Saving Mr. Banks presents the untold story behind the making of Walt Disney's Mary Poppins. Emma Thompson makes a stellar turn as the persnickety author P.L. Travers, who refuses to sell the Poppins rights to Disney for fear of his presenting her as "twinkling". Tom Hanks counterbalances with a strong portrayal of Walt Disney, the mogul's first appearance as an acted-out character in a feature film. Saving Mr. Banks also boasts a strong supporting cast, including Colin Farrel, Bradley Whitford, Paul Giamatti, and Jason Schwartzman. The story itself has a delicate balance of humor and catharsis, making the audience roar with laughter just before tugging at your heartstrings. Parts of the dramatization may have been fictionalized in order to be intentionally sappy, but I cried nonetheless. One of the finest films of the year, and possibly Disney's best live-action picture since the first Pirates of the Caribbean.
A
As the latest picture from David O. Russell (Silver Linings Playbook, The Fighter), American Hustle is a loose dramatization of the FBI's famous Abscam operation from the late 1970s and early 80s. Christian Bale plays a sleazy con man who, together with his seductive partner in crime (Amy Adams), works with an FBI agent (Bradley Cooper) to expose bribery and corruption in the New Jersey state legislature. The ensemble cast is the best I've seen all year including the players already listed, as well as Jeremy Renner, Jennifer Lawrence, and Robert DeNiro.
The script, from Russell and Eric Warren Singer (The International), is full of hilarious moments, but the plot itself feels a bit convoluted at times. There are so many cons and jobs being played out on screen that, at times, it feels like the moviegoers are the ones being hustled. I still don't know if Adam's character really was British or not. And just what exactly was the purpose of Lawrence's character? It's as if Russell and Singer just wrote a silly part specifically for her so that Russell could work with her again. Lawrence is a great actress, but this might be the least deserving Oscar nomination in the Best Supporting Actress category.
American Hustle has fleeting moments of brilliance but it just isn't as endearing a story as Russell's previous two efforts. Following the trend started by last year's Zero Dark Thirty, I find American Hustle to be the most overrated film of 2013. Give Mr. Banks a nomination instead.
C
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