Saving Mr. Banks (2013)

The whole thing goes down with a few bucketloads of sugar. What keeps it from becoming sticky schmaltz is Emma Thompson, who plays Travers with wit and warmth. What could have merely been a studio's love letter to itself winds up being a meditation on the power that art has for artists as a way to exorcise the past. This is a good looking film with strong performances and a rich musical score by Thomas Newman ('Skyfall'). but there are certain narrative and structural problems that hold it back.

Thompson is so delightfully acerbic and convincing that she makes Saving Mr. Banks safe for people who find Disney films too saccharine. Not adventurous, but entertaining.The end result, though well-mounted and featuring knock-the-soot-out-of-your-chimney performances from Emma Thompson as Travers and Tom Hanks as the movie mogul, feels more like a Disney theme park version of events than the real story.

One might say the ultimate irony in the clash of cultures and approaches to storytelling exemplified by P.L Travers and Walt Disney's tussle over Mary Poppins, is the Disneyification of the dispute: Uncle Walt's empire enjoying the last word. Emma Thompson is terrific as the no-nonsense raspish writer who tongue-lashes the great and good. It is easy to forget that as well as actor, writer and all round good egg, Thompson is also a very accomplished comedienne.

Hanks and Thompson are a delight, Farrell gives one of his best performances, and there are some lovely moments as we observe the creation of the musical, especially when we hear the tunes. An enjoyable, occasionally laughable, and sometimes moving drama, with Emma Thompson on fine brittle form as the quintessentially English Australian who gave the world its most famous nanny. Utterly charming, frequently funny and powerfully emotional comedy-drama with a most delightful script, spit-spot-on production design work and wondrous, award-worthy performances from Emma Thompson and Tom Hanks.The sugar-to-medicine ratio is fixed at around 15 parts to one, but there's nothing wrong with true sweetness.