‘Wonka’ is a delightfully silly sweet surprise; g1 already seen

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The film benefits from the bad expectations created by the horrible trailer, the charm of Timothée Chalamet and the gift for cute stories from filmmaker Paul King. It premieres this Thursday (7) in Brazil. Expectations for “Wonka”, a film that opens this Thursday (7) in Brazil about the youth of the eccentric owner of the “Fantastic Chocolate Factory” (from the book or the film adaptations), were terrible after a horrible initial trailer . Maybe it was part of a plan. From the first verses of the first song in the first scene, it is clear that the musical is not just another opportunistic attempt to create a new franchise based on a well-known and beloved work. Starring Timothée Chalamet (“Dune”) at the height of his charm, the film surprises by knowing how to take advantage of a silliness and optimism that are rare in major productions of recent years – a credit to director and co-writer Paul King (of the two excellent “Paddingtons”) . The children’s plot, which should really please the whole family, doesn’t revolutionize as much as the projects for which the filmmaker is best known, it’s true. In the second half, it flirts dangerously with playing too safe. But it’s part of a confident work supported by a first-rate cast, which also includes Oscar winner Olivia Colman (“The Favourite”), two-time nominee Sally Hawkins (“The Shape of Water”) and Hugh Grant (“The Shape of Water”) and Hugh Grant (“The Shape of Water”). Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Rebels”). Watch the trailer for ‘Wonka’ A chocolate dream Freely based on the classic book by Roald Dahl and its 1971 film adaptation, “Wonka” sweetly invents an origin for the strange and mysterious character immortalized by Gene Wilder in the cinema – the version by Johnny Depp, from 2005, luckily it doesn’t have that much influence. In the script by King and his partner in the excellent “Paddington 2” (2017), Simon Farnaby (who makes a delicious appearance), Chalamet’s young Willy Wonka arrives in a vaguely European city from the mid-20th century after a period as a chef in a ship. To realize his dream of opening the best chocolate store in the world, he needs to use all his inventiveness – and magic – to overcome the obstacles placed by a cartel of local confectioners and escape the clutches of an unscrupulous villain (Colman). Big cast, little Grant Celebrated for more taciturn and emotional roles, Chalamet lends all his charm to the protagonist and moves skillfully between irredeemable naivety and powerful optimism. Without him, it’s hard to believe this version of the famous Willy would connect so well with audiences. Colman, in turn, is the great symbol of a cast that doesn’t even try to hide the fun they had recording each scene. Every moment with the actress is a delight, and her chemistry with Tom Davis (another one from “Paddington 2”) was worth its own film. With a duo of this caliber, it’s remarkable how Grant manages to stand out even when painted orange and wearing a bright green wig. Timothée Chalamet and Hugh Grant in a scene from ‘Wonka’ Disclosure His casting as an Oompa-Loompa generated enormous strangeness in the first trailer – and the computer graphics used to make him less than 50 cm tall as Wonka’s famous helpers in the future factory doesn’t always fit. But the text knows how to take advantage of the acidity of the former heartthrob, who found a new niche to shine at the age of 63. Merit once again to the screenwriters, who had already explored this side of the actor as the villain of “Paddington 2” (you can see a pattern here, right?). The trio also shines thanks to the help of a cast made up of big names in British humor – and, to a lesser extent, drama – such as Hawkins, Paterson Joseph (“The Leftovers”), Matt Lucas (“The Adventures of Paddington”), Rowan Atkinson (“Mr. Bean”) and Jim Carter (“Downton Abbey”). Among them, only the American Keegan-Michael Key (“Schmigadoon!”) stands out. Trapped in a one-joke character, and one of the most tired, the decent comedian suffers in comparison with the others. Paul, the king The great success of “Wonka” was the choice of King as commander. The two adaptations of the good-hearted teddy bear’s books already showed a refined control over language, the physicality and sincere cartoonish silliness that make the new film a triumph – it was only missing a character with global reach. Olivia Colman in a scene from ‘Wonka’ Disclosure In fact, his Willy is almost a flesh-and-blood Paddington and a little more designer. Out come the anthropomorphized animal’s red hat and raincoat and in come the confectioner’s top hat and burgundy overcoat. The unwavering optimism and magic remain. Under King’s gaze, even Chalamet’s lack of control over his vocal cords transforms into quality during the musical sequences. The songs don’t repeat the strength of the 1971 film, it’s true, but the use of notes from the classic “Pure imagination” throughout the track, topped off with the right resignification at a key moment, has enough power to draw tears from anyone. “Wonka” could have been just another opportunistic attempt to create a cinematic universe. Thanks to King, his optimism and silliness becomes a rare example of such qualities.

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