Telling True Stories

Let's talk about poetic license for a bit.

Saving Mr. Banks really bugged me.  It's resolution was too forced and illogical; too neat and too perfect.  Some would say it was too "Disney" and that seems apt.  I went into this film quite sure that P. L. Travers was not a fan of Disney and that she was never entirely pleased with the studio's adaptation of her classic children's book, Mary Poppins.  I wondered how they would address this.  The answer is they didn't, or rather they handled it disingenuously. Mrs. Travers objections were merely the stodgy old obstacle that could be overcome with stubborn charm and dancing.

So the movie contained character arcs and pivotal scenes that were patently false, and in my opinion, that makes them far less emotionally satisfying.  I was rolling my eyes so hard at this movie that I began to fear that I had simply become cynical and perhaps they were telling me the whimsical truth and I just wouldn't accept it. Nope, that wasn't it. A little research after my screening reveled that every major plot point in the film was fabricated. I find this pointless. If you want to write an original story for me to enjoy, I am all in. If a real life event is worth telling, go for it. If you have to completely re-invent a true story in order to make a hero out of the "father" of your huge, maniacal, mega-entertainment corporation, just stop it!

I should note that the performances were solid and the music was an interesting re-working of Mary Poppins themes. So that's that.

Now let's move on to how much I enjoyed Dallas Buyers Club.  Here we have a film that is a dramatization of how HIV/AIDS patients took control of their own treatment, out of necessity, and how it helped prolong lives and eventually change federal laws.  The acting was amazing, of course.  Much has been made of Jared Leto's transformation in this film.  Part of me was a little worried that he was being given acting credit for being a hunky rock star who was willing to lose a little weight and dress like a woman.  That was not the case.  Leto very much disappeared into this role and became someone of his own devising.  Mattheew McConnaughey also puts in a powerful performance.  The story was paced well, took me on a journey and moved me.

And was the story true and accurately related?  I don’t care. I know they combined characters and filled in the blanks with their imagination.  But they gave me a reliable presentation of the culture of the “Buyers Club” and how it came to be.  That is lot different than fibbing about well known people and a lot easier for me to admire.