Film Shapes

So, another origin story arrives on our screens. Considering the 1971 original Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is one of the best children's films ever made, it might have been wise to steer well clear of this Roald Dahl IP. Luckily, in the hands of writer/director Paul King and co-writer Simon Farnaby, Wonka justifies it's existence. Just.  Timothée Chalamet plays the young Wonka with a louche absurdism, channelling all the nuttiness of Gene Wilder but sadly, none of the edgy paedophobia. This scans in that it probably takes a long time to nurture that distaste for children that Wilder's Wonka displayed so winningly. Story goes, Wonka arrives on a ship at one of those cities that often appeared in 1960s and 70s films ( Chitty Chitty Bang Bang , the original Wonka , even Mary Poppins ) that represented American ideas of old Europe. Is it Germany? England? France? Austria? Call it Generic Europa and leave it at that. He is on a mission to sell his chocolatey wares ...