(Paul King, 2023)

Wonka, the new film from Paul King, serves as a prequel to the 1973 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, brilliantly paying homage to the world of Roald Dahl, musicals and its 1973 predecessor with an origins story of the eponymous character. Timothée Chalamet stars in the role of the famous chocolatier alongside a veritable array of fine actors giving the audience plenty to feast upon.

Going in, I was sceptical about whether the music would deliver the quality that one would expect from a musical film of this scale and I was nervous that it would settle for a score consisting of modern pop songs which would fail to satisfy. From the opening moments though, the film proved my fears to be unfounded. There are some brilliant songs which feel authentic and the score is clearly inspired by the scores of classic musicals. In fact, that is what Wonka does well in general- it manages to draw on classics we all know and love such as Oliver! and Les Misérables but still manages to have a sense of originality.

The cast give superb performances, with Chalamet as a very charming and charismatic lead- intrepid yet immensely kind-hearted at the same time. Olivia Colman as Mrs Scrubbit brings a lot of humour to the film, as does Matt Lucas as Prodnose (whose Hitler-like appearance is one of a number of visual gags), Tom Davis as Bleacher and of course, Hugh Grant as an Oompa-Loompa, whose dance number is like the icing on this chocolate cake of a picture. Calah Lane, a relative newcomer playing Noodle, Wonka’s sidekick, has really great chemistry with Chalamet and proves she can sing and dance too.

The cinematography here is splendid, as is the production design, with beautiful, sweeping overhead shots and some fantastic sets. The aesthetic is inspired by European architecture, the most notable example of this being the fictional shopping outlet depicted at the beginning, the Galeries Gourmet, which is based on the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan. Eagle-eyed viewers will recognise some iconic British landmarks including Radcliffe Camera in Oxford and St Paul’s Cathedral and St. Albans was the shooting location for the zoo scene which was shot in the city’s Verulamium Park.

This feel-good film is perfect for Christmas with a key message of goodwill at its heart. It teaches us that anything is possible if we dream big enough and is the perfect film to enjoy with the kids and the grandparents, with something here to please everyone from eight to eighty.  

© Daniel Cummings 2023