VIDEO : Emily Blunt Is Mesmerizing In An Otherwise Dull ?Mary Poppins Returns?

If there?s one aspect of Mary Poppins Returns that stands out, it?s Emily Blunt, whose cheerfully clipped, winningly icy portrayal of the titular nanny is like a nice squeeze of acid to brighten up a schmaltzy dish. Michael?s wife has died?, leaving him to raise their three young children, John, Anabel, and Georgie, and to make matters worse, the finances are in disarray and the bank, represented by pocket watch-clutching capitalist William Wilkins (Colin Firth), has demanded he pay off their home loan in full by midnight Friday or else the family home will be repossessed. At the outset, we?re told the story takes place during the Great Slump, the British name for the Great Depression.