Mary Poppins Returns Movie Review

The 1964 film, Mary Poppins is an unadulterated classic. Starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke, the film (based on the books by P.L. Travers) has entertained multiple generations of fans.

The new film, Mary Poppins Returns, opened yesterday.

The sequel takes place in Depression era London. Jane and Michael Banks (Emily Mortimer and Ben Whishaw) are now grown. Jane is single and works in the labor movement. Michael followed in his late father’s footsteps and works for the same bank that his father did. But life is not all that they hoped it would be. Michael is a recent widower with three young children. After the death of his wife, his financial issues started to become a problem. Then Mary Poppins (Emily Blunt) returns to their lives. With the help of Jack (Lin-Manuel Miranda), Mary is more than a nanny to the newest generation of Banks children. Can Mary help them heal as a family and survive their troubles?

All I can say about this film is wow. It is fantastic. Emily Blunt’s performance as Mary Poppins is seamless and absolute perfection. While she pays homage to her predecessor, Blunt makes this character her own. For his part, Lin-Manuel Miranda is the perfect counterpart to Emily Blunt. His accent is also, well, a lot less questionable than Dick Van Dyke’s.

My favorite aspect of this film is that it appealed to both adults and children. It also has a message about resilience in the face of adversity and tragedy. There are also plenty of Easter eggs to please fans of the original film.

I absolutely recommend it.

Mary Poppins Returns is presently in theaters. 

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The Bookshop Movie Review

To walk into a bookshop is to have a magical experience.

In the new movie, The Bookshop (based on the book of the same name by Penelope Fitzgerald), Florence Green (Emily Mortimer) is widow who opens a bookshop in a small seaside town in England in 1959. There are many in this town who oppose the bookshop, including the town’s queen bee, Violet Gamart (Patricia Richardson). But she is not without allies. Edmund Brundish (Bill Nighy) is an older, reclusive widower who not only Florence’s first customer, but one of her only true friends in this town.

Will Florence be able to keep her bookshop open or will opposing forces get in the way?

This movie is excellent. While Florence faces wave after wave of opposition, she is able to find plow forward and succeed as best she can. I also appreciated the ending, which was unexpected, but felt right for this narrative.

I recommend it.

The Bookshop is presently in theaters. 

Thoughts On Mary Poppins Returns Teaser Trailer

Mary Poppins is one of those movies. The 1964 movie starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke has been viewed and loved by multiple generations of movie-goers.

Building on the multi-generational love, Disney will be releasing the sequel to Mary Poppins, entitled Mary Poppins Returns, the end of this year.

The teaser trailer was released last night.

Stepping into the iconic role of the everyone’s favorite nanny is Emily Blunt, backed up by Lin-Manuel Miranda as Jack. What we know so far is that the sequel is set during the Depression. Jane and Michael Banks (Emily Mortimer and Ben Whishaw) are now adults dealing with a personal tragedy. It’s up to Mary to bring back joy and laughter back to the Banks family.

I have a feeling that this film will be one of those films that will define 2018. Mary Poppins is one of those characters that is beloved for many reasons. The only question is, how will the sequel fare compared to its beloved predecessor?

We’ll have to wait until December. Until then, the teaser trailer will have to do.

The Party Movie Review

A party should be a simple thing: drinks, food, music to add a little ambiance and good friends. But sometimes parties become a little more complicated.

In the new movie, The Party, Janet (Kristin Scott Thomas) has just won a hard-fought political election. To celebrate her new role, Janet and her husband, Bill (Timothy Spall) have invited friends over to celebrate. Janet’s BFF, April (Patricia Clarkson), who is very much the realist brings her new age-y boyfriend, Gottfried (Bruno Ganz). Also invited is the married and newly pregnant lesbian couple Martha (Cherry Jones) and Jinny (Emily Mortimer). The last invited guest to arrive is Tom (Cillian Murphy),  one half of a power couple who are known for their physical appearance as much as they are known for their status.

What starts out as an evening to celebrate Janet’s success become an evening of painful reveals that may forever change the course of the character’s lives.

Directed and co-written by Sally Potter, this film looks and sounds like a stage play. I would not be surprised, if at some point, the movie was re-made into a stage play.  Filmed in black and white, the comedy is dark, satirical and hits the perfect note.

This movie is one of the best movies of 2018 so far.

I recommend it.

The Party is presently in theaters.