Written by: Simon Farnaby & Paul King
Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Calah Lane, Keegan-Michael Key, Paterson Joseph, Matt Lucas
Rating: [3.5/5]
Every human is a canvas comprised of their nature mixed with the life experience of nurture. When interacting with individuals we only get so much knowledge to know what led them to what they are in the present. Wonka seeks to enlighten us on the early life of a cynical man we know owns a Chocolate Factory and while having the potential to fail miserably as a cash grab, with the immense talents in front and behind the camera, we get something both entertaining but also heartwarming as well.
Growing a love of chocolate from his mother, young chocolatier Willy Wonka (Timothée Chalamet) arrives at Galéries Gourmet to build his own chocolate shop. When he finds himself trapped in debt by a lodging house and penniless, he hopes to utilize what he has learned to begin from the ground up, but someone keeps mysteriously stealing his chocolate.
As cynical as it gets in the world of Hollywood, telling a prequel story of a young Willy Wonka would normally have me running away at the thought of trying to explain the life of a character who thrives partly because of his mystery. The version we see by Gene Wilder in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory explained very little about his past, and it added to the intrigue of this character as a whole. Taking away this mystery generally would present very little promise, but when you have Paul King at the helm for your feature film, I knew right away everyone would be in safe hands.
Directing two perfect films in Paddington & Paddington 2 displays the man knows how to bring beautifully endearing characters to life in a deeply resonant manner. He unsurprisingly did the same thing here with Willy Wonka as he displays this young man with nothing but a dream and a suitcase full of chocolate amidst a deeply hilariously cynical world. Wonka approaches every situation expecting everyone to act in the same naive way and repeatedly finds himself in a hole, but does so in such an endearing manner that we go on this ride with Wonka even with all the silliness involved. King has this sensibility though his characters that made it clear right from the very beginning that he would take this idea of a young Wonka and absolutely make the most of it. The success makes me shudder to think what a lesser director would have done with this material.
In this world, we have a healthy mix of magic to go with the reality of what it means to struggle out there without a proper home. We have individuals like Mrs. Scrubitt (Olivia Colman) who finds a way to be incessantly cruel to individuals who need the most help. The way she drags people into her debt and forces them in there undoubtedly has some in our capitalistic society in shock as to why they did not think of it first. While silly, it creates some startling circumstances for these characters, which then pairs well with the magic involved, which Wonka uses with his chocolates. King creates a delectable balance between the two, which ultimately defines what makes it a successful film.
It also does not hurt to have Timothée Chalamet in your leading role. While not having the best vocals for the musical elements of this role, Chalamet just has the “it” factor when performing as a leading man. He can carry a film easily and brought the charm made necessary for this role. I never thought he could play such a naive character as seen through this character, but evidently the guy certainly has some range and continues to expand the dramatic roles that have made him world-famous.
When given every reason to doubt this film, all of it fell away when knowing Paul King sat in the director’s chair in bringing it to life. He captures the beautiful magic of this world and the idea of Willy Wonka from a young age that exemplifies this as quite the experience. While Wonka grew cynical as he aged, this version filled with joy and zeal simply brings this emotional journey and gut punch of love that allows it to stand on its own. Everyone involved added on to the entertainment value the film had to offer and culminates as quite the collaboration.
Films with Josh 
