Let's Go Fly a Kite: Because Disney is a Jerk

Rating: 9/10 (3 February 2015)

This movie depicts the story of P.L.Travers, author of the Mary Poppins book. Told in two parts, this movie shows the writer in a bad light, as she fights to keep her story the way she imagined it when she penned it. She fights the movie every step of the way, as she sees her work being destroyed by Hollywood. The people at Disney fight back, and usually seem to win, which upsets Mrs. Travers further. The other story is told through flashbacks to Mrs. Travers' early years, where all of the ideas behind Mary Poppins stem from. P.L.Travers came from a broken home with a mother with mental issues and an alcoholic, but genuinely loving, father. This movie stays pretty true to the characters' physicality, but does take some liberties in how they are portrayed. Disney is seen to be hero, rather than the man he was in this situation: a man who tormented and destroyed the work of another who tried so hard to make herself heard. Not saying I don't like Disney's Mary Poppins, (in fact it's one of my favorite movies of all time) but it did take major liberties, and everyone involved undermined Mrs. Travers quite often. However, taken as a film on it's own without background knowledge, this film is well done. Decent script, excellent casting, and amazing acting. I enjoyed watching this film, and would do so again.
Soundtrack: 10- Balancing the whimsy of Disney, and the music of Mary Poppins without over-doing either was a daunting task. I believe it was pulled off nicely.
Script: 6- Good pacing. Character development was OK for some, not so much for others. Many liberties were taken in terms of plot.
Originality: 7- Many plot points were predictable, but a movie about Mary Poppins from behind the scenes? Awesome! Cinematography: 10- This was something I found quite beautiful. There were so many amazing shots, and each scene felt like a different atmosphere, even when in the same location as a previous scene. The director did a good job here.
Casting: 10- I've said this before, and I'll say it again. Tom Hanks can not do a bad role. He is always the perfect casting choice, and he always shines. Add him with Emma Thompson and Colin Farrell, and sprinkle in just the perfect amount of Paul Giamatti and Jason Schwartzman and you have yourself the perfect film cast.
Acting: 10- The entire cast were very solid in their roles, and delivered the parts with such beauty and believability, that I often forgot I was watching a movie. I loved that about it.
Overall: 8.8