Paterson (2016)
Director: Jim Jarmusch
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Paterson (Jim Jarmusch, 2016)
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Finally saw “Wonka” this week (wanted to bring the nephew and neice patrol to see it closer to Christmas but there was some question about whether there would be too-scary parts for the sensitive ones but now having seen it, I think there was nothing that would be particularly scary for even very young children (old enough to sit through a movie, five or six), maybe some close-ups of sneering adults. However; no frightening imagery/characters or sequences.
My main takeaways:
Tenderness and optimism needed to make a comeback in family friendly fare, after the past few years of post COVID upheaval and the lingering bleak vibe that’s been shading culture, since.
“Wonka” hits a sincere mark with its sweetness that feels like a cultural catharsis for weary families.
It’s also a gentle education for kids about organized corruption and how it works; what cartels are, how they develop, how people talk themselves into engaging in corruption or “selling out” based on interests and human weaknesses and snobbery. The villains in “Wonka” aren’t just caricatures, even at their most comedically buffoonish; the audience is shown how these figures developed their senses of entitlement and the excuses they make to themselves about why it’s okay to participate in corruption and abuse people (i.e., “it’s legal”, “you signed a contract”, “I have an addiction”, “if we don’t maintain absolute control our companies will collapse”, etc.)
Chalamet’s tone was just perfect for the origin story of this character. I haven’t seen such a convincing presentation of a childlike creative, since Ed Norton’s disarming portrayal of Sheldon Mopes in “Death to Smoochy.” It’s a hard line to walk, to play a character who is eccentric yet sweet, who connects with sincerely pure intentions to the dreams of children, without coming across as (even if only slightly) creepy. Chalamet convincingly comes across as a true friend to “Noodle” (a touchingly weary performance by Caleh Francie Lane) with a guardian instinct who is unwaveringly trustworthy.
Wilder’s Wonka has long been known for his gently cynical, slightly demented sense of humor but by the end of the 1971 version, you see Wonka’s quietly bitter, sardonic facade crack and reveal the gooey center often found in those who build a hard exterior shell to deflect the pummeling cruelties of the world. When it’s revealed that all Wonka wanted was a child pure of heart to inherit his factory, “Wonka”(2023) shows us where that came from; his childhood heart had lead him to his dream (supported by the pure and unconditional love he remembered from his Mother). He’d nearly lost faith that such goodness could still exist in a cynical, shallow and materialistic modern world until he saw the sincerity and goodness in Charlie and it brought him back from his doubt. That is the Wonka we see in this film: The Wonka who believes.
Overall, visually it was whimsical without being too strictly stylistic. There was an organic feel to costume design and spaces but subtly so. It didn’t feel cartoonishly dark, grimy or graphic as often seems the tendency in these “magical realism” type adaptations and/or productions. The fabrics look just natural enough, the visuals are bright without looking psychedelic or vintage carnivalesque. It just dips a toe into that for the dance sequences, (*Spoilers*!) chocolate shop reveal and zoo visit.
There were many strong performances in it with a range of different comedic styles interweaving quite well but this was just my initial hot take on the film. I was most struck by how tender it was, credit Chalamet’s portrayal for setting that refreshing tone. This is indeed the Wonka we need right now and it will even make you like Wilder’s portrayal a little better when you see a continuity of principles and life’s purpose for the character.
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Sam Winston: ‘A Delicate Sight’, Texts by Raymond Antrobus, Bernardine Evaristo, Don Paterson, and Max Porter, Designed by A Practice for Everyday Life, London, 2021
Plus: a twenty-minute film about darkness, creativity and life beyond the screen. Featuring Raymond Antrobus, Bernardine Evaristo, Don Paterson, Max Porter and Sam Winston
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quieter movies
pather panchali (1955), bengali
valerie and her week of wonders (1960), czech
where is the friend's house (1987), persian
the scent of green papaya (1993), vietnamese
in the mood for love (2000), cantonese
uncle boonmee who can recall his past lives (2010), thai
ida (2013), polish
paterson (2016), english
roma (2018), spanish
portrait of a lady on fire (2019), french
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