Purposeful and Appealing But Far Too Conventional

Rating: 6/10 (12 June 2014)

Disney's live-action wing takes a look at the difficult, complicated working conditions that led to the creation of the studio's 1964 classic, Mary Poppins. Emma Thompson succeeds memorably as P.L. Travers, the complex, seemingly-joyless British authoritarian behind the source novel, while Tom Hanks is, surprisingly, only okay as Walt Disney himself. The tough, contested relationship between these two, opposite sides of the same coin, forms the core of the story; Disney pushes to make the film uplifting and creative, while Travers fights to maintain her characters' dignity. On the surface, it's a good example of how the powers of dedication and creativity can overcome difficult circumstances to make a brilliant piece of work - perhaps one that's even better than they'd have made amidst calmer waters. I felt that the scenes inside Disney's idea factory, superficial as they proved to be, were the film's best. Writers, songsters and artists giving it their all, only to be shot down by a stubborn client on a technicality and come back for more - that's the intriguing stuff. The frequent dalliances into flashback and character moments, though effective in a classical sense, felt too formulaic and artificially sweetened for my taste. A fine enough ride, though I was hoping for something slightly more off-the-beaten-path.