Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory (1971)

 

Before there was Johnny Depp... There was Gene Wilder. And that can only be a good thing.

It is cool in a children's movie to have the sinister-looking Günter Meisner as Mr. Slugworth (was there ever a more perfect actor for a dark leather coat and a swastika on his arm?) mysteriously show up and whisper in the children's ears. As for the child actors, some are good, and some less so (Cole and Nickerson particularly awful). Peter Ostrum as Charlie is decent (in his only film ever), at his best when acting against Jack Albertson. Albertson easily the best actor on show until Wilder. 

Wilder's entrance is the stuff of legends and his overly friendly demeanour towards his guests is a big improvement over the later Jackson, uh I mean Depp. It also leaves room for giggles and laughs as his more mischievous sides appear. And he really has a callous and direct side, made so much better by his warm smile and polite words. Furthermore, Wilder's body language is amazing. Something for all to study as seemingly every little movement has a meaning. His timing of the lines the same. A talent forgotten, unfortunately. 

Though CGI was unavailable in the 70's, they've managed to create quite the Wonka-world, and it makes me smile just thinking about all the creativity that went into all the minutiae details. 

As this is a musical, some of the film's quality will be dependant on whether or not you like the actual tunes. Personally, it's a bit hit-and-miss for me. Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley are good at the playful tones, but the ballads are a bore. It doesn't help the music that much of the cast are quite mediocre singers, and only Albertson can make up for it in charm.

So this film lacks CGI and decent child-actors, plus it has a few songs I definitely could have gone several lifetimes without hearing (though I've had to suffer through "All I want for Christmas is you" most Christmases so I guess it could be worse). What it does have is an ingenious Gene Wilder and a tight direction by Mel Stuart. Plus all the charm a wondrous tale for children (with plenty of joy for the adults) should have.

8/10

Jojo Rabbit (2019)

 A comedy about Nazi-Germany in todays politically correct society... Starting off with The Beatles "I want to hold your hand" with German lyrics... Oh my

Films with a kid front and centre is always a risk but Roman Griffin Davis delivers in a way Daniel Radcliffe wishes he could at his age. Not in an easy part either, was will become obvious further down. Taiki Waititi (also directing) is a most amusing Hitler, clearly taking inspiration from Dick Shawn's turn in the original "The Producers". And it's marvellous to see Scarlett Johansson's comical and more subtle talents at full scale after growing tired of her as an Avenger. The most excellent turn, however, comes from Thomasine McKenzie. Easily turning from fatigue and hopelessness to sneering threats at our little villainous protagonist. Displaying close to every emotion available to a teenager in her screen-time. Of the extras, there is special praise for Stephen Merchant as a ridiculously tall Gestapo-man. 

Generally, Waititi demands a lot of his actors, changing moods and pace in a heartbeat. It could have given a feeling of inconsistency, but it's mostly done with such thought and care, that it comes out as delightful little surprises. And he even manages real suspense at times. 

The film starts very-light hearted and fast-paced, but as it finds its core of morals and relationship development, it goes more jagged. There is real beauty in the emotional bond forming between our little Hitler-Jugend and the teenage Jewish girl in the attic. Truly a joy to behold. The humour does wander off at times, and you could lay a bit of blame on the director for abandoning too much of it, in exchange for the sentimentality that naturally surrounds the basis of the story. It's also a bit more hit and miss when applied.

Jojo Rabbit is a real roller-coaster, as it explores so many moods and emotions at such a blistering pace. And though Waititi doesn't really manage to keep it funny throughout, and gets a bit lost towards the end, this still is something you rarely see this days: A kind of film you haven't really seen before, made with genuine love for the project. And even if it hadn't been a very good film, that would still have been a good reason to see it.

8/10