www.sundayterritorian.com.au Sunday, January 12, 2014. Sunday Territorian. 39

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Moviessundayterritorian.com.au sundayterritorian.com.au SUNDAY REVIEW

CITYTHE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG (M) ● 3D SUN - WED 2.30, 6.00PM

2D SUN - WED 10.00, 8.30PM

FROZEN (PG) ● ■3D SUN - WED 1.15PM 2D SUN - WED 10.00, 12.15PM

WALKING WITH DINOSAURS (PG) ● ■

3D SUN - WED 11.40AM 2D SUN - WED 9.45AM

SAVING MR BANKS (PG) ●

SUN - WED 1.35, 4.10, 6.45PM

THE BOOK THIEF (PG) ●

SUN - WED 12.45, 3.30, 6.30PM

AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY (MA15+) ●

SUN - WED 10.15, 9.10PM

ANCHORMAN: THE LEGEND CONTINUES (M) ✚ SUN - WED 9.10PM

PHILOMENA (M)

SUN - WED 9.50, 5.00, 9.30PM

THE RAILWAY MAN (M)

SUN - WED 12.00, 2.30, 7.00PM

THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY (PG)

SUN - WED 3.40, 6.10, 9.15PM

CASUARINATHE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF

SMAUG (M) ●3D SUN - WED 1.15, 5.45, 7.45PM

2D SUN 10.00 CC AD, 4.30 CC AD, 8.40PM

2D MON 10.00 CC AD, 4.30 CC AD, 8.50PM

2D TUE/WED 10.00 CC AD, 4.30 CC AD, 8.40PM

FROZEN (PG) ● ■ 3D SUN - WED 11.50, 4.30PM

2D SUN 9.30, 2.10, 6.20PM

2D MON 9.30, 2.10, 6.50PM

2D TUE/WED 9.30, 2.10, 6.20PM

WALKING WITH DINOSAURS (PG) ● ■3D SUN - WED 11.30, 3.30PM

2D SUN - WED 9.30, 1.30PM

SAVING MR BANKS (PG) ●SUN 10.15, 3.30, 6.40, 9.20PM

MON 9.45, 3.15, 6.10, 9.15PM

TUE/WED 10.15, 3.30, 6.40, 9.20PM

THE BOOK THIEF (PG) ●SUN - WED 1.15, 4.00, 6.45PM

FREE BIRDS (G) ● ■

SUN 10.00, 12.10, 2.20, 4.30PM

MON 9.30, 11.40, 1.50, 4.00PM

TUE/WED 10.00, 12.10, 2.20, 4.30PM

AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY (MA15+) ●SUN - WED 10.30, 9.30PM

ANCHORMAN: THE LEGEND CONTINUES (M) ✚ SUN 1.00, 6.50, 9.20PM

MON 12.30, 9.20PM TUE/WED 1.00, 6.50, 9.20PM

THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE (M)SUN - WED 9.00PM

THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY (PG) CC AD

SUN - WED 2.15, 4.40, 7.05, 9.30PM

CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS 2 (G) ■ CC AD

SUN - WED 9.30, 11.40AM

birch.com.au

● NO FREE TICKETS ✚ CINE BUZZ MOVIE OF THE WEEK 2D $10 CC CLOSED CAPTIONS AD AUDIO DESCRIPTION ■ FAMILY PASS AVAILABLE

Session times are subject to change without notice. Session Times Copyright © 2014 - EVENT Cinemas.

$47*

2 Adults + 2 Kids

OR 1 Adult + 3 Kids

FREE 3DWHEN YOU BUY A

FAMILY PASS

*$1.10 online booking fee per pass. $1 for 3D Glasses (ea) if required. Check website for full conditions.

VERDICT: YOU DON’T NEED A SPOONFUL OF SUGAR FOR THIS ONE TO GO DOWN WELL

True classic in themaking

Emma Thompson as P. L. Travers and Tom Hanks as Walt Disney in a scene from Saving Mr Banks

SAVING MR BANKS

125 minutes (PG)

Director: John Lee Hancock (TheBlind Side)Starring: Emma Thompson, Tom

Hanks, Paul Giamatti, Colin Farrell

Reviewer: Leigh Paatsch

HHHH

THIS isn’t really the truestory of how a beloved bookwas made into an even morebeloved movie. No, Saving MrBanks is more the true storyof a reluctant author who notonly regretted letting Hol-lywood anywhere near herwork, but was later redeemedby the experience as well.

So what was the tome thatcaused all the turmoil? Noneother than Mary Poppins, aHarry Potter-style sensationwhen penned in the 1930s byAustralian-born, British-based author P. L. Travers.

The movie, of course, was aWalt Disney production inthe mid-1960s starring JulieAndrews and Dick Van Dyke.

Like the book, it wasdeservedly embraced as aninstant classic.

However, behind thescenes, the creative birthingprocess was long, gruellingand often painful.

Especially for PamelaTravers (played by EmmaThompson). A prim, properand pragmatic woman whodid not suffer fools gladly —and held Americans in everlesser regard — Travers re-sisted the advances of WaltDisney (Tom Hanks) for twodecades.

Mary Poppins was acharacter that meant theworld to Travers, for reasonsshe wanted to keep private.

It was only a looming ap-pointment with the bank-

ruptcy courts that forced achange of mind.

Nevertheless, Travers ex-tracted many creative con-cessions from Disney in lock-ing up a rights deal, includinga firm guiding hand in thewriting of the screenplay.

The middle act of SavingMr Banks — where Traversstands her ground whileDisney and his brains trusttiptoe towards their vision fora Mary Poppins movie —

plays equally strongly as com-edy and drama.

Travers’ abiding fearthroughout pre-productionwas that the real Mary Pop-pins would disappear oncegiven a Disney makeover.

Her worst nightmare was acraven crowd-pleaser, juicedup with singing, dancing andcorny cartooning. As we allnow know, this was exactlywhat Walt Disney had inmind for his Mary Poppins.

However, the studio head’slegendary powers of per-suasion had never come upagainst a force field of resist-ance like Travers.

While the protracted batt-les between the two that en-sue are great fun to sit in on, arunning series of flashbacksto the author’s troubledupbringing in rural Queens-land add surprising levelsof poignancy to Travers’stubborn stance.

A lively collection of per-formances by a well-castensemble elevate Saving MrBanks to the top ranks ofall-ages entertainment.

Thompson is the perfectembodiment of Travers, awoman fearlessly devoted toher body of work, yet alsofrightened by its widespreadpopularity. She also captureshow blissfully unawareTravers could be of her ownwonderful sense of humour.

Hanks wisely takes a backseat to Thompson’s pitch-perfect portrayal, but doesnot let his iconic characterslide into outright caricature.

Further sterling supportcomes from Paul Giamatti (asTravers’ genial chauffeur),Colin Farrell (her alcoholicfather) and Jason Schwartz-man and B.J. Novak (as thefamous Disney songwritingbrothers Richard and RobertSherman).

VERDICT: CLASSY EFFORT THAT DELIVERS ON ALL COUNTS

Book Thiefwill steal your heartTHE BOOK THIEF

131 minutes (PG)

Director: Brian Percival (A BoyCalled Dad)Starring: Sophie Nelisse,

Geoffrey Rush, Emily Watson,

Nico Liersch, Ben Schnetzer

Reviewer: Leigh Paatsch

HHH½

Geoffrey Rush and SophieNelisse in a scene from newdrama The Book Thief

BASED on the 2005 bestsellerby Markus Zusak, The BookThief details the experiencesof a young girl living in Ger-many during World War II.

As this moving drama be-gins, Liesel (Sophie Nelisse)is letting go of the last frag-ments of an already brokenfamily. Her parents, bothcommunists, can no longerlook after their two childrenunder the Nazi regime.

Liesel and her brother areto be taken in by a childlesscouple on the outskirts ofMunich.

However, after an arduousjourney at the height of win-ter, only Liesel makes it tothe new home. Death is a reg-

ular occurrence in The BookThief. In fact, Death himselfis the narrator of this tale.

At irregular intervals, thisnot-so-Grim Reaper (voicedby British actor Roger Al-lam) interjects to explainhow and why certain peo-ple’s times have come.

This unusual linking de-vice will be considered an ac-quired taste by some vi-ewers.

Liesel’s new guardians arestruggling signwriter HansHubermann (Geoffrey Rush)and his wife Rosa (EmilyWatson).

Liesel’s true love is theprinted word. Hans hastaught her how to read and,as the title of the film implies,she will do anything to gether hands on a good book.

A blanket ban on authorsnot approved by the Nazismakes Liesel’s quest all themore dangerous.

The Hubermann house-hold is also nervously defy-ing the powers-that-be bysheltering a Jewish fugitive(Ben Schnetzer) to whomHans owes a lifelong debt.

Impeccably acted andbeautifully scripted, TheBook Thief is an absorbing ef-fort that captures everythingthat was so widely admiredabout the original novel.

There can be no denyingthe fact The Book Thief hasboth its head and heart in theright place at all times.