

The whole film gives an incredibly interesting and sometimes brave insight into the Walt Disney company at the time. It's a story that shows the sometimes difficult relationship between the stuffy British and 'y'all have a great day now!' Americans. It isn't just a series of interactions between Emma watson's wonderful grumpy portrayal of PL Travers with the various OTT Americans she meets however. The film goes much deeper than that.

The most impressive feat the film pulls off is Tom Hanks's uncanny role as Walt Disney. It's as if the man himself has been brought back to life and his jolly, happy nature is captured perfectly as well as his ruthlessness and determination. That's the thing about Walt Disney- as much as he had that joyful exterior he's a man who got what he wanted at any cost.

Saving Mr.Banks uses a series of flashbacks to show the back-story of PL Travers and help build up the picture of how Mary Poppins came into creation. The only criticism I'd give of the film is that they are perhaps a little over used but I still feel they are essential to the film as the story builds to it's super-emotional finale. To have an entire audience in tears over a story about the creation of a fictional character really takes some skill.

The whole tone of the film feels upbeat and whenever we're shown either the the Disney Studios or theme park there's a sense of magic felt similar to the feeling you get when you go to a Disney theme park yourself. At it's very core it's a story of someone who is immune to that Disney magic and how Walt tries to help them let it in.

It's funny as well with dialogue that had me laughing out loud. The Sherman brothers in the film provide much of the laughs as their Americanisms clash with Travers's stuffiness but they're by no means just a comedy aside. There are no filler characters here and everybody in Saving Mr.Banks plays an important role in the story.

Heartfelt and insightful, Saving Mr.Banks perfectly captures the story that lead to one of Disney's biggest films. It gives us an often unseen look into Walt Disney Studios at one of their peaks and delivers a story that will stick with you for a long long time. .

If I was incredibly corny I'd say it's practically perfect in every way.

10/10