SAVING MR. BANKS - BLU-RAY REVIEW

SAVING MR. BANKS - HOME RELEASE (BLU-RAY)

Release Date: Out Now (Monday 24 March 2014)

Director: John Lee Hancock

Starring: Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks, Colin Farrell, Paul Giamatti,

Reviewed by Kyle Pedley

THE FILM:

Despite some initial audience confusion as to precisely what it was actually about, Saving Mr. Banks comes together with extraordinary clarity and efficiency, shedding off any ambiguity or identity crisis from the off, managing to juggle various different elements and timeframes into a thoroughly charming, consistently entertaining and brilliantly judged piece of filmmaking which has all the charm, whimsy and heart of anything Disney put his name to. Fundamentally it presents a dramatisation of the early pre-production work that went into the making of the Mary Poppins movie back in the early 1960’s, which saw the cantankerous and principled author of the original books, P. L. Travers (a resplendent Emma Thompson) come to loggerheads with a determined Walt Disney (Tom Hanks, who suggests rather than imitates the famous studio head) who saw the opportunity to alter her works through a more fantastical and family-friendly filter that she expressly loathed. 

MARY POPPINS 50TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION - BLU-RAY REVIEW

MARY POPPINS 50TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION - HOME RELEASE (BLU-RAY)

Release Date: Monday 18 November 2013
Director: Robert Stevenson
Starring: Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, David Tomlinson, Glynis Johns, Karen Dotrice, Matthew Garber
Home Released Reviewed: UK Blu-Ray Release (1 Disc)

Reviewed by Kyle Pedley

THE FILM:

Disney’s back catalogue is undoubtedly one of the most continually celebrated, fondly remembered and generally timeless collection of releases that very few studios can compare with - though this is mostly thanks to its stable of animated classics. Far fewer of its live action features of yesteryear continue to be held in the same regard as its swathe of hand-drawn staples such as Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, The Jungle Book and of course, the one that started it all, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. However, one of the most cherished and enduring exceptions is undoubtedly 1964‘s Mary Poppins, proudly arriving in this 50th anniversary celebration which serves as a delightful reminder of a movie that has lost none of its innate charm and remains as surprisingly relevant as ever with its universal themes of parenting, responsibility and imagination.

LONDON FILM FESTIVAL REVIEW - SAVING MR. BANKS

SAVING MR. BANKS
Sponsored by ST. ERMIN'S HOTEL, LONDON

Release Date: 17 January 2014 (UK)

Director: John Lee Hancock

Running Time: 125 Minutes

Starring: Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks, Paul Giamatti, Colin Farrell

Screening Reviewed: London Film Festival Closing Night Gala/World Premiere Press Screening

Reviewed by Kyle Pedley

There seemed to be, and perhaps even still remains, a modicum of confusion surrounding exactly what the purpose and plot of Saving Mr. Banks actually is, being a live action feature whose trailers and marketing offer clear links to the studios perennial family favourite Mary Poppins as well as what appeared to be Tom Hanks playing the big man himself (Disney, not god - though Emma Thompson’s character does get a cracking dig along those lines). Is this a drama doc retelling of the making of the musical fantasy we all know and love? Is it a biopic concerning Poppins’ original scribe P. L. Travers, or one of Walt himself? And what exactly does Colin Farrell riding horseback in the Australian outback have to do with it all?

THE 20 GREATEST MOVIE MUSICALS - DAY 5 (NUMBER 1)

DAY 5: Greatest Movie Musical Number 1

Over the past fortnight I have counted down the top 20 greatest movie musicals of all time, from celebrated classics such as The Sound of Music and The Wizard of Oz through to more controversial choices such as South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut. But for all the also-rans, it has led to this final entry; the cream of the all-singing, all-dancing crop, the greatest movie musical of all time...

1:   West Side Story

Director: Jerome Robbins, Robert Wise

Year: 1961

Starring: Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, Rita Moreno, George Chakiris

Selecting pole position in this series was not an easy thing to do - going solely on personal preference would have perhaps sidled Beauty and the Beast or Moulin Rouge to the top spot, but every time I was tempted to do so it sat ill to have West Side Story anywhere but here and there are almost countless reasons for why it has naturally segued into pole position. As an adaptation of the original broadway musical which in itself was an inspired and updated retelling of the atypical Romeo and Juliet architecture, West Side Story follows the frictions between rival gangs The Sharks and The Jets in 1950’s New York, and a doomed romance that develops amidst the feud. It is reliably accessible narrative fare, yet one that anchors the film and serves as the perfect nexus around which the exceptional cast, the superlative soundtrack and visual splendour and imaginings flourish, with a rich americano-puerto rican flavouring to proceedings throughout. And whilst many have parodied the choice of marrying streetgang warfare with song and dance choreography, the execution is so consistently flawless and all involved perform with such conviction that little suspension of disbelief is required and the drama, tension and threat remain tangible and convincing throughout.