Director: Paul King
Writers: Simon Farnaby, Paul King, (Based on the character of Roald Dahl)
Cast: Timothée Chalamet, Olivia Colman, Hugh Grant, Sally Hawkins, Paterson Joseph, Keegan-Michael Key, Rowan Atkinson
Duration: 166 minutes
Available in: Theatres
In the opening scenes of Wonka, a young Willy arrives somewhere in Europe, 12 silver sovereigns in hand. In a matter of minutes, his funds are almost depleted courtesy of the exorbitant prices prevailing in the city — he even has to pay a fine for daydreaming. As he strolls down a street, a destitute woman appeals to him. Willy extends his hand to her with a smile, holding out his last two sovereigns. “Take as much as you need,” he says. Welcome to the Timothée Chalamet flavoured Willy Wonka, a confectionery that’s pretty to look at, and also overflowing with kindness and generosity.
The whimsical world of Wonka is Paul King’s imaginative take on the iconic chocolatier’s origin story, a departure from the darker tones of previous adaptations. King and co-writer Simon Farnaby take us to Europe’s elite chocolate marketplace, the Galeries Gourmet, where a budding chocolatier named Willy Wonka (Chalamet), comes with hopes of opening a chocolate shop.
There are many references to writer Roald Dahl’s original work. For instance, the trio that makes “The Chocolate Cartel” are Slugworth (Paterson Joseph), Prodnose (Matt Lucas) and Fickelgruber (Mathew Baynton) whom readers of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory will remember as the competitors who put spies in Willy Wonka’s factories and tried to steal his inventive ideas. In this film, they run a cartel, replete with an underground lair, guarded by corrupted priests. The best of the lot is Rowan Atkinson as Father Julius, a chocoholic who says, “One day we’ll be judged for our sins, but it’s not going to be today,” before he downs one piece of chocolate after another.