Silver-celluloid

Starring: Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks, Paul Giamatti Director: John Lee Hancock Genre: Drama Running time: 125 minutes Certificate: PG It seems to be habit for a lot of critics to sneer at films that are given to sentimentality but, as Alfred Hitchcock pointed out, audiences should be emoting or the film is not doing its job. Saving Mr Banks can be accused of being knowingly sentimental but this is what makes it so good. The film tells the story of P L Travers (Emma Thompson), the stern, no nonsense author of Mary Poppins . Travers has been pursued by Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) for twenty years for the rights to make the movie of her book. Horrified by the idea of letting go of her creation but desperately in need of money, Travers travels to Los Angeles to discuss the rights with Disney. This film is unexpectedly funny and captivating from the start, and the time in the screening flew as the film was totally engrossing. Emma Thompson truly shines as P L Travers, a character tha...

Starring: Tom Hanks, Barkhad Abdi, Barkhad Abdirahman Director: Paul Greengrass Genre: True story, action, drama Running time: 134 minutes The first thing to mention about Captain Phillips is that it is gripping; the second is that it is long. Now this is something of a personal bugbear. Films are getting increasingly long, and what would have been an entertaining 90 minute film in the 1980s has become an epic of three hours in the present. Enough already, movies are too long. However, the fact that Captain Phillips didn't feel lengthy is a true testament to how well the film has been made. In fact, with this movie the time flew. The engrossing plot was enough to keep everyone on the edge of their seat and the tension could be felt throughout the room. Familiar or not with the actual events, this film is riveting. Based on the true life story surrounding the...