Reviews

Chalamet's career has practically been built around the image of a drama actor. He has proven himself more than capable of taking on serious characters and pulling off many incredibly moving performances - "Beautiful Boy" and "Call Me by Your Name" are just two that come to mind. That said, he throws off those gowns and that image , and fully embraces the fun, family film genre in this whimsical festive-esque film.

Under the incredibly clear and concise direction and vision of Paul King, this iteration of Willy Wonka is a charming, bright-eyed youth full of positive enthusiasm and endearing energy to make the world a better place through "making chocolate, of course!" - to borrow a line from the titular character.

Some standout performances come from Olivia Colman and Paterson Joseph, as Mrs Scrubitt and Arthur Slugworth respectively. Both villains are so sickly bitter that they're almost a metaphor for the opposite of the sweet (good) characters of Wonka, Noodle, Lofty, and the workhouse gang.

One criticism that has been commonplace about this film is the lack of off-kilter weirdness about Willy Wonka. Perhaps that is something which could be explored in a potential sequel? I certainly hope so!

Firstly, I have to agree with Ben B Hunter's review on the acting - it is tremendously realistic, with both Murray McArthur and Cameron Ashplant digging deep to give gut-wrenching performances that will leave you absolutely broken. Their back and forth ferocious arguing is entirely believable. It feels as though the cinematographer has been provided with an invisible cloak, and has walked into a fractured household that is, over the death of a loved one, tearing itself apart.

I really like how the island encapsulates the feeling of being trapped; the protagonist is unable to escape from the past and is constantly toiling with the effects of wanting to build a life for himself away from his alcoholic, and at times abusive, father.

Tilly Keeper of "You" makes an appearance, and proves that she can take on a variety of roles. She is rather different here than her Lady Phoebe character on the popular Netflix series.

In short, this film is a difficult watch, but for all the right reasons, and it's certainly one that deserves the time. It also doesn't outstay it's welcome, with a tight 1 hr 20 mins running time.

It's clearly produced on a budget, but credit to this creative and innovative team for making it work. Can't wait to see more from this cast and crew!

Fantastic film, from start to finish. The pinnacle of what many have since referred to as the second coming of "the golden age of cinema".

Not only does it pace well, and keep you on the edge of your seat, it also plays to a wide audience range. From kids to adults, this film is highly marketable - probably a reason behind its both financial and critical acclaim.

Spielberg set out, as I understand, to produce a one-time summer blockbuster, which has turned into one of the most beloved franchises of all time.

No doubt the original is the best - although it remains to be seen with the 5th due to come out soon...