Oscar Watch: Saving Mr. Banks Review

After a winter break hiatus, I am now returning to this blog to write reviews in anticipation of the Academy awards. These reviews will focus on both the films themselves and their chances of winning Oscar gold and will conclude with my personal year in review.

Saving Mr. Banks had a very strong chance of ending up as a special feature on some Mary Poppins Blu-Ray someday. The idea of making an entire movie about the making of a beloved film classic was a risk because there was a chance that it could have no personality of its own. Thankfully for moviegoers Saving Mr. Banks not only has its own personality but is a truly fine film in its own right.

Saving Mr. Banks tells the story of PL Travers, the author of Mary Poppins;. We see scenes of her childhood and inspiration for the book as well as scenes of the older Ms. Travers working and fighting with the Disney company over the rights to her beloved characters. What makes this plot work is that it does well by the woman herself. By deciding to focus very much on her storyline this film becomes more than a making of documentary. We watch as the director slowly unfolds the character of this woman before our eyes and as he does so we slowly come to understand her.

Much credit for this must be given to Emma Thompson who brings Travers to life with a sense of realism that helps us to believe that this is a real person and also a real enigma. This is essential for the film to work the way it does and the acting job of Ms. Thompson helps give the film its life. Tom Hanks also give s a very good performance as Walt Disney. His character is far less of an enigma; he's a good salesman, and as an audience we feel immediately taken in by Hanks' presence. The film manages to both focus on Travers but also focus on the making of this classic film. When the film is at its best it combines these two goals in sequences that work on more than one level.

It isn't perfect though. It is quite a sentimental film and that may not be to everybody's liking and many of the developments that occur are not really unforeseen. There are certainly elements of the story that have been trod on again and again in these types of films and some may protest that it is not all entirely true to what actually happened.

Despite these minor quibbles this movie exceeded my expectations in that it was not just a love letter to Mary Poppins but a good film in its own right. It also made me want to revisit Mary Poppins. I would actually suggest that to get the most out of the film one should view the classic first because there are many nods in this that will be lost if you have not recently seen it. Overall I found this to be an entertaining film that is perfect for the winter season. I don't think it will be nominated for best picture but I do believe that Ms. Thompson deserves at least a nomination as best actress for her performance. 4/5

Captain Phillips (2013) Movie Review

Brendan J. Anderson

While in recent years studios have been churning out dozens of big budget films which are high on spectacle but low on substance it's been great that in these last couple of years Zero Dark Thirty, Argo and now Captain Phillips have given us high quality thrillers that have much stronger stories. Captain Phillips is a great thriller, and like Argo it's not just the fact that the story is "real" that makes it interesting. No matter which way you cut it this film is a cinematic experience and one that is as

pulse pounding as it gets.

In Captain Phillips a merchant ship is attacked by pirates. The ships Captain is played by Tom Hanks whose performance is positively outstanding. He embodies this character and  by doing so he propels the entire film. Without an actor like Hanks in the lead the film probably would not have had the same pulse pounding effect it has. This is because Hanks doesn't just use dialogue to get across who this man is, he uses subtle touches that only a true master of his craft can. The other actors in the film play admirably but make no mistake this is Hank's show. His performance lets the viewer into the world and never lets our attention go.

The direction by Bourne veteran Paul Greengrass really works here. I'm not usually a fan of shaky cam but here it gives a really sense of being out at sea. Everything feels a little unsettling like being sea sick and this works to the films credit. The camera also helps to get across the very confined space of the film. Because above all, Captain Phillips is a confined thriller. One that almost made me want to get outside for fresh air. the directing as well as the story make this possible and it only adds to the nearly unbearable tension.

It's really quite extraordinary that in a day when so many films are shot on an epic scope that Captain Phillips gives us such a confined movie. It is refreshing to see a thriller like this that really takes what seems like a big concept and shows a small, powerful conflict. This is a good trend to see in Hollywood. As this smaller thrillers continue to do better at the box office we should definitely see more of them and I would definitely salute that 5/5!