Wonka (B or 3/4 stars)
If you've ever read Roald Dahl's classic Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, or enjoyed Tim Burton's 2005 film version, or loved 1971's Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, perhaps you've wondered where Willy ever came from. Well, filmmaker Paul King (of the Paddington movies) did; for he & his screenwriter have devised an inscrutable origin story for us; tracing how Wonka became the eccentric chocolatier extraordinaire. In this prequel, impish, 20-something yr. old Wonka (Timothee Chalamet) is 1st viewed atop a ship's mast; singing & sailing into London harbor with his magical top hat, recipes for the best chocolate in the world ... and his dreams {something his dearly departed mother - played by Sally Hawkins - instilled in him at a young age}.
Looking for somewhere to sleep, Willy is lured by conniving Bleacher (Tom Davis) into renting a room from double-crossing innkeeper, Mrs. Scrubbit (Olivia Colman), who swindles him into bound servitude. That's how Willy ends up confined in her labyrinthine basement laundry workhouse where he befriends a resourceful urchin/orphan named Noodle (Calah Lane). Other servants below include accountant/washman, Abacus Crunch (Jim Carter, that's Mr. Carson of Downton Abbey, to you), plumber/washwoman, Piper Benz (Natasha Rothwell), aspiring comedian/washman, Larry Chucklesworth (Rich Fulcher), & phone operator/washwoman, Lottie Bell (Rakee Thakrar). Willy & Noodle devise both an escape route and a plan to get them all out of their contracts with Mrs. Scrubbit. Only then can Wonka sell his amazing array of delectable, fantastical treats that he concocts from his magical travel trunk.
They also must defeat the evil machinations of the 'Chocolate Cartel', a trio of greedy scoundrel merchants - Slugworth, Fickelgruber & Prodnose (Paterson Joseph, Mathew Baynton, Matt Lucas), who bribe the crooked, gluttonous Chief of Police (Keegan-Michael Key) to foil all chocolate competitors. These 3 scoundrels will do anything & everything to take down Wonka. All the while, a small orange man follows behind. He would be Lofty (Hugh Grant, a hoot), an Oompa-Loompa who is vengeful against Wonka for having stolen important cocoa beans from his isle of fellow Oompa-Loompas. Adventure & catharsis ensues through song-&-dance as Willy Wonka & co. try desperately to evade danger & make some magic.
'Wonka' is sometimes funny, sometimes serious, sometimes strange, & plenty silly. There's a lot going on, but not much to chew on. Every year there is one eagerly anticipated film that I expect to love no matter what ... that doesn't quiiiiite live up to my expectation. For 2023, that film looks to be 'Wonka'. Don't get me wrong, this is a family film full of sweetness, kindness, & it aims to make you feel good. Nathan Crowley's fantastical, candy-coated sets, Lindy Hemming's wondrous costumes, the cooky hair-&-make-up design, & the visual effects were all well done.
And in addition to a plethora of new songs, the film brings back two tunes from the 1971 classic: Oompa-Loompa & Pure Imagination {cue my tears}. But whether it was my mood, or that rambunctious children were not reigned-in by their parents in my theater, or what ... the movie failed to wash over me. The film is devoid of cynicism, yet any whimsy is forced. The origin story at hand doesn't make much sense {even while existing within a magical world}. The narrative thrust ebbed-&-flowed. And in fact, I was glad for every musical number because they livened up the proceedings.
Timothee Chalamet brings enthusiasm, optimism, & joie de vivre to the quirky Willy Wonka; playing him as a young man still a long way off from the jaded, mischievous nutter who Gene Wilder portrayed in the '71 version. I think my big take away from this film is ... I don't quite know who it is aimed for. Some kids in my theater didn't seem enthralled. And me & my friends who are big 1971 Wonka AND musical theater fans were a touch underwhelmed, as well. Now, the final 5-7 minutes did make me cry -- darn you, Timothee Chalamet & Sally Hawkins! Hawkins adds so much to any film she's in. I did like this film's particulars, but the overall isn't as scrumdiddlyumptious as it could have been.
Looking for somewhere to sleep, Willy is lured by conniving Bleacher (Tom Davis) into renting a room from double-crossing innkeeper, Mrs. Scrubbit (Olivia Colman), who swindles him into bound servitude. That's how Willy ends up confined in her labyrinthine basement laundry workhouse where he befriends a resourceful urchin/orphan named Noodle (Calah Lane). Other servants below include accountant/washman, Abacus Crunch (Jim Carter, that's Mr. Carson of Downton Abbey, to you), plumber/washwoman, Piper Benz (Natasha Rothwell), aspiring comedian/washman, Larry Chucklesworth (Rich Fulcher), & phone operator/washwoman, Lottie Bell (Rakee Thakrar). Willy & Noodle devise both an escape route and a plan to get them all out of their contracts with Mrs. Scrubbit. Only then can Wonka sell his amazing array of delectable, fantastical treats that he concocts from his magical travel trunk.
They also must defeat the evil machinations of the 'Chocolate Cartel', a trio of greedy scoundrel merchants - Slugworth, Fickelgruber & Prodnose (Paterson Joseph, Mathew Baynton, Matt Lucas), who bribe the crooked, gluttonous Chief of Police (Keegan-Michael Key) to foil all chocolate competitors. These 3 scoundrels will do anything & everything to take down Wonka. All the while, a small orange man follows behind. He would be Lofty (Hugh Grant, a hoot), an Oompa-Loompa who is vengeful against Wonka for having stolen important cocoa beans from his isle of fellow Oompa-Loompas. Adventure & catharsis ensues through song-&-dance as Willy Wonka & co. try desperately to evade danger & make some magic.
'Wonka' is sometimes funny, sometimes serious, sometimes strange, & plenty silly. There's a lot going on, but not much to chew on. Every year there is one eagerly anticipated film that I expect to love no matter what ... that doesn't quiiiiite live up to my expectation. For 2023, that film looks to be 'Wonka'. Don't get me wrong, this is a family film full of sweetness, kindness, & it aims to make you feel good. Nathan Crowley's fantastical, candy-coated sets, Lindy Hemming's wondrous costumes, the cooky hair-&-make-up design, & the visual effects were all well done.
And in addition to a plethora of new songs, the film brings back two tunes from the 1971 classic: Oompa-Loompa & Pure Imagination {cue my tears}. But whether it was my mood, or that rambunctious children were not reigned-in by their parents in my theater, or what ... the movie failed to wash over me. The film is devoid of cynicism, yet any whimsy is forced. The origin story at hand doesn't make much sense {even while existing within a magical world}. The narrative thrust ebbed-&-flowed. And in fact, I was glad for every musical number because they livened up the proceedings.
Timothee Chalamet brings enthusiasm, optimism, & joie de vivre to the quirky Willy Wonka; playing him as a young man still a long way off from the jaded, mischievous nutter who Gene Wilder portrayed in the '71 version. I think my big take away from this film is ... I don't quite know who it is aimed for. Some kids in my theater didn't seem enthralled. And me & my friends who are big 1971 Wonka AND musical theater fans were a touch underwhelmed, as well. Now, the final 5-7 minutes did make me cry -- darn you, Timothee Chalamet & Sally Hawkins! Hawkins adds so much to any film she's in. I did like this film's particulars, but the overall isn't as scrumdiddlyumptious as it could have been.