2023 has fed us with many good adaptations of films this year, a variety of
comedy, drama and adventure, however one in particular caught my attention.
Wonka is the spiritual predecessor to the beloved family movie Willy Wonka
and the Chocolate Factory, which was released in 1971 starring Gene Wilder.
As he returns after a seven year voyage and attempts to become the most renowned
chocolate maker in the world, the film mostly focuses on the history of the insane, ecstatic, and joyful chocolatier.
Starring the young Timothee Chalamet playing young Wonka, the movie follows
Wonka as he pursues his dream of becoming a candy maker and confronts the
trio of the Chocolate Cartel, as well as the police force. Along the way, he encounters a group of detained laborers at a laundry, including Noodle, a small child who follows him within his journeys that infringe on him.
It serves as, essentially, the companion piece to the 1971 movie and sheds light
on the main character’s modest beginnings in a way we never expected.
Timothée Chalamet gives a fantastic portrayal of Willy Wonka. Timothée is able to
convey that aurora we all experienced when we saw Gene Wilder as the goofy and entertaining candy maker throughout the entire movie. His incomparable traits, demeanor, wit, excitement, and humor solidify him as the beloved Willy Wonka from Gene Wilder.
Throughout the film I kept whispering to my sister and friend “He’s so good, his
costume looks so amazing”. Not only was his performance exquisite, the costumes for
the film were so amazing.
Don’t get me started on the music, Timothee’s voice was just so captivating and
engaging throughout the scenes in which he sanged.They did include a few new songs, however the one that was an eye jerker had to be the famous “Pure Imagination”
as it brought back nostalgia from the original film.
Hugh Grant plays a humorous and engaging Oompa Loompa, despite having little on screen time. He even sings in the original, riddle-like voice and rhythm from the 1971 film, perfectly capturing the mood of the Oompa Loompas.
All things considered, Wonka is the ideal movie, not just for its simplicity but also for the way it depicts the origin of the most famous figure in both literature and film.
Despite the fact that Gene Wilder is tragically no longer with us, he would be pleased with Timothée’s performance and the charm that this movie’s production afforded.
Honestly I would say people really talked down on Chalamet’s performance but as a young actor he did so amazing and I would give him a 10/10 on his performance.
