I can’t remember the last movie I watched at the cinema that genuinely inspired me, like “Wonka”.
Hollywood has been stuck in spiritual and artistic purgatory for over a decade. Either producing brilliantly stunning films on top of kindergarten-grade philosophy like Avatar, or telling significant stories like Oppenheimer but focusing on all the least interesting parts.
Even Disney CEO Bob Iger admits this, as he said he will no longer tolerate his company’s partners and creative team prioritising messaging over storytelling.
“Creators lost sight of what their No. 1 objective needed to be,” Iger said. “We have to entertain first. It’s not about messages.”
“Wonka,” directed by Paul King, is an artful masterpiece that talks directly to humanity’s desire for creation, hope, fellowship and ambition and marries it with incredible production and relatable characters. Timothée Chalamet as “Willy Wonka” is a captivating dance between the fantastical and the human, making Willy Wonka more relatable than ever before; Chalamet strikes the perfect balance of childlike naivety and wonder with entrepreneurial ambition and brilliance.
Wonka’s journey starts with no money, big dreams and a stubborn belief in his chocolate; this combination gets Wonka into a lot of trouble early when he makes big bets on himself that don’t pay off in the short term.
Only through his leadership, inventiveness, and (see again) stubborn belief in his product did he overcome all to achieve his dream. Wonka is naive and delusional throughout the movie, right up until he is successful – and that’s the moment every successful entrepreneur moves from being delusionary to a visionary.
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As “Wonka” is a prequel, the audience has the benefit of knowing the outcome before the movie begins; we know Wonka is a visionary; however, we get to see the disbelief in almost everyone he first encounters, all with genuine, relatable, sceptical responses.
“Many people have come here to sell chocolate….. they’ve all been crushed by the chocolate cartel.” Abacus Crunch (played by Jim Carter)
Equally impressive is the performance of Hugh Grant as an Oompa-Loompa, who secretly follows Wonka around stealing his chocolate. His portrayal brings a fresh dimension to these iconic characters and truly satisfies the curiosity about how the partnership between Willy and the Oompa-Loompas started.
Grant’s comedic timing is brilliant, injecting each scene with a delightful blend of humour and wit. Yet, his ability to infuse a touch of surreal yet relatable humanity into these fantastical characters truly sets his performance apart.
“Wonka” reawakens the childhood feelings from when we first watched Charlie and Chocolate Factory as kids. I can’t remember the last family movie I watched as an adult which inspired me, like “Wonka”.
Five stars.
