Mary Poppins Returns Review: 5 Ups & 4 Downs

2. Meryl Streep's Offputting Cameo

By far the weirdest and most out-of-place sequence in the entire movie feels conjured up solely to give the illustrious Meryl Streep a totally inconsequential role to play in the movie.

The 21-time Oscar nominee (and three-time winner) appears as Topsy, Mary's eccentric Eastern European cousin who Mary and the Banks children visit with the hope of getting a precious ceramic bowl repaired.

What follows is an offputtingly weird sequence where Streep plays a cringe-worthy Eastern European gypsy stereotype, touting a painted face, excess of jewellery and wildly exaggerated accent.

The actual production design of Topsy's upside-down shop is impressive and the featured song, "Turning Turtle", is fine, but the sequence feels perfunctory and unnecessary at all times, as though Streep personally requested a part and nobody had the heart to refuse her.

It's safe to say that this is one Streep performance which won't be getting an easy Oscar nomination.