Wonka
Wonka
Starring Timothee Chalamet, Calah Lane, Keegan-Michael Key, Paterson Joseph
Directed by Paul King
After traveling across the world acquiring the right ingredients to make the perfect chocolate, young Willy Wonka (Timothee Chalamet) arrives at the Galeries Gourmet to establish his own chocolate shop. Yet this draws the ire of the three major chocolate makers in the town, especially Arthur Slugworth (Paterson Joseph), who bribes the chocolate-loving chief of police (Keegan-Michael Key) to prevent Wonka from selling his chocolate. Destitute and broke, he's taken in by a seemingly caring couple at a local inn, only to find that he's indentured himself to their servitude to pay off his bills, where he meets orphan girl Noodle (Calah Lane). He shows her the joy of chocolate and she - along with the other people imprisoned by the couple - help Wonka escape and try to make his dream come true.
The Good:
"Wonka" is a visual wonder, brought to glorious life thanks to the hard work and dedication of not just Paul King and the actors, but those behind the scenes as well. You can tell it's a labor of love for everyone involved, and while it might seem as a cash grab based on an already established intellectual property, there's more than enough heart here to give you the feels needed. You can tell this was directed by the same man who did "Paddington" as everything about it visually hearkens back to it. I almost expected to see Paddington make a cameo appearance, and was hoping he would.
Speaking of the visuals, the work done by production designer Nathan Crowley brings the unnamed town to life in a classic feel that makes you feel like this is more a Christmas movie than anything, with a charm that electrifies on the screen. The buildings are sprawling and luscious, and the interiors are fantastical and as whimsical as Wonka's chocolates. The costume designs by Lindy Hemming are exquisite, with Wonka's iconic costume shining through. The cinematography by Chung-hoo Chung creates a world that moves from real-life grittiness of living in this town if you're poor to the fanciful world of Wonka's chocolate store that will bring out the inner child in you.
Timothee Chalamet is an acclaimed actor who's not known for playing the upbeat, aloof characters. Here, he gets to spread his wings and soar as Wonka, and while his performance here is more mainstream than the iconic Gene Wilder's near-nightmare inducing version, he gives off such a charismatic feel that you can't help but love him for it. Not only does he give a great comedic performance, but he also showcases his singing talent with the numerous songs scattered among the story, each one lively and refreshing. If there was anyone out there to play a young Wonka, Chalamet fit the bill entirely. Newcomer Calah Lane shines as Noodle, a young orphan girl who wants to find her family and free herself from the villainy of her oppressors. She's charming and refreshing, a perfect foil who grounds Wonka in reality when needed, but also goes along with his adventures and maintains a sense of optimism throughout. The dynamic between these two is amazing and fun to watch, along with Hugh Grant as the sole Oompa Loompa who constantly steals Wonka's chocolate and is a scene-chewer in his own right.
The story itself is one of resilience and living out your dream no matter how many hurdles you have to jump through. Wonka thinks he'll be greeted with appreciation, but instead the greedy chocolate corporation wants to not just run him out of town, but prevent him from ever selling his chocolate again, because while Wonka provides the best chocolate with the best ingredients, they horde the best chocolate for their own nefarious purposes and waters down the chocolate they sell to the people - and I just used the word "chocolate" a lot. Time after time, just when Wonka thinks he's on top, he's taken down not just one, but several, pegs. Although at times deterred, he doesn't give up on his dream and proves the power of resilience.
The humor is heartfelt and hilarious, again calling back to classic movies that focused more on situational moments and somewhat slapstick than cheap gimmicks. There were several times I was laughing out loud at the humor and you can tell the heart that went into it.
The songs are catchy, fun, and lively, and the choreography is first-rate. Everything you'd expect from a musical comedy of this caliber, and while it's not "The Greatest Showman," it'll still get your feet tapping.
The Bad:
While the songs are catchy and fun, there wasn't any that really stuck with me after it ended. I wasn't pining to download the songs on Spotify and I'll probably listen to them again sometime, but probably not.
Diehard fans of the original "Willy Wonka" film are drawing parallels to Gene Wilder's performance, and that's a fair argument. Wilder's Wonka is more cynical, less naive and less innocent, and is a more morally ambiguous character. If this was a direct remake I could understand those differences, but if anything it only adds a mystery to the character that needs to be flushed out. What happens after "Wonka" that led Willy to become the Willy in "Willy Wonka?" It gives the character a deeper depth if you look at it through that lens.
The Summary:
Bringing back the wonder and whimsy of beloved childhood characters to the big screen, Paul King strikes chocolate gold with "Wonka," offering another heartfelt and heartwarming adventure from everyone's favorite chocolatier by an impeccable performance by Timothee Chalamet.
The Score: A
Comments
Post a Comment