Saving Mr. Banks

I already know that I cannot do justice in writing about the movie Saving Mr. Banks. I am a huge fan of Mary Poppins, well anything with Julie Andrews really. I was very intrigued to learn about how the Disney Empire got the rights to the story. This movie sheds some light on Ms. P L Travers, the author of Mary Poppins.

Mary Poppins to me has always been this fun story with some catchy songs. I don't think I have ever really dug into the meaning of the relationships between the kids and the father, the father and Mary Poppins, and Mary Poppins and the kids.

Emma Thompson puts the importance of the story into perspective. As she is meeting with the writers for the movie you can see the heartache as they are portraying something that obviously means everything to her.

Walt Disney is played by the always impressive Tom Hanks. Walt has been trying to get the rights to the stories for 20 years, and has finally been able to get P L Travers to come out to California. Walt discovers who the characters in the story are, and is able to truly relate to P L Travers.

The movie did an impressive job of transitioning from when they were trying to make the movie, to when the real stories took place. Colin Farrell plays the father of this little girl, played by Annie Rose Buckley. Buckley does a great job playing this little girl who loves her father. Colin Farrell probably isn't every ones favorite actor, but I have always liked him because one of the first DVDs my family bought was American Outlaws staring him. Not a logical reasoning for liking him, but what is logical about the movies I like. I would like to dig deeper into his character in the movie, but I would rather you go see it. Just know that Mr. Banks will be alright in the end.

There is an interesting relationship that develops in the movie, that I thought added so much to the movie. P L Travers is the snobby Brit who is all prim and proper. When she arrives in California to work on the movie, she treats everyone like they are beneath her. Travers did not want to be there in the first place, and was finding every reason to not like their ideas. Paul Giamatti is the driver that picks her up at the airport and takes her around. Giamatti and Thompson played very well off of each other, and there was a relationship created that puts that extra touch to the movie.

I thought that Bradley Whitford, B J Novak, and Jason Schwartzman do a great job as the script writers, and showing the early stages of the movie creation. A nice historical touch they added, was how P L Travers wanted everything recorded on tape. They do it during the movie, however during the end credits, they play a couple minutes of the real recording from 50 years ago when they were creating the movie. You can hear P L Travers, and realize that Emma Thompson does an excellent job.

To not spoil anything from the movie, I will avoid any plot details. However I would like to share a line, and expound upon it. Walt says to Emma, "That’s what story tellers do. We restore order to imagination. We bring hope.” We all have the ability to make the past what we want. We know what happens, but we can focus on the negative or the positive. I can look back at Jr High and think of the insecurities, and and struggles to make friends. How I never really made the basketball team, and was just socially awkward, which we all were. Or I can look back and see the great friends that I have made since. I was on the volleyball team, and was able to gain confidence in other aspects because of it. 

Our imagination is ours, and we can make it whatever we want. P L Travers created the story of Mary Poppins, and through much heartache, and trust she let Walt Disney make Mary Poppins into a movie that portrayed the story as P L Travers may not have originally envisioned, but later was happy to live with, because in the end Mr. Banks is alright.

Captain Phillips

I have seen a lot of movies this year. My favorites movies this year have been low budget, coming of age, and simple movies. But after every few indie movies Hollywood puts out a movie that is captivating in all aspects. A great story, great acting, great cinematography, and Tom Hanks helps. As previous posts may have given away the fact that I will pretty much watch everything that Tom Hanks is in. 

 

Captain Phillips provides it all. I am a sucker for a true story, and I would like to think that all aspects of the movie are exactly how it happened. I would also like to think that they would not have to make up the cute stuff to make the movie sell. The story in itself is pretty amazing. 

The movie is based on the book A Captain's Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALS, and Dangerous Days at Sea. Written by Richard Phillips, the Captain. For those that lived under a rock in April 2009. I will do a brief run down of how the story begins.

Captain Phillips was in charge of the MV Maersk Alabama, a cargo ship that was heading towards Mombasa, Kenya. There was a crew of 20 people. While going through Somalian waters they were boarded by 4 Somalian pirates.

Captain Phillips had sent his crew down to the engine room, while he and a few other stayed up on the bridge. The pirates made their way to the bridge and took the group hostage. Now I really do not want to go through the rest of the ordeal to keep some suspense.

While walking away from the theater a couple thoughts crossed my mind. The first being how grateful I am to live in a country that will use its resources to save the one. Even though the country is currently shut down, and the big shots in DC are making the United States look like a bunch of greedy incapable idiots, we live in a country where we don't have to try and hijack cargo ships to make a living.

The second is how amazed I am at the bravery of our military. They go right into the face of danger to protect us. A person cannot put enough flags up, clap enough at sporting events, or have stickers on their car to show thanks to the military. They are a class of their own, and we need to show the respect that they deserve. The last thing that I learned is that I have no interest in being a cargo ship captain. I will remain on land thank you very much. 

In conclusion Tom Hanks is just an actor, but I feel that he put everything into the roles he plays. Saving Private Ryan, Apollo 13, Castaway, and the Burbs. He becomes the character, and brings you the viewer into the film. He does an excellent job as Captain Phillips. 

Back to the Future

I accomplished something tonight that very few people in my generation can say they have done. I was able to watch one of movies greatest science fiction movies on the big screen, Back to the Future. A theater nearby has been doing this for about a year now, they will screen older movies each week. Something to bring in extra business during the week. Although they do a terrible job advertising it, which I honestly am not upset about because it keeps the crowds down, but I love the idea. I have been able to see Home Alone, The Sound of Music, and Rocky. Movies that I never had enjoyed on the big screen before. They do a great job of digitally remastering them to appear brand new.

Back to the Future has been one of my favorite movies and trilogies since I was a kid. I remember plenty of Saturday mornings watching them over and over. The VHS box set we have includes a bonus tap that goes behind the scenes and it is hosted by Growing Pains star Kirk Cameron.

Huey Lewis

I know how the filmed the hover board scenes in the 2nd movie, that Huey Lewis makes a cameo, and that during the opening the first movie they pan across all these clocks, there is one that has a guy hanging from a clock tower just like it happens later on. Yeah I like the movie.

I was rather impressed with the attendance, it was probably 3/4ths full. The crowd was into it as well, cheering when Michael J Fox mad his appearance in front of the huge speaker. It was a fun environment.

I don't even feel like I need to give a run down of the movie because I expect that all of you have seen the movie. But for those of you that are missing that little something in your life, I will share a quick run down of the movie.

Marty McFly

Michael J Fox plays Marty McFly, a skateboarding, guitar playing high school kid that is just cruising through life with his girl friend Jennifer. Marty is friends with Dr. Emmett Brown, played by Christopher Lloyd. Dr. Brown is a crazy scientist, who is onto something huge.

Dr. Emmett Brown

Dr. Brown has Marty meet him at the mall parking lot at 1:15 am to help him with an experiment. The first part of the experiment is successfully making Einstein, Dr. Browns dog, be first the first time traveler.

The Delorean

The time machine is a Delorean that runs on petroleum. The petroleum was stolen from some Libyans that show up at the mall parking lot to get revenge. To get away Marty jumps into the Delorean and when the car reaches 88 mph it travels to the designated space in time.

Which for Marty was November 5th, 1955, 30 years earlier. When Marty gets there he is lost. Knowing that he needs to get back to 1985 he tracks down Dr. Brown who helps him get back to 1985.

While Marty is stuck in 1955 he happens to run into his mom and dad before they meet. Ironically Marty's future mom falls for him, and Marty's future is now in jeopardy.

Marty and his future mom

While Dr. Brown is working on getting the Delorean fixed, Marty has to work on getting his mom to fall for his dad rather then himself. There are plenty of obstacles that they run into, and the results have bigger consequences then you realize.

Marty with his parents

I could get heavy (it doesn't have to do with weight) and dive into how Back to the Future shows what a decision can do to our future.  Who we choose as friends, what job we have, where we live, and where we go to school all have a huge impact on where we end up. But this movie is so great that just by simply watching it you will be entertained.

Back to the Future is part of one of my favorite trilogies, what is your favorite trilogy? Share in the comments. 

(Here is a link to Century Movie theater in Salt Lake City to see what upcoming movies they will be screening Century 16 Salt Lake.)

Cobra

Contributor Mub takes us back to 1986...

Lets talk the year 1986 people, I grew up believing there were robots that were developing human brains making them more like people

Short Circuit

...that I could get away with never going to school ("Ferris Bueller"),

Ferris Bueller's Day Off

...that I could wish someone away to the land of eternal stench, but would have to face the consequence of fighting off David Bowie and his massive leotard unit, 

Labyrinth

...or that I could easily fly an F-14 tomcat upside-down parallel with another jet while simultaneously flipping the bird at them.

Top Gun

 Ya '86 movies were awesome. If you don't believe me, google that shiz.   

Now, I am a man, I enjoy farting, throwing hatchets, urinating outside, eating raw meat, and day dreaming about how I would defuse a situation using my surroundings and ninja tactics. That being said I would like to introduce one of the most underrated manly movies ever. "COBRA", this is the best work that Sylvester Stallone has done. 

He plays Marion Cobretti, a member of the "Zombie Squad" which is the most hardcore "street" police unit there is. Knowing his given name sounds a bit girly, he goes by Cobra to establish dominance and fear to his enemies. He wears oversized aviator sunglasses at all times because the sun never sets on "cool", he always has a match in his mouth in case he needs to light something or someone on fire, and always knows the best things to say to a bad guy like "Your the disease, and I'm the cure".  So there is your badass main charactor. 

Now the story circles around Cobra protecting a hottie who witnessed a murder committed by an ax clinging night slasher gang who will stop at nothing to kill her. Also included are car chases, a bikini photo shoot with robots (awesome), gun fights, and one of the best good guy/bad guy showdowns shot with a camera. I almost pooed myself when seeing IMDB had this movie as a 5.5 star out of 10. I give it a 9.5 but with the bikini dancing around robot scene I give it a 12.3. 

The seven layers of Kevin Bacon for this movie is 1-Sylvester Stalone was in "The Expendables" with Dolph Lundgrin who was in 2- "Masters Of The Universe" with Courtney Cox who was in 3- Scream 3 with Neve Campbell who was in 4- "Wild Things" with KEVIN BACON!! Also, best food and beverage to have while enjoying "Cobra", funnions and apple beer.

Do you agree that Cobra is the best movie of 1986? Share you favorite movie from 1986 in the comments.

Willow

To widen the variety of movies that get discussed, I have invited  Mub Bardsley to contribute to Casual Cinema. His movies will primarily be from the movie vault. I am excited for his insight and humor to be shared with his movie reviews. 

What is it about older movies that captivate and make people think of childhood cinema in higher regard than newer movies. It can't be the special effects, props or the cinematography, The leaps and bounds in technology astound me sometimes, with how real things look and sound. Is it just because we are so impressionable up to a certain age. Take movie quotes for an example. 

Example- "HEY YOU GUYS!"
or- "Your killin' me smalls"
or- "We got no food, no jobs.......our pets HEADS ARE FALLIN OFF!"

With the above quotes I don't even need to say the movie and everyone knows what movie they came from.

I just searched the top 3 grossing movies in 2012 and up popped- Batman: The Dark Knight Rises, The Hobbit, and The Avengers, all of which I have seen and enjoyed, but I could not think of one quote from any of them, can you? I don't know maybe the next generation will be quoting lines from these 3 movies 20 years down the road. I guess my point is... old movies rock. 

The first oldy but goodie I want to review is the all time epic "Willow" if you have not seen this movie, roll your fist in a ball and punch yourself in the genitalia. It all starts in the Nelwin forest where Willow Ufgoods children find a baby floating in a river near their village. This baby is all that stands in the way of destruction from the evil Queen Bavmorda. 

Now anyone who knows me knows my fascination with midgets, and this movie has gobs. Fat midgets, skinny midgets, dancing midgets, wizard midgets, simply put, the celestial kingdom of midgets. Do yourself a favor and go buy, not rent, this movie. 

By the way its the best role Val Kilmer has ever played. Here are the seven layers of Kevin Bacon to Willow. 1-Val Kilmer was also in Top gun with Tom Cruise 2- Tom Cruise is in A Few Good Men with Kevin Bacon. Boom 2 layers!! 

A quick run down

Although  I have not been reviewing any movies in the past year and a half, I in fact have been watching movies on a regular basis. I will do a quick run down of some of my favorites. There may be future posts on these movies, as this will just be a quick run down on the ones I enjoyed.

Action Movies

The Dark Knight Rises-A great ending to a great trilogy
Avengers-Another entertaining comic book movie
Zero Dark Thirty-How we kill Osama Bin Laden
Jack Reacher-Tom Cruise doing his action movie thing again
End of Watch-A crazy movie about cops in LA
Lawless-Tom Hardy's best film of the year, how brothers sold their moonshine
The Bourne Legacy-No Matt Damon, but non the less enjoyable
Taken 2-Not the first one, but he still has his unique skill set, and he did find the guys and kill them
Chronicle-Just another film about high school kids gaining super powers
Safe House-Intense movie about a CIA agent gone rogue
Man on a Ledge-The title says it all
Hit and Run-A comedic movie about avoiding the past in the witness protection
Contraband-Smuggling money in a cargo ship, Mark Wahlberg dominates
Act of Valor-An awesome look into the marines and how they work
Iron Man 3-Entertaining not my favorite of the three
Star Trek Into Darkness-My first trek experience, and it was a good cast, good story
Gangster Squad-A special task force asked to take done the infamous Mickey Cohen
Broken City-Misses the mark, but twists and turns, and dirty politicians


Drama Movies

Silver Linings Playbook-Two people trying to figure out life, find a silver lining in life.
The Place Beyond the Pines-Intriguing movie about actions affecting the course of our life.
Les Miserables-Very well done movie of the musical
The Perks of Being a Wallflower-The problems of high school kids, very intense but well don't
Lincoln-The life of President Abraham Lincoln
Life of Pi-I should have seen in the theater, but a great story about how we see life
Flight-A glimpse into overcoming addiction
Argo-Incredible story about the hostages in Iran
Trouble With the Curve-The relationship of a daughter and her aging father
Mud-How two boys help a convict
People Like Us-Having to give up your fathers estate to a sister you never knew
Big Miracle-The power of news, and saving 3 whales

Comedy and the Rest

The Five Year Engagement-The wedding date keeps getting pushed back, will love last the wait
Liberal Arts-Romantic comedy
Celeste and Jessy Forever-Another complicated love story
Moonrise Kingdom-Classic Wes Anderson film about a young love
Safety Not Guaranteed-Chasing down an ad in a newspaper needing someone to time travel with
Your Sisters Sister-A complicated romantic comedy
Pitch Perfect-Good music, that makes fun of the competitive world of a Capella groups
Wanderlust-Two people that need a change and stumble upon a commune full of hippies
Parental Guidance-Everyone has different ways of parenting, but can all have the same effect
This Means War-Your typical chick flick
21 Jump Street-A pretty hilarious film about to dumb cops going undercover at a high school
Now You See Me-Yes another magic movie, but has a nice twist or two
Admission-Missed a punch, still an enjoyable film and about a teacher wanting the best for his student
The Great Gatsby-A very well done remake
42-Well done movie about the life of Jackie Robinson
The Kings of Summer- A great movie about a high school kid that is King of his summer

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

One of my favorite movies from last year was Salmon Fishing in the Yemen. Partially because Emily Blunt is a favorite, but the story is more then just a complicated love story. It directed my thought inward, looking at my ability to go through life with faith rather than relying on a knowledge  of the results of my decisions.

It stars Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt. There is a rich Yemeni Sheikh that has a vision to bring salmon fishing to his native Yemen. Ewan McGregor's plays Dr. Alfred Jones a fisheries expert in Britain, and is approached by the Sheikh's assistant Emily Blunt, Harriet to assist on the project. Dr. Jones doesn't think that it is even worth talking about and doesn't want to help, but when there becomes pressure from the prime minister to get a 'good will' story out of the middle east he is forced to help. The Sheikh has unlimited resources and faith, that the project will work. Dr. Jones also is having trouble with his marriage and so he decides to jump in and see where it takes him. While the fish project was starting to take off Harriet's boyfriend is deployed to Afghanistan, and as expected adds more stress in her life. That is where the love story gets complicated, and attracts the romance fans.

My favorite scene is when the Sheikh and Dr. Jones are fly fishing, and they are discussing the project. The Sheikh can tell that Dr. Jones is more than doubtful of the project. Dr. Jones had stated that he is more of a facts and figures man, they go on to have this exchange:

1. 
   
2. Sheikh Muhammed: You're not a religious man?
3. Dr. Alfred Jones: No. No, I'm not.
4. Sheikh Muhammed: But you're a fisherman, Dr. Jones.
5. Dr. Alfred Jones: I'm sorry, I don't follow.
6. Sheikh Muhammed: How many hours do you fish before you catch something? Dozens?
7. Dr. Alfred Jones: Gosh, hundreds sometimes.
8. Sheikh Muhammed: Is that a good use of your time for a facts-and-figures man? But you persist in the wind and the rain and the cold with such poor odds of success. Why? Because you're a man of faith, Dr. Alfred.

I feel that there is a message there that can be related to our individual lives. No matter how  bad things get we still get out of bed each day. There is embedded in everyone a level of faith that tomorrow will be better. We all 'persist in the wind and the rain and the cold with such poor odds of success' because we will catch that fish. Faith is often connected to religion, but I don't see that it is always the case. Faith is acting on a hope for things that we don't see but believe in. Wether that is in a God, a better life, a promotion at work, winning the championship. They are all things we cannot see right now but we simply hope for, and believe that if we act on that hope that we will achieve that goal or come to a knowledge of that belief. 

That was the case for the Sheikh, he had a hope that he would be able to bring salmon fishing to his country. The Sheikh saw salmon fishing as something that all social classes, all political parties, all religions could do and be equal. It was something that his people could do and put all differences aside, and for that moment have peace in his land.