FAMILIAR TOUCH

We all respond well to a familiar touch. Familiar touches are important when we are young. And, as this humane film reminds us, when we are old.

Familiar Touch was made in collaboration with residents at Bella Vista and persisted Living. It is an American facility, looking very comfortable, more spacious individual rooms than might have been expected, pleasant dining room, outdoor pool…

Which means that audiences in different generations will be looking at the film and responding to it in different ways. The oldest generation, who can identify with the central character, Ruth Goldman, a most persuasive performance by veteran Kathleen Chalfant, looking and sounding like a mix between Glenn Close and Meryl Streep, who is 86 with incipient dementia. As she says towards the end of the film, able to draw the conclusion, “this is where I will spend the rest of my life”. A perspective of reluctance and acceptance.

The next generation down in age might be thinking about parents and the future, how long they can stay at home, the need for going into care – or watching the film and remembering their experiences with their parents and care.

And one hopes that younger generations will look at the film with great sympathy, perhaps thinking that the events for their own lives are remote in the future but that the film will help them to appreciate what the elders are thinking and feeling.

The film sets a tone with its opening, spending quite some moments with Ruth going through her clothes closet, trying to decide what she will wear. And, then, as she prepares breakfast, taking the piece of toast from the toaster and putting it in the rack for drying crockery. And then her son comes to take her away. She thinks he is a visitor, is prepared to go on a surprise trip with him, trying to cope when she arrives at Bella Vista.

The way the film communicates Ruth’s experience is in a series of episodes, sitting at her first breakfast and asking whether there is a menu; her going into the kitchen thinking that it is hers and telling the sheriff and assistant what to do, their benignly allowing her to think the kitchen is hers and to prepare the fruit salad. But, later, a Valentine’s Day celebration is too much for her and she wanders away, down the street, going to a supermarket and buying fruit and vegetables…

In fact, the staff are very sympathetic, Carolyn Michelle as Vanessa something of her nursing companion, a strong and sensitive woman. And there is Brian, the doctor, testing her memory, taking her blood pressure, patiently responding to her chatter and conversations.

The writer-director, Sara Friedland, spent time as a carer in such a home and draws on that as well as the experiences of the residents and staff collaborating with the film to offer us 90 minutes of more gentle consideration of what can happen to each of us in our senior years.

Reviewed by Fr. Peter Malone, MSC

US, 2024, 90 minutes, Colour.
Kathleen Chalfant, Carolyn Michelle, Andy McQueen, H.Jon Benjamin.
Directed by Sara Friedland.

For more info: Familiar Touch (wikipedia)

EZRA

While there have been a number of films dramatising autism and its effect on those on the spectrum (for example the very striking Temple Granted with Claire Danes), this is a very audience-friendly look at an autistic boy.

Audiences will be sensitive to the issues, the emergence of awareness of autism in more recent decades, consequences for family life and parenting, for education opportunities whether in the community or specialised schools, the issues of medication for “normalising” the autistic person.

The screenplay for this film was written by Tony Spiridakis, based on his own experience with his son and, as he has noted, his learning how to finally step back from trying to control his son’s life. He has been a long-time friend of the actor-director, Tony Goldwyn, and Goldwyn has directed this film as well as taking a small role.

‘The film also had multiple autistic crew members on set to ensure its authenticity. Other cast members were directly related to a family member who has autism. Throughout the production, the creators screened different versions to the autism community for feedback.’ (Wikipedia entry on the film.) This is the case with Robert De Niro who plays the grandfather here.

Film opens with Ezra aged about 11, having great difficulties at school, fighting, on the verge of being suspended. Young William A.Fitzgerald is very convincing as Ezra. His parents are divorcing. He lives with his mother, Jenna, Rose Byrne, devoted, anxious, supported by her lawyer, Tony Goldwyn. But there are frequent visits from his father, Max, Bobby Cannavale very powerful and emotionally-charged in perhaps his best screen performance. He plays a stand-up comic and writer, taking his son to the performances as his supportive Mojo. However, he wants his son to be “normal”, in ordinary school with ordinary students, and is highly suspicious of any medication for the autistic condition.

Max lives with his father Stan, De Niro, asserted past which need some kind of resolution and apology.

The film dramatises the plight of the young boy, determined, sometimes fixated in autistic mode, devoted to each of his parents.

After an incident, almost an accident with Ezra being injured on the street, Max’s tension becomes even higher, assaulting the doctor in the hospital, arrested, a restraining order, becoming desperate and kidnapping his son, intending to travel to Los Angeles for a spot on the Jimmy Kimmel show, organised by his agent, played by Whoopi Goldberg.

With police intervention, Max takes refuge in the home of an old friend, a sympathetic Vera Farmiga, whose daughter involves Ezra in play, and introducing him to a horse, patting it, befriending it, some moments of freedom and joy.

The climax occurs in the Jimmy Kimmel studio, Jenna arriving with Max’s father, the police and the authorities, clash, Max arrested.

However, there is a more peaceful ending, Max calming down, Jenna and caring for Ezra – and an enjoyable Jimmy Kimmel show postscript.

An audience-friendly film on issues of autism.

Reviewed by Fr. Peter Malone, MSC

US, 2023, 101 minutes, Colour.
Bobby Cannavale, William E.Fitzgerald, Rose Byrne, Robert De Niro, Whoopi Goldberg,
Tony Goldwyn, Rainn Wilson, Vera Framiga, Matilda Lawler.
Directed by Tony Goldwyn.

TEILHARD Visionary Scientist

“God does not make the world. God makes the world make itself without God’s interference.”

Is that our idea of God, of the cosmos, of evolution? In the past, not so much agreement but, in more recent decades, a more visionary perspective on science and on religion.

The author of the quotation is the Jesuit scientist Teilhard de Chardin (1881-1955). For those who want to know who Teilhard was, how we came to his insights and conclusions, what it was like to be a prophet (not always welcome in his own country), what it was like to be enthralled by the cosmos, to be a visionary (sometimes hailed, sometimes ridiculed and denounced), then here is an exhilarating two hours to introduce Teilhard or to become re-acquainted with Teilhard de Chardin, to become aware that we live in Le Milieu Divin (no need for translation).

This documentary by Frank and Mary Frost has been, literally, years in the making. As for so much from its long production (no matter how demanding for the filmmakers and their supporters). Travel to actual locations, tracking down photos and footage, lining up interviews and commentary. The visuals of the film are often magnificent, so much location photography – France for Teilhard’s early life and teaching career in Paris, England for his religious studies, China for his archaeological ventures, the US where he was “exiled” and where he died. Quite a range of locations which help bring Teilhard’s life to life.

The footage, as expected, includes many photos but also news and home film, which means that Teilhard is not just a character of books and articles but we see him as a person, joys and sorrows.

And, also as expected, quite a range of interviewees, many Jesuits as is fitting, scientists, museum curators…

In a way, one could say that Teilhard lived too early, a late 19^th century figure soon after Darwin, in the spirit of the archaeological diggings of the early 20^th century. And his early years as a Jesuit and as a priest in the time of church leadership and campaigns and strictures against “Modernism”. Teilhard and his creative writings, science, religion, spirituality, mysticism, led to some 20^th century inquisitorial behaviour by those who were wary, sometimes shocked. And there were health and depression consequences for the targets.

A significant feature of Teilhard’s life, hands-on rather than philosophical/theological, was his four years as a stretcher bearer in World War I when he was in his mid-30s, surviving although some of his family did not. In many ways, war and archaeology, his life was down-to-earth.

But, back to the themes. First, some quotes:

Earth is throbbing with divine energy.

Matter is infused by spirit.

The traditional “Great Chain of Being” is a process, dynamic.

Teilhard died seven years before the opening of the Second Vatican Council and the greater opening up of Catholic thought from the 1960s which meant a greater awareness of what Teilhard wrote, its being more widely appreciated and accepted – and, as this film shows, still an inspiration for our times.

US, 2024, 117 minutes, Colour. Directed by Frank and Mary Frost.

Reviewed by Fr. Peter Malone, MSC

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE

Probably best to say at the outset, Deadpool & Wolverine is beyond review. Within two weeks of its opening around the world, its box office is almost $1 billion. Which means that worldwide, it has been instantly seen by millions. With much more to follow.

It does raise an interesting 2024 question concerning the two films which have been most successful, Inside Out 2 and Deadpool and Wolverine. What they have in common is the animation/cartoon style. And they appeal to a wide audience. However, Inside Out 2 is appealing to deeper human feelings, to sensitivity and empathy. Deadpool & Wolverine is appealing to an emotional bonanza, excitement extravaganza, no holds barred, limitless imagination, potential cosmic destruction, violent visual conflict between good and evil, and superheroes to the rescue. And, not exactly modestly, Deadpool considers himself as a world saviour, a ‘Marvel Jesus’, booking his place in future Christ-figure studies.

There were a lot of writers for this film, including Ryan Reynolds, and it is full of disposable, throwaway quips, some of them very funny, references to the ups and downs of the Marvel film franchise, Disney, a collapsed Fox logo, to Hugh Jackman and his divorce, but there for the attentive satirical ear.

And the film presupposes favourable response to Deadpool in the Ryan Reynolds style (and a later Reynolds variation appears, over nice with the pet dog, Dogpool). Wade Wilson with his mixed history and burnt face, is eager to be in Avengers story, but put on hold. However, as always with American films, there is a bureaucratic British villain, Matthew McFadyen (now widely-known because of his presence in Succession). There is a bureau for saving timelines, there is a threat to the universe, Deadpool is there to combat but the only person he wants to work with is Wolverine. (And a bevy of jokes about a range of alternate Wolverines, visualised comically, all Hugh Jackman-aggressive). Probably this is the moment in a review to mention what one might call hyper-frequent coarse language.

There are also constant references to the previous Deadpool films as well as to the many X-Men films which fans will enjoy (and quite some entertaining references during the final credits). A surprise for the early viewers of the film but now everybody knows, a lot of cameos from previous superheroes like Wesley Snipes as Blade, Jennifer Garner as Electra, and especially Chris Evans as Captain America and a French-accented Channing Tatum. Even Ryan Reynolds’ wife, Blake Lively, appears as Lady Deadpool!

While it is acknowledged with specific reference to Furiosa, a large part of the early film is an extravagant variation on the Mad Max movies. Then we discover a new villain, Cassandra (Emma Corrin), a bald half sister of Patrick Stewart’s Charles (though he and, up till now, we, never knew about her). And she has super destructive powers. Which leads to quite a lot of mayhem, extravagantly high body count, the confrontation with a legion of Deadpool variations and their slaughter – but the power of regeneration and the possibility of it all over again.

So, it looks as though this is the entertainment to cheer worldwide audiences in the Groupe of so many war tensions, civil wars and invasions, terrorism of 2024. As they say, the audiences have been lapping it up – but, those with more restrained sensibilities, might find it more than they can gulp or swallow.

Reviewed by Fr. Peter Malone, MSC

US, 2024, 128 minutes, Colour.

Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin, Matthew McFadyen, Jon Favreau, Marina Baccarin, Rob Delaney, Leslie opens, Jennifer Garner, Wesley Snipes, Channing Tatum, Chris Evans, Henry Cavill, Tyler Mane, Blake Lively, Nathan Fillion, Matthew McConnaughey.

Directed by Shawn Levy.

Deadpool & Wolverine (wikipedia)

VICTORIA & ABDUL

A film that has broad appeal to most audiences.

Lest anyone think or suspect that this picture of Queen Victoria is a throwback to 19th century ra-ra Empire days and glorification of the Victorian era, there is quite a lot of Britons satirising themselves and their past in the early part of this film.

Yes, it is a picture of Queen Victoria. One might say that it is something of a warts and all picture, highlighting how crusty she could be but also how lonely she could be in her record-breaking long reign. And, since she is played once again by Judi Dench, the impact on the audience is particularly strong. In searching for a word to describe Judi Dench’s performance, this reviewer would decide on the word “perfect”.

The title is something of a surprise except for those who are experts on the reign of Queen Victoria. The opening of the film says that it is based on real events and then adds “mostly”. A look at the rather long Wikipedia entry about Abdul Karim shows that the events in the film and the characterisation seem to be quite strongly true to life.

We know who Queen Victoria is from the many films about her reign. In 1997 we even saw Judi Dench, in an Oscar-nominated performance, as Queen Victoria in Mrs Brown and her strong friendship with the Scotsman, John Brown. In this film, John Brown has been dead for some time and there is an emotional hole in the heart of Queen Victoria. She has little satisfaction from her children, considering her rather profligate oldest son, Bertie (to be Edward VII) as an embarrassment. She has affection for some of the servants but the official members of her household seem to be career servants.

So, who is Abdul (very empathetic Indian actor, Ali Fazal)? He is a rather genial Moslem from Agra, a clerk in a prison, filing names and dates. He has given some opinions about a carpet sent to England for Queen Victoria’s Jubilee. He also has the advantage of being tall and so is chosen by British officials to go to London to present a special caulling to the Queen. He was to have the tall companion but this man had an accident with an elephant and so a rather shorter man goes, Mohammed (a very good comic role for Adeel Akhtar) who finds it very difficult going to England, being there, finding the food and manners barbaric, longing for home, but able to criticise England in a British terms, a bloody terrible place.

At this time, Victoria is nearing 70, describing herself as a crusty, greedy old lady, fat but an inordinate love for power. She has servants galore, to dress her, to wait at table for ambassadorial functions (and the banquet scene with all the servants and livery, the cooks in the kitchen, the little boy running up the corridor with announcements, is enough to stir aggressively socialist attitudes in the audience). And there are rituals, especially for the presentation of the medal with strict instructions not to look at the Queen.

Abdul does.

The Queen is interested in him, attracted to him, favours him, having him as an advisor, teaching her Urdo, appointing him her Munshie, religious mentor. And the friendship becomes closer over the years, allowing him to go back to India to bring his wife and mother-in-law, wearing burkhas, allowing him more access to her presence than many of her staff, taking him to Scotland and Balmoral and picnics in the Highlands, for a visit to Florence (and a meeting with Simon Callow as Puccini, truly hamming it up).

The film becomes more and more serious as it progresses, especially with the Royal household becoming more and more antipathetic to Abdul, insulting and racist in their comments and behaviour, conspiring to dishonour him in the Queen’s eyes, invoking Bertie (Eddie Izzard) who certainly does not approve of his mother and her seeming insanity.

This makes the drama all the more interesting, offering insights into the work of the Queen as head of state, her state duties and responsibilities, her decisions, the influence of the Prime Minister (Michael Gambon), the head of the household, Sir Henry Ponsonby (Tim Piggott- Smith).

The film moves to the death of Queen Victoria in 2001, the reaction of Edward VII to Abdul, Abdul and his return to India and his complete loyalty and devotion to the monarch who favoured him.

Given the Muslim ascendancy in today’s world as well as fears of and antagonism towards Muslim asylum seekers and refugees, this is a timely entertainment to alert audiences, especially Western audiences, to prejudices and intolerant behaviour.

The film was written by Lee Hall, who also wrote Billy Elliot, and directed by Stephen Frears who directed The Queen and directed Judi Dench as Philomena. It is quite sumptuous to look at. It is often very funny at the expense of upper-class 19th century aristocrats. It is serious in its reflections on the role of the British Empire, especially its presence in India, it is exploitation of Indians and the move towards independence.

In all aspects, it is very interesting and enjoyable.

Reviewed by Fr. Peter Malone, MSC

UK, 2017, 112 minutes, Colour.
Judi Dench, Ali Fazal, Tim Piggott- Smith, Olivia Williams, Michael Gambon,
Simon Callow, Eddie Izzard, Fenella Woolgar, Adeel Akhtar, Julian Wadham.
Directed by Stephen Frears.

Info about the film (Wikipedia)

THE GENTLEMEN

Some of them might look like gentleman – but they certainly don’t sound like gentleman (a surfeit of swearing which indicates that they are criminals, but might be a bit wearing for some of the potential audience). This is a story about British class.

The film was written and directed by Guy Ritchie who in the late 1990s and early 2000s cornered some of the market in British gangster films, Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch, Rock ‘n’ Rolla and then had success with Robert Downey Jr and Jude law as Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson. More latterly, he worked for Disney and directed the live-remake of Aladdin.

But he is definitely back in England, back in the criminal world where many of the drug criminals present themselves as gentlemen and even make contacts with the impoverished upper class to fund them by leasing out secret areas of their properties for growing marijuana.

As with Ritchie’s other films, there are strong characters and characterisations combined with a great number of comic touches, playing with some of the conventions of the gangster film for exaggeration and laughs (and some plot twists that we definitely might not have seen coming).

There is an explanation why the American Matthew McConaughey has set up drug operations in London, sent to the University but finding his vocation in drug dealing, growing, and a sometimes suave, sometimes vicious, ability with standover tactics.

However, the story is being told by Fletcher, like the rollout of a screenplay. He is a newshound with an eye to scandal and blackmail. As soon as Fletcher opens his mouth and we see that he is a bespectacled Hugh Grant in this different kind of role for him and not sounding at all like Hugh Grant, much lower class, Grant has already stolen the film and continues to do so right throughout. However, he has some solid competition from Colin Farrell in a supporting role as a sports coach who allows himself to be caught up in the shenanigans as well as the violence. Both Hugh Grant and Colin Farrell are well worth seeing – and hearing.

There are also some very good performances from other members of the cast but they have to play the straight man and woman rolls. There is Charlie Hunnam as McConaughey’s assistant, listening to Fletcher’s story, continually trying to outwit him, and the audience seeing him more active in some of the violent flashbacks. There is Jeremy Strong as an American rival to McConaughey, wanting to buy him out but, at the same time, wanting to sabotage him so that the price will be lowered. There aren’t many women in The Gentleman, the main female character being McConaughey’s wife, played in a tough step down from Lady Mary at Downton Abbey.

There are also some Asians in London trying to get in on the act but they are doomed to failure. Henry Golding, remembered from Crazy Rich Asians and Last Christmas, is not so persuasive as an ambitious-to-be drug lord.

The film is very cleverly put together, Fletcher’s story and the range of flashbacks, quite a few twists to save people from deaths, some ironic satire in the characterisations, in the upper and lower class behaviour, quite a literate script (making allowance for such a number of four-letter explosions), that make it all work.

Reviewed by Fr. Peter Malone, MSC

UK, 2019, 113 minutes.
Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam, Hugh Grant, Colin Farrell,
Jeremy Strong, Henry Golding, Michelle Dockery, Eddie Marsan.
Directed by Guy Ritchie.

WISH

A Disney animation feature to celebrate 100 years of Disney. Sadly, critics were harsh on the film as were blogs and comments from the public.

The intention was to continue with the line of Disney heroines, thinking Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and, of course, the heritage from Frozen. (And, during the final credits, there are sketched characters from all the celebrated Disney films.)

The film has a strong voice cast, led by Chris Pine as the malicious King, Magnifico, Ariana DeBose, Oscar winner for West Side Story, as Asha, the 17-year-old who wants to audition to be an apprentice to the King. She is attractive. She is feisty. She is certainly in the tradition – but not exactly a Princess until the end. She is active, she has cared for everyone, she confronts the King, wishes upon a star who materialises, leads the strategy against the King.

The film starts with storybook visuals on pages and narrative – and ends with a happy ever after with the book.

In the meantime, there are a number of supporting characters including a three weeks old goat with a fine accent, there is Asha’s hundred-year-old grandfather and her mother, a number of friends and servants as well as the population of this island community, which had welcomed everyone from everywhere, in the Mediterranean.

With her audition, Asha discovers the malice of Magnifico, starting benign, resorting to sorcery, becoming ever more powerful, and even more avaricious of greater power. His main song lyric is “I get what I want”. But, ultimately Asha, with the help of the disillusioned queen, finds a strategy with the help of the star she has twist upon and appears to overcome Magnifico, but not without great dangers to herself.

The young audience will be taken with the story, the eccentric and funny characters, the heroine, and the evil King. An older audience might spend some time thinking that it is all an allegory about fascist dictators, initially charming, subjects loyal, becoming more and more evil and possessive, exercising power ruthlessly, wanting complete domination.

So, in comparison with other Disney films, it is rather slight, but quietly enjoyable in its limited way.

PS. It was not only this reviewer thinking of the allegory of fascism but a shrewd blogger takes it all further…Fascinating cultural study on capitalism by TopTenJesus2000:

So what I believe Disney was doing with Wish was to tell kids not to spend their time wishing away their lives by consuming Disney products and movies. When you place your hopes and dreams into the hands of a power greater than you, such as corporate Disney, you become a slave to what they want serving only to make them more powerful and you weaker.

It’s a bizarrely subversive hit on themselves.

Reviewed by Fr. Peter Malone, MSC

US, 2023, 95 minutes, Colour.
Voices of: Ariana DeBose, Chris Pine, Alan Tudyk, Angelique Cabral,
Victor Garber, Natasha Rothwell, Jennifer Kumiyama, Evan Peters, Ramy Youssef.
Directed by Chris Buck, Fawn Veersunthorn.

Wikipedia: WISH

EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE, ALL AT ONCE

Judging by reviews, bloggers, box office, everyone, everywhere, is wanting to watch this film all at once. And, if you decide to see it, you are in for what they usually call a wild ride. Perhaps it might be better to say wild, weird ride.

Before we get to everywhere, there has to be a where. Actually, it is as prosaic as a coin laundry, managed by Evelyn (the ever-versatile Michelle Yeoh) and Waymond (former child star Ke Huy Quan). Evelyn is busy, busy, busy, Waymond worried, thinking of a divorce. They have a visit from their daughter, Joy (Stephanie Hsu), bringing her girlfriend, Becky, exasperated by the hold her mother has over her. And, upstairs, there is Gong Gong, Evelyn’s father (James Hong filming at age 80). So, prospects of a lively domestic drama – compounded when they go off to the IRS building with their tax documentation, encountering a very severe auditor, Jamie Lee Curtis.

But, then the first part of the title comes up on screen, Everything. And, off we go, barely stopping for another two hours of screen time. The two writers and directors, using the common name Daniels, (Dan Kwan, Daniel Scheinert) came into some prominence with their The Swiss Army Man, but they have made a number of short films and videos. They bring all their talents from these backgrounds, a kaleidoscope of ideas and images and music, non-stop. (So far the film has received one award – for Best Editing, Paul Rogers, heartily endorsed by this reviewer, wondering how it worked in the editing room with hundreds of short pieces to be edited coherently. Coherently might be an overstatement but, as we watch the film, it is pacey, exciting, sometimes breathtaking, and unexpectedly working well.

So, off into the multiverse, relying on our familiarity with strange powers in the universe, gizmos for mind control, exciting special effects, and always the unexpected. At one stage one of the characters remarks in an understatement, not typical of the whole dynamic of the film, “I’m a little lost”. And, this is an Odyssey in the multiverse for Evelyn, showing Michelle’s Yeoh’s multi-versatility, serious, dramatic, some martial arts, music, a bewildered mother facing so many of the possible lives she might have led, trying to work out which life she is in, especially with her husband turning up in all kinds of guises, the quiet man at the laundry, a dapper suit and tie gentleman, touches of the android.

And, who is cast as the villain, but Joy. And, as the film progresses, this is a film about family reconciliation, regrets about the past, Evelyn confronting Gong Gong as an evil power and memories of a harsh father, Joy and emotional rivalry.

After about an hour of this, the second part of the title comes up on screen, Everywhere. That is rather misleading because, in fact, we have already been Everywhere. And, it is more of the same, in the different universes, Evelyn’s sudden changing lives, encountering her family in different guises, conflict, resolution, possibilities.

And, by the way, the tax auditor turns up quite a deal, initially fighting with Evelyn, finally becoming reconciled and friends – and a pleasure to see Jamie Lee Curtis again.

When the third part of the title appears on screen, All at Once, it is almost the end of the film, quietening down a bit, reminding us that whatever our existential imaginations might conjure, whatever our cosmology of the universes, we live here, and have to live our lives in our here and now limitations.

Safe to say you won’t find many more films (any films?) like this! 

Postscript 2023: Winner of 7 Oscars including Best Film, Director, Screenplay, and 3 acting awards.

Reviewed by Fr. Peter Malone, MSC

US, 2021, 137 minutes, Colour.
Michelle Yeoh,  Stephanie Hsu, Ke Huy Quan, James Hong,
Jamie Lee Curtis, Tallie Medel, Jenny Slate Harry Shum Jr.
Directed by Daniels (Dan Kwan, Daniel Scheinert)

More info from wikipedia

WONKA

Everyone knows the name, Willy Wonka. He first appeared in Roald Dahl’s story in 1964 and a subsequent story in 1972. Roald Dahl has been one of the most popular storytellers, especially for younger audiences, with such titles as Matilda, The Witches, James and the Giant Peach…

But, Willy Wonka is known far more widely than his readers with the 1971, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, with the engaging Gene Wilder, and the popular songs, Pure Imagination, and the Oompa Loompa song (both in this present film but not The Candy Man). Tim Burton did a reinvention of Willy Wonka with Johnny Depp in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Now, here is a prequel. Where did Willy Wonka come from, where did he learn how to make chocolate, his relationship with his mother, his ambitions to open a chocolate store, a nicely naive young man setting out on an adventure. The screenplay actually takes a number of issues from the original story, especially the villainous chocolate cartel entrepreneurs and their opposition to Willy Wonka.

So, quite a lot of plot for a prequel. However, this new film is also designed as a musical, rather reminiscent of the film versions of Broadway musicals (and, most probably, Wonka is destined for Broadway and beyond). The new songs are pleasant even if not so memorable as Pure Imagination, sung nicely by the various characters with lyrics that illustrate their characters and the situations – the most memorable, perhaps, involving the repetition and the beat of the word, Scrub.

The film has been co-written and directed by Paul King who became a great favourite with his very pleasing and entertaining Paddington films. He brings the same sensibility to Wonka.

And, to be the new Willy Wonka, here is Timothee Chalamet who has already proven himself as a substantial actor on screen presence in dramas and comedies but, especially as Paul Atreides in Dune – and Dune 2 scheduled for release in 2024. He is quite small, very young-looking, a blend of the innocent and the ambitious, remembering his mother (a cameo by Sally Hawkins), generous, but shocked to discover the greed of a venal world. And the tag, “the greedy always beat the needy” often repeated throughout the film.

There is something rather Dickensian about the early sequences, Wonka encountering an ultra-Dickensian landlady played by Olivia Coleman. And Wonka is sentenced to a long imprisonment below the boarding house, a workhouse laundry, with a different assortment of penalised characters, especially a young girl, Noodle, who tries to save Wonka. Amongst those down below is the former accountant of the cartel, played by Jim Carter, liberated from Downton Abbey.

Willy Wonka has a chest full of ingredients for chocolate, a magician’s capacity for multiplying chocolates with the most exquisite tastes and physical and psychological effects, leading to a lot of comedy turns. He concocts a plan to escape from the laundry with Noodles’ help, then with the help of the others, to find the cooked books of the cartel and expose them. However, they have their allies, the chief of police, the chocoholic Keegan-Michael Key (and his fat suit, fatter suit, fattest suit after his choc indulgence), and the chocoholic priest, Rowan Atkinson this time with no weddings but one funeral.

The cartel is sinister, led by the aggressive Patterson Joseph, aided by Matt Lucas with an orange wig which falls off, and Matthew Baynton who chokes whenever he tries to say the word “poor” and gags when others see it. They are due for a comeuppance.

And, the Oompa Loompas? Well worth awaiting the arrival of a miniature Hugh Grant as Lofty, resentful that Wonka has stolen his special beans and demanding repayment. Hugh Grant has been sending himself up in recent films and obviously is enjoying this escapade, a heroic rescue for Wonka and Noodles – and a kind of MC entertainment during the final credits!

Roald Dahl is often quite dark in his stories. Even though Wonka is very light, there are the three villains, there is the corrupt chief of police and priest, and a dire attempt on the life of Willy Wonka and Noodle.

This is quite a lavishly produced entertainment, incorporating happy memories of Willy Wonka from the past, drawing us into his extraordinary chocolate world yet again.

Reviewed by Fr. Peter Malone, MSC

US/UK, 2023, 116 minutes, Colour.
Timothee Chalamet, Calaha Lane, Hugh Grant, Olivia Coleman, Keegan-Michael Key, Jim Carter, Patterson Joseph, Matt Lucas, Matthew Baynton, Freya Parker, Rakhee Thakrar, Natasha Rothwell, Rich Fulcher, Colin O’Brien, Sally Hawkins, Rowan Atkinson, Rufus Jones, Tom Davis, Kobna Holdrook-Smith.
Directed by Paul King

More Information about the film.

WINNERS

The cinema industry in Iran has, for decades, been outstanding, a succession of world-renowned directors, writers, producers, performers, presence at many festivals, many awards. This is the background to this entertaining film, made by Iranian-Scottish writer-director, our son knows there. He is from Aberdeen but has written this story about life in the run, a country village, bringing it to life, its Post Office, homes and television, school, children and the rubbish heap’s for collecting and selling plastic, all with the background of Uranian cinema.

This film could be called Oscar, or the Adventures of Oscar – that is, the Academy Award winning statuette, the statue awarded to Asgard variety for The Salesman, the best Foreign Language Film, 2017, and the director not going to Hollywood because of Donald Trump’s banning of travellers from Iran. Here it is being brought home by an assistant who inadvertently leaves it in the taxi, the taxi driver upset, taking it to a country Post Office, an assistant of 28 years borrowing it for photos and losing it in the desert, its being found by a young boy – and many unexpected consequences.

Many Iranian films focus on stories of children and this is very much in this vein, the excellent presence of the boy, Passer mug Army, poor, his mother rousing on him for his television and film watching, very knowledgeable about films, eager to see Cinema Paradiso, DVD supplied by his friend at the rubbish heap. In charge of the rubbish heap is an elderly man who turns out to be an actor (with the actor himself assuming a character but with reference to his winning the Silver Bear in Berlin, 2008, four colour).

The film has the light touch, some serious themes about actors, becoming victims of celebrity, wanting to retire, themes of children, school bullying, themes of poverty in the Uranian countryside.

The thought occurs that if a British version of the screenplay had been available in the 1950s, it would have been the making of a wonderful Ealing Studios comedy.

Reviewed by Fr. Peter Malone, MSC

More info on WINNERS (Film)

UK, 2022, 85 minutes, Colour.
Reza Naji, Parsa Maghami, Hossein Abedini, Helia Mohammadkhani.
Directed by Hassan Nazer.