Wonka

Timothée Chalamet plays a start-up entrepreneur who is hindered in selling magical chocolates with giraffe milk and the tears of Russian clowns by Hugh Grant in the role of an orange Oompa-Loompa and a chocolate cartel whose members meet in a hideout like villains from a Bond movie (it’s located under a church with chocoholic monks and can be reached only via an elevator in the confessional). Though Wonka has a generic, pseudo-Dickensian plot with by-the-numbers twists, strange jumps between scenes, a sticky-sweet sentimental ending and one-dimensional characters whose actions are not convincingly motivated, it is – in terms of its visuals and language (in both the dialogue and songs) – a captivatingly imaginative fairy-tale musical in the mould of Mary Poppins. It’s a shame that – in spite of a number of unhinged moments along the lines of The Mighty Boosh (and other British series represented here by their actors) – it is closer to the glossiness of classic Hollywood than it is to Dahl, whose children’s stories were not just extremely weird, but also very dark, which Wonka, as portrayed by the bland Chalamet, is practically not at all (unlike earlier adaptations by Mel Stuart and Tim Burton, which were based on finding a balance between light and shade). He doesn’t address the bigger internal conflict – teamwork, which he seemingly should have gradually grown into and which hasn’t been a problem for him since the beginning (he also involves all of his friends in the running of the shop). Wonka is rather a sweet treat made with ingredients of varying quality than a rich taste experience that will carry you away. (By the way, I have no problem acknowledging that, for example, the first Rambo is a Christmas movie because it takes place during the holidays, but in the case of Wonka, I can find no reason to classify it as such – is it enough for the movie to be released in December and for its characters to eat a lot of chocolate?) 75% (2023.12.11)

Very nice, almost magical. I've never cared much for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Johnny Depp's overacting is rather annoying. This one is more natural without American bullshit, and I can't remember when I've seen a nicer fairy tale crossed with a musical. The production design is charming, and Timothée Chalamet is a good casting choice (he sings nice too). The viewer eats up his whole adventure, the songs are nicely melodic and fit the plot, the idea of a chocolate Cartel is great, there is some humour here and there (Keegan-Michael Key as a policeman is absolutely wonderful and Rowan Atkinson and Hugh Grant are also good). It's got a very feel-good vibe this close to Christmas, and even the creators of Money Heist wouldn't be ashamed of the final heist. I was moved to tears. 8/10. (2023.12.24)

I quite like Tim Burton's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; Mel Stuart's Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is still in my drawer of unwatched films, and I haven't yet had my hands on Roald Dahl's book. So I've approached the latest film about Willy Wonka with some caution because of the somewhat unrewarding and often difficult function of prequels - whether they are based on the source material or are purely the imagination of the screenwriters. I was all the more surprised watching Wonka in the cinema: it is a endearing film with a universally likeable cast (perhaps the only thing I didn't like was the trio of "chocolate barons"), from which, apart from the Timothée Chalamet, I would single out the umpa-lumpa Hugh Grant, the piously venal Rowan Atkinson and the villainous duo Olivia Colman - Tom Davis. Wonka has appealing visuals that are not just about CGI but also about nice sets, offers great musical numbers and is heartwarming at the end thanks to its family-oriented story. I certainly wouldn't be opposed to seeing a (preferably qualitatively similar) sequel in three or four years. (2023.12.19)