Review: The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

by Trevor Kirkendall

★★½

Get going on your adventure, Walter Mitty!

“The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” follows none other than Walter Mitty (Ben Stiller). Walter works for Life Magazine as a photo processor. He’s been there for 16 years and does his job well. He’s also a bit of a dreamer. Every now and then, he’ll zone out and imagine some very far-fetched scenario that features himself as the hero of the day. Most of his daydreams center on a co-worker he’s never spoken with, Cheryl Melhoff (Kristen Wiig). He’s overheared that she’s joined eHarmony so Walter joins too, but his profile isn’t compatible with hers which means he can’t “wink” at her. That’s a problem best handled by eHarmony’s support line manned by Todd Maher (Patton Oswalt) who wants to help Walter’s profile look more appealing.

Walter is also pretty close with his mom Edna (Shirley MacLaine) and his sister Odessa (Kathryn Hahn). Edna’s moving into a new apartment and Walter is assisting her with the move. She’s saved all sorts of stuff from Walter’s past including a little travel journal his father gave him shortly before he passed away. But Walter has never traveled, so it’s very empty.

At work, Life Magazine is about to shut down and move to online subscriptions only. This transition is being overseen by Ted Hendricks (Adam Scott) who doesn’t really care for Walter or his frequent daydreams in the middle of conversations. Walter receives a package from Sean O’Connell (Sean Penn), a famous photographer who deals exclusively with Walter even though they’ve never met in person. Sean tells him that one of the negatives is the best picture he’s ever done and it should be the final cover of the magazine. He even telegrams Ted and tells him the same thing. The only problem is the negative is missing. Walter enlists the help of Cheryl to help track Sean down. Using clues from the other negatives, they figure he’s in Greenland. At Cheryl’s insistence, Walter just hops on a plane and goes out looking for Sean and retrieve the negative for the final Life cover. Walter’s only ever dreamed of adventure, but now he’s about to embark on one.

Blank stares are all Stiller's got for this character

Ben Stiller proves he’s proficient in the technical aspects of filmmaking with “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.” There are many beautiful moments in this film, but all the flash and glamour of the images on the screen can’t make up for its lack of script. Written by Steve Conrad (“The Pursuit of Happyness”), the film moves along at a much too leisurely pace. By the time Walter leaves New York to go about his adventure, the film had already lost me.

The three-act structure is on full display here: before the adventure, the adventure, after the adventure. But the first act isn’t supposed to drag on for a seemingly endless amount of time, which is what happens here. And the subplots meant to fill time until Walter leaves aren’t all that interesting. I never really felt fully invested in these characters. They all served their purposes in a typical Hollywood movie cliché kind of way. You want Walter to end up with Cheryl because it’s established that she’s the object of his affection. You want Walter to stand up to and eventually one-up Ted because he’s a snarky, sarcastic antagonist. These are all overdone character clichés in any movie and they’re easily identifiable here. But there’s nothing in the script or the performances make us want to see things turn out well for Walter in the end. The film tells us Walter is our guy, and by default we accept that.

Stiller disappoints in this mostly dramatic role. We’ve seen him play the same character too many times in too many other movies, too often with Owen Wilson. But Walter Mitty is not the type of character we’re used to seeing from Stiller. It’s a dramatic role for once and a chance for Stiller to show that side of his acting abilities. But he plays the role flat with little emotion. His goofy little daydream sequences do nothing to enhance his character, but rather remind us of the comedic roles that make up so much of Stiller’s career. I really did want to connect with him, but he gives very little to work with.

But where Stiller does succeed to a degree is behind the camera. He may not have put too much time and attention into finding the right performances for his cast – and especially himself – but “Walter Mitty” is a technical achievement above all else. It’s beautifully shot by Stuart Dryburgh (most famous for his photography for “The Piano”). The film takes place in several different locations we don’t normally see in films (although Iceland is becoming a favorite amongst the studios recently). The wide sweeping shots of the Icelandic landscape and the Himalayas in Afghanistan (I don’t think they actually filmed there) all look great, worthy of any kind of National Geographic documentary. CGI is heavily used, but Stiller keeps a lid on it. He uses it only to enhance the scene and the story, rather than drown us in an unnecessary sea of special effects like so many other big budget films. He could have easily done that here, but Stiller opted for a more realistic look. His use of music is well done, and he’s on the same page with his long time film editor Greg Hayden. This is a very technically sound production and it’s a joy to look at on the screen.

But I never felt Stiller really took “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” to all the emotional levels it was capable of achieving. Yes it’s pretty to look at, but there’s never a true connection to story or the characters. This never allows a genuine connection to be made between audience and film. I might be in the minority on this one considering the warm round of applause the film received at my screening. If you’re expecting this wonderful film about the triumph of the human emotion over adversity, this isn’t it but it definitely had that potential. 

Review: The Wolf of Wall Street

by. Joe Moss
★★★★

Much to the chagrin of my great friend Trevor, I must admit to everyone that I am most assuredly NOT a huge Marty Scorsese fan, nor am I a Leonardo DiCarprio fan. With that clarification out of the way I must say "The Wolf of Wall Street" IS THE BEST FILM OF 2013 hands down!! The 180 minute run time flies by as though on a cocaine high with a quaalude kicker. After I watched the film, I contemplated returning to the theater to watch it again just to be sure that I hadn't missed anything--it was THAT kind of SPECTACULAR!

The film encompasses the debauchery and pyramid scheming from the yuppie era of the late 80's that has made many of the Wall Street-based millionaires legends. Jordan Belfort (DiCaprio) gets a job at a renowned Wall Street stock brokering firm working for the legendary Mark Hanna (Matthew McConaughey) from who he learns the "three rules" on how to make it in the stock brokering world that is New York of the 80's. Unfortunately, his timing for his career happens to coincide with the crash of 1987--an auspicious beginning to say the least. But this doesn't slow young Belfort down, he rebounds working at a penny-brokerage firm on Long Island--and the rest is history in the making.

Belfort is hugely successful at the pyramid scheme that is penny stock options and builds his new firm--Stratton Oakmont, Inc.--with his newly found business partner, Donnie Azoff (Jonah Hill). They take their 50% commissions off the backs of the "garbage men and postal workers" and live large. Belfort lives so large, in fact, that his wife Terese (Cristin Milioti) leaves him and his philandering ways behind once she catches him in the throws of foreplay with the nicknamed 'Duchess of Bay Ridge' (Margot Robbie)--wife number 2. They soon become the toast of the Hamptons as well as the highlight of most of the New York social scene.

As all success stories oft do, there must be a down side to all of this wealth. Both the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) and the FBI take notice of these loud and obnoxious brokers and ride them for 10 years, lead by Agent Patrick Denham (Kyle Chandler). Finally, as the hammer falls, Belfort is looking at 20 years plus fines for fraud, embezzlement, insider trading, money laundering....and the list goes on and on. Do you think that is enough to stop the money machine that is Jordan Belfort? Well, for this point you will need to go watch the movie for yourself to see because I do not want to give too much more away...

I cannot begin to say how incredible Leonardo DiCaprio is in this film, perhaps the performance of his long career. DiCaprio truly immerses himself into this role and BECOMES Jordan Belfort. I found myself liking, despising, rooting for, and disgusted by his behavior throughout the film. Talk about a roller coaster ride of emotions. I am not sure if Leo has done any (or all) of the drugs that are mentioned in this film, but my hats go off to the portrayal of a man on the edge of a binge and in the throws of the neurological meltdown. I was so emotionally involved at one point during the film, I had to shake my head to remind myself it was 'just a film--' but like a great book, the screenplay drew the audience into the fricassee.

To that end, Terance Winter (mostly know for HBO dramas like the Sopranos and Boardwalk Empire), did an absolutely bang-up job on the adaptation of this book (by Jordan Belfort himself) into the screenplay. Coupled with the very capable cinematography by Rodrigo Prieto (Argo, Brokeback Mountain, Babel), the film transcends generations to truly give the audience a small glimpse of the 80's and 90's for the fabulously wealthy socialites in, and around, Manhattan.

I would be completely remise to not mention the incredible job of multi-Oscar winning editor, Thelma Schoonmaker (Aviator, Shutter Island, The Departed) a long-time Scorsese collaborator. I am not sure how she and Marty were able to do it, but they are rumored to have trimmed approximately 45 minutes from this film. I am not sure HOW or WHERE they trimmed from, but you cannot tell. This movie is SEAMLESS in its transitory flow.

Now, please remember this this movie is RATED R, please do not take your three 12-year-old sons to see this film (as did the guy sitting next to me). There is plenty of nudity and drug abuse to scar a person for life--but then again, that was the 80's and early 90's.

Oscarology: Volume 4 - What's the Oscar Race Look Like Now?

Welcome to Oscarology, the study of the Hollywood awards season culminating with the presentation of the Academy Awards in March 2014. I am Trevor Kirkendall, your resident Oscarologist. I’ve been studying the tendencies of the Oscars since 1993 and have since earned my PhD in this study. The following series of articles will cover the landscape of the upcoming awards season from now until the nominations are announced on January 16, 2014.

Now that the Golden Globe nominees and Screen Actors Guild nominees have been announced – and also seeing what the numerous critics circles have honored so far – it is now time to revisit all my previous predictions and make a few changes to my initial predictions.

The Golden Globes are more of forecast model for the Oscars rath than a strong predictor. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association presents them and no member of that group is a member of the Academy. The Screen Actors Guild, however, is made up entirely of actors. Actors make up the largest percentage of Academy members. Their Awards do correlate pretty heavily into the Oscars.

There is still a lot that will happen between now and the day the nominations are announced including the nominees for the Producer’s Guild Awards, the Writer’s Guiild Awards and the Director’s Guild Awards (which is the most accurate award used to predict the ultimate winner of Best Picture, but more on that later). As for now, let’s look at each category I’ve already predicted along with a couple new ones.

Best Picture of the Year

12 YEARS A SLAVE, still my Best Picture frontrunner

I posted my first list of nominees for Best Picture back in September. Looking at what I had then and what I have now, I think my picks are pretty accurate. Here was my initial list:

1. 12 Years a Slave
2. August: Osage County
3. Inside Llewyn Davis
4. Gravity
5. Lee Daniels’ The Butler
6. Captain Phillips
7. American Hustle
8. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
9. The Monuments Men
10. Saving Mr. Banks

Looking at that list now, the first thing that sticks out is “The Monuments Men.” Shortly after my Best Picture article was posted, the film’s release date was moved off Christmas Day to a February 2014 release. The studio recognized the crowded season and decided it was best to move it. So that one is immediately off the list.

Elsewhere, I still believe “12 Years a Slave” will win Best Picture. The critical praise for “American Hustle” has been very strong, so I think that’ll be moved up to the ranks of the guaranteed nominees. “August: Osage County” has taken a critical tumble since being screened. It’s still tracking well for its acting, but I think its Best Picture possibilities are all but gone. I still think “Gravity” is a guaranteed nominee, and so is “Inside Llewyn Davis,” but “Lee Daniels’ The Butler” has not been performing as well as I thought in these initial awards. It was shut out entirely from the Golden Globes and very few critic circles have been honoring it. If eight films end up getting nominated of this category, I think “The Butler” will be one of them. Anything less than eight and I think its in trouble.

“Captain Phillips” has received a lot more praise than I anticipated, so I’ve moved that up to one of my guaranteed nominations. “The Wolf of Wall Street” and “Nebraska” have made their way onto my list following universal critical acclaim. Finally, a film I listed in my first article to keep on eye on but really thought of it as a dark horse has made my list. That film is Spike Jonze’s “Her.” It may turn out to be a little odd and depressing for audiences but its hard to ignore all the praise being said about it.

Below is my revised list. Remember, everything is ranked in confidence. Movies listed in the 1-5 slots are the guaranteed nominees. There will be at least five films nominated in this category and no more than 10. Therefore, the movies listed in 6-10 reflect my confidence on which movie will secure that nomination. If there are 6 nominees, they will be movies 1-6. If there are seven nominees, it’ll be 1-7 and so on.

1. 12 Years a Slave
2. American Hustle
3. Gravity
4. Captain Phillips
5. Inside Llewyn Davis
6. The Wolf of Wall Street
7. Nebraska
8. Lee Daniels’ The Butler
9. Her
10. Saving Mr. Banks

Best Actor

Little has changed in the best actor category since I made my initial picks in October. There will only be five nominees in these other major categories. Therefore, picks 1-5 are who I think will be nominated and picks 6-10 are five others who also have a solid shot. Here was my first list of predictions:

1. Chiwetel Ejifor – 12 Years a Slave 

2. Matthew McConaughey – Dallas Buyers Club
3. Bruce Dern – Nebraska
4. Tom Hanks – Captain Phillips
5. Robert Redford – All is Lost
6. Michael B. Jordan – Fruitvale Station
7. Hugh Jackman – Prisoners
8. Forest Whitaker – Lee Daniels’ The Butler
9. Leonardo DiCaprio – The Wolf of Wall Street
10. Christian Bale – American Hustle

Chiwetel Ejifor's Oscar victory is a done deal

I still like my five picks for the nomination. That hasn’t changed. I still think Chiwetel Ejifor will be the winner too, but that could change depending on what happens at these awards shows before the Oscars. I'm almost 100% certain he'll win this award though. The only thing I’m changing are the actors in slots 6-10. Forest Whitaker has received a few honors this season, so if anyone has a shot at being nominated other than Ejifor, McConaughey, Dern, Hanks or Redford, it’s Whitaker. But I don’t think it’ll come to that. I’ve dropped Hugh Jackman from the list and replaced him with Idris Elba for “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.” He received a nomination for the Globes, but I don’t know if the Academy will recognize that role, especially with the movie getting mediocre reviews. Here are my latest picks for Best Actor:

1. Chiwetel Ejifor – 12 Years a Slave
2. Matthew McConaughey – Dallas Buyers Club
3. Bruce Dern – Nebraska
4. Tom Hanks – Captain Phillips
5. Robert Redford – All is Lost
6. Forest Whitaker – Lee Daniels’ The Butler
7. Idris Elba – Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
8. Leonardo DiCaprio – The Wolf of Wall Street
9. Christian Bale – American Hustle
10. Michael B. Jordan – Fruitvale Station

Best Actress

Only a couple more months before Cate
Blanchett holds her second Oscar

Not many changes for Best Actress either. Here was my initial list:

1. Judi Dench – Philomena
2. Cate Blanchett – Blue Jasmine
3. Sandra Bullock – Gravity
4. Meryl Streep – August: Osage County
5. Emma Thompson – Saving Mr. Banks
6. Amy Adams – American Hustle
7. Adèle Exarchopoulos – Blue is the Warmest Color
8. Brie Larson – Short Term 12
9. Bérénice Bejo– The Past
10. Julie Delpy – Before Midnight

The biggest change I’m making is I’m moving Cate Blanchett up to front runner status. She's won just about every award imaginable for her role in "Blue Jasmine." I think the five nominees will be exactly what I said before. Some more solid proof that I think I’m right: these five actresses were all nominated for Best Actress at the SAG Awards. The only other change I’m making is I’m dropping Bérénice Bejo from the list (her film “The Past” wasn’t even included on the list of finalists for Best Foregin Language Film). I’m slotting Kate Winslet in there for “Labor Day.” I doubt she’ll be nominated, but I need to fill up 10 names somehow. Here’s my revised list:

1. Cate Blanchett – Blue Jasmine
2. Judi Dench – Philomena
3. Sandra Bullock – Gravity
4. Meryl Streep – August: Osage County
5. Emma Thompson – Saving Mr. Banks
6. Amy Adams – American Hustle
7. Kate Winslet – Labor Day
8. Julie Delpy – Before Midnight
9. Adèle Exarchopoulos – Blue is the Warmest Color
10. Brie Larson – Short Term 12

Best Supporting Actor

I’m going to make a couple changes to Best Supporting Actor. Here was my first list.

1. Michael Fassbender – 12 Years a Slave
2. Jared Leto – Dallas Buyers Club
3. Tom Hanks – Saving Mr. Banks
4. Bradley Cooper – American Hustle
5. Barkhad Abdi – Captain Phillips
6. Daniel Brühl – Rush
7. John Goodman – Inside Llewyn Davis
8. Jake Gyllenhaal – Prisoners
9. Harrison Ford – 42
10. James Gandolfini – Enough Said

Jared Leto's chances for Oscar Gold are improving everyday

First change: I’m making Jared Leto the frontrunner rather than Michael Fassbender. Leto has been winning awards left and right from the various critic circles. It’s hard to say for sure at this time who will definitely win the award at this point; I still think it’s a two man race and I wouldn’t be surprised to see either actor win. Both performances were extraordinary. Right now I’ll say Leto will win it. Barkhad Abdi I’m moving up into a “locked” position after earning both a SAG nomination and a Golden Globe nomination. I’m also moving up Daniel Brühl since he earned nominations from both groups too. Bradley Cooper rounds out my list of picks in this category. I also think there’s a slight chance James Gandolfini earns the posthumous nomination, but for now I’m leaving him right on the cusp. My John Goodman prediction doesn’t seem to be panning out so I’m dropping him off the list. Tom Hanks plummets down the list for his role in “Saving Mr. Banks.” He’s barely in the film and it’s more of a film for Emma Thompson. Personally, I’d lobby for a nomination for Colin Farrell, but I don’t think that’ll happen.

1. Jared Leto – Dallas Buyers Club
2. Michael Fassbender – 12 Years a Slave
3. Barkhad Abdi – Captain Phillips
4. Daniel Brühl – Rush
5. Bradley Cooper – American Hustle
6. James Gandolfini – Enough Said
7. Jonah Hill – The Wolf of Wall Street
8. Tom Hanks – Saving Mr. Banks
9. Jake Gyllenhaal – Prisoners
10. Harrison Ford – 42

Best Supporting Actress

Lupita Nyong'o stealing the show from her co-stars in
12 YEARS A SLAVE

I originally thought I had this category picked perfectly. I don’t think so anymore. Here was my original list:

1. Jennifer Lawrence – American Hustle
2. Oprah Winfrey – Lee Daniels’ The Butler
3. Lupita Nyong’o – 12 Years a Slave
4. June Squibb – Nebraska
5. Octavia Spencer – Fruitvale Station
6. Margo Martindale – August: Osage County
7. Naomi Harris – Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
8. Sarah Paulson – 12 Years a Slave
9. Melissa Leo – Prisoners
10. Lea Seydoux – Blue is the Warmest Color

Lawrence is great in “American Hustle,” there is no denying that. But I don’t see her as the front runner anymore. Initially I thought the Academy wouldn’t go for an unknown like Nyong’o but I now believe they will. She’s won numerous critics awards already and I believe she’ll collect more and more as the award season continues on. I still see June Squibb earning a nomination for her dynamite performance in "Nebraska." Oprah missed out on a Golden Globe nomination, but so did everyone else in “The Butler.” I still thinks she gets nominated. I didn’t even list Julia Roberts in my original article for “August: Osage County.” She’s earned a SAG nomination and a Golden Globe nomination. There’ no reason to think she won’t be nominated for the Oscar.

1. Lupita Nyong’o – 12 Years a Slave
2. Jennifer Lawrence – American Hustle
3. June Squibb – Nebraksa
4. Oprah Winfrey – Lee Daniels’ The Butler
5. Julia Roberts – August: Osage County
6. Octavia Spencer – Fruitvale Station
7. Sally Hawkins – Blue Jasmine
8. Amy Adams – Her
9. Sarah Paulson – 12 Years a Slave
10. Naomi Harris – Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

Best Director

Steve McQueen directing Lupita Nyong'o on location in
12 YEARS A SLAVE

I didn’t do an article for Best Director. In order to fully determine who will be nominated in this category, we need to know who will be nominated for a Director’s Guild Award. Those will be announced on January 7, 2014. The Director’s Guild Award is a near perfect measuring stick for who will win Best Director and ultimately Best Picture. Only seven times since 1948 has the winner of the Director’s Guild Award not gone on to win Best Director. Three of those instances, the winner of the DGA wasn’t even nominated for the Best Director Oscar (Steven Spielberg for “The Color Purple,” Ron Howard for “Apollo 13” and Ben Affleck for “Argo”).

And almost always the winner of Best Director wins the Best Picture Oscar. Only twice in the last 10 years has this not happened – strangley both instances involve Ang Lee (2005 he won Best Director for “Brokeback Mountain” and the Best Picture went to “Crash,” and last year he won for “Life of Pi” while Best Picture went to “Argo”).

So when thinking about who will be the nominees, a good place to start is with the Best Picture nominees. Since “12 Years a Slave” is my frontrunner, I’m going to say Steve McQueen is my Best Director frontrunner. Right behind him, however, is Alfonso Cuarón for “Gravity.” Cuarón’s technical achievement in “Gravity” is more than enough to earn him this award. There’s a very good chance that he could win this as well, but for right now I’m keeping him a close second. I’m also going to go with Paul Greengrass for “Captain Phillips.” He’s been nominated before for “United 93” and the man is the master of the action and thriller genre. “Captain Phillips” is an excellent movie and one of my guaranteed Best Picture locks, so he’s a lock here too. I’m also going to take David O. Russell for “American Hustle.” That will be one of the most nominated films of the year, so it should go without saying that he’ll be nominated as well. Lastly, I’m going to go with Spike Jonze for “Her.” That seems like the type of movie that’s going to be very unique which will require a unique and creative eye such as Jonze. He’s already been nominated in this category once before for “Being John Malkovich” and I think he’ll earn his second nomination this year. I’m a little uncertain about him, so I could easily see any of the people I have listed in spots 6-10 taking his place.

1. Steve McQueen – 12 Years a Slave
2. Alfonso Cuarón – Gravity
3. Paul Greengrass – Captain Phillips
4. David O. Russell – American Hustle
5. Spike Jonze – Her
6. Martin Scorsese – The Wolf of Wall Street
7. Alexander Payne – Nebraska
8. Joel & Ethan Coen – Inside Llewyn Davis
9. Lee Daniels – The Butler
10. Ryan Coogler – Fruitvale Station

Best Writing

The final of the major categories are the Best Original and Best Adapted Screenplay categories. I’m only going to list the five for each category I think will be nominated.

I believe the frontrunners in each of these categories will be the two most nominated films of the year: “American Hustle” for Best Original Screenplay and “12 Years a Slave” for Best Adapted Screenplay. All my other picks in these categories are Best Picture picks with the exception of “Before Midnight” and “Philomena” in the Best Adapted Screenplay category. “Before Midnight” counts as an adapted screenplay because it contains characters that have already been written (the characters come from the previous films in this series “Before Sunrise” and “Before Sunset”). The same thing happened when “Toy Story 3” was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay a few years ago. The story was original, but the characters were previously produced. As a matter of fact, the official names for these categories are “Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen” and “Best Screenplay Based on Material Previously Published or Produced.”

Best Original Screenplay
1. American Hustle - Eric Warren Singer and David O. Russell
2. Blue Jasmine - Woody Allen
3. Nebraska - Bob Nelson
4. Her - Spike Jonze
5. Inside Llewyn Davis - Joel & Ethan Coen

Best Adapted Screenplay
1. 12 Years a Slave - John Ridley
2. The Wolf of Wall Street - Terence Winter
3. Captain Phillips - Billy Ray
4. Before Midnight - Richard Linklater & Ethan Hawke & Julie Delpy
5. Philomena - Steve Coogan & Jeff Pope

The next volume of Oscarology will be published on January 15, 2014, the day before the Oscar nominations are announced. In that volume, I will make my final predictions for every category with the exception of the three short film categories (Live Action Short, Documentary Short and Animated Short). Stay tuned for that!

Review: Saving Mr. Banks

by Trevor Kirkendall

★★★½

Did you know “Mary Poppins” was nominated for 13 Academy Awards including Best Picture? As a self professed Oscar guru, I must admit that I wasn’t aware it was up for so many awards. That shouldn’t be much of a surprise seeing as its one of the most beloved movie musicals of all time. “Saving Mr. Banks” tells the story of how the rights for the book were acquired by Disney from the stubborn author. It also tells us what it is that makes the author so stubborn in the first place by looking into her childhood and the relationship with her father. By the way, “Mary Poppins” lost to “My Fair Lady” for Best Picture that year, but Julie Andrews won Best Acrtress.

Tom Hanks attempts to woo Emma Thompson in "Saving
Mr. Banks"

Pamela “P.L.” Travers (Emma Thompson) lives alone in her London house. It’s been almost 30 years since she published her hit novel Mary Poppins and Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) has been trying to make it into a movie for the last 20. Mrs. Travers has never signed the rights away because she hates Disney Animation films and doesn’t want see her beloved character transformed into a singing and dancing buffoon.

At the insistence of her agent, she agrees to fly to Los Angeles to meet with Disney himself and oversee some of the pre-production work. She has final approval of everything that goes into the script. She’s picked up at the airport by a Disney Studios driver, Ralph (Paul Giamatti) and taken to the studios where she meets with screenwriter Don DaGradi (Bradley Whitford) and the Sherman Brothers songwriting team Robert (B.J. Novak) and Richard (Jason Schwartzman). She sees the concepts for the art direction, the costume design, the goofy music with made up words, and worst of all: the concept drawings of a mustached Dick Van Dyke as Mr. George Banks. A lot of work needs to be done in order to get her to sign the rights over to Disney.

During her stay, Mrs. Travers reflects on her childhood in Australia in 1901. She loved her father Travers Goff (Colin Farrell) very much. He lovingly referred to her as Ginty (portrayed in these flashbacks by newcomer Annie Rose Buckley). Travers moved his family from one side of the continent to the other where he will work as a bank manager. He’s also a raging alcoholic, something he tries to hide from Ginty (unsuccessfully) but not from his wife Margaret (Ruth Wilson). These flashback scenes give us a great indication of where Mrs. Travers developed the idea of Mary Poppins. It’s made even more obvious when Ginty’s Aunt Ellie (Rachel Griffiths) shows up to help out when things aren’t going so well for the family. 

“Saving Mr. Banks” is much more than just a typical movie about making movies. It’s being advertised as the untold story of making “Mary Poppins,” but what we really get is the untold story of how the character and the book came into existence. “Saving Mr. Banks” is at its most entertaining when it involves Mrs. Travers and Disney, but it’s at its best during the Australian childhood scenes.

The best scenes take place between Annie Rose Buckely and
Colin Farrell

The screenplay comes from Kelly Marcel (who created the short lived Fox show “Terra Nova”) and Sue Smith (who has many small credits to her name) and it’s one of the most polished screenplays of the year. The most difficult part was tying in the present day and flashback sequences together so the flow of the plot wasn’t disrupted. They’ve succeeded in that regard. We also know how this movie is going to end before it even starts since we know there is a movie made by Disney called “Mary Poppins.” Despite that, the story is full of many different subplots (especially the Australian plot) to keep us entertained and keep curiosity piqued. All this is handled well by director John Lee Hancock (“The Blind Side”).

Not only does Hancock see that this story moves along without issues, he also directs his cast into fine performances. Tom Hanks is the perfect pick to play Disney. Disney was a beloved Hollywood figure at that time, and Hanks is arguably the most beloved actor. He’s not on camera a whole lot throughout the movie, but he’s great when he does make an appearance.

Colin Farrell leads the way in the Australian plot and probably clocks more screen time than Hanks. This isn’t the first drama Farrell has done, but I’m not sure he’s ever been better. Hanks and Thompson seem to overshadow his performance – and he doesn’t even appear in the previews on TV – but he still puts on an absolutely brilliant performance. His young co-star, Annie Rose Buckley, steals the show at many times too. She helps us to understand why Mrs. Travers is the way that she is.

An Oscar nod is a pretty safe bet for Emma Thompson

In the end, this is Emma Thompson’s movie and she’s sensational in this role. Her character is very unlikeable from the moment the film begins. She’s not easy to root for, which makes it a challenge for both Thompson and Hancock. The script does leave her rather unlikable for almost the entire duration of the film, which is kind of disappointing. Unlikable characters aren’t so easy to empathize with. But it works here thanks to the flashback sequences. Buckley’s wide-eyed innocence and admiration for her father help us to understand Thompson’s sour outlook on just about everything. She becomes someone you can empathize with, and that’s what makes her a good character.

“Saving Mr. Banks” is simple and lovable. Fans of “Mary Poppins” will enjoy seeing how difficult it was to actually make this movie thanks to Mrs. Travers’ stubbornness. Fans of the movie making process will enjoy seeing another movie about these things are put together. And fans of great movies should appreciate almost everything else about this. A strong story and fantastic performances make “Saving Mr. Banks” one of the year’s best movies.

Review: American Hustle

by Trevor Kirkendall

★★★½

One thing that can’t be said about “American Hustle” is that it’s a nice relaxing movie full of deep meaningful themes about life, love and happiness. No, this is about as in-your-face as it gets. The latest from David O. Russell (“Silver Linings Playbook”) is a fantastic look at people conning each other and going behind everyone’s back. While some movies about con artists are slick and cool (like “The Grifters,” “Matchstick Men” or “Ocean’s Eleven”), “American Hustle” is loud, eccentric, obnoxious, maniacal, unbalanced, hilarious and most of all fun.

Meet your crazy new friends from "American Hustle"

Christian Bale plays Irving Rosenfeld, a very skilled con artist living in New York City in the late 1970s. At a party one night, he meets the beautiful Syndey Prosser (Amy Adams). They form a bond that turns into love and eventually he invites her into the scamming business. Irving’s scam is loaning people money for a non-refundable $5,000 fee but then never delivering on the loan. Sydney fits in by pretending she’s a British woman named Edith with connections to London banks.

One day, Sydney lets her guard down and brings in a man (Bradley Cooper) looking for a loan. What she doesn’t know is he’s Richie DiMaso, FBI Agent. She’s arrested and thrown in jail for fraud. Irving isn’t, but Richie has other plans for him. He’ll let Sydney (who he really does think is a British woman named Edith) go with no charges if Irving helps him con some people he suspects are corrupt so the FBI can bring them down. One name is Carmine Polito (Jeremy Renner), mayor of Camden, NJ.

Sydney doesn’t like this idea. She would rather flee the country, but Irving won’t because of his adopted son from his estranged marriage to Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence). Sydney knows of Rosalyn but doesn’t care for her because she’s absolutely crazy. She ultimately agrees to help Irving and Richie with the con work, but she’s also going to con Richie right back into having him fall in love with Edith just to aggravate Irving.

There’s a lot going on in “American Hustle” that might seem overwhelming at times. It’s been noted that director David O. Russell was more concerned with characters rather than plot, and that shows. Russell is credited as a co-writer with Eric Warren Singer, but I believe the only thing he really did to the screenplay was embellish the characters into larger-than-life personalities and turn his cast loose.

What we’re left with is a film that lacks any structure. The film moves along – at times briskly, at other times slowly – with one scene after another. I tried to figure out where the act breaks were, but I couldn’t seem to find them. So there’s no flow. Actually, a more appropriate phrase for “American Hustle” is there’s no order to the madness.

Jennifer Lawrence and Amy Adams exchange unpleasantries

But what fun that madness is! In a film that lacks structure, “American Hustle” compensates for it with loud and boisterous characters that are in your face from the moment this film starts. While Russell’s approach to the story may be a little unorthodox, his approach to these characters is what makes “American Hustle” great. He loves each and every one of them and it shows. The film doesn’t take sides with anyone. No one is a good guy and no one is a bad guy.

The relationships between these people are handled delicately. The relationship between Irving and Sydney is especially intriguing. It’s also added by two fine performances by both Christian Bale and Amy Adams. These two continue their streak of turning in great performances every time. The relationship with Irving and Carmine is also interesting to watch. Irving isn’t the least bit interested in conning him, but he has no choice at first. As the two get to know each other, and as their wives get to know each other, Irving starts having second thoughts. Carmine is a very passionate man and is loved by all his constituents. What’s great is Irving never has a scene of wallowing regret about this to anyone. It’s all Bale showing us through his eyes and his body language that he’s uncomfortable entrapping this guy.

Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence turn in the most entertaining and by far the best performances in this film. They’re the loudest and the biggest this film has to offer, and in a film that’s built on loud and grand characters, that’s saying something. Cooper’s fast-talking and hyperactive DiMaso is the focal point of every scene he’s in. It’s impossible to take your eyes off him – either because of the phenomenal acting job Cooper is doing, or because of the loud and outlandish costume and hairstyle Russell puts him in. Jennifer Lawrence is a sensation, once again. Her scenes are few in numbers, but they’re the most memorable of the film. Her character Roslyn is insane, but it’s a joy to watch. She thinks she’s the life of the party and the most important person in the room wherever she goes. “Thank God for me,” she declares, a line delivered with perfection from Lawrence. She’s not the main role in “American Hustle” but we’re once again reminded about the long and successful career she has in front of her.

Despite its lack of structure, “American Hustle” is a fun and exciting film that’s much different from anything we’ve seen from a Hollywood studio this year. It’s a pleasure to watch Russell’s maniacal characters in every situation they encounter throughout the story. It might be a little long, and it certainly feels its length thanks to its lack of structure, but it’s a great time getting to hang out with these crazy people for that amount of time.