By Evelyn Velazquez

Have you ever had chocolate like this? Willy Wonka is portrayed by French-American actor, Timothee Chalamet in 2023’s film Wonka.

It begins with an oceanic journey across nations, landing 22-year-old Wonka in the setting of the movie, England. We know this because almost all the actors have a British accent and the attire worn insinuates that this is 1930s English style.

Throughout the movie, Wonka faces financial troubles as he is now living abroad without much knowledge of saving money or spending adequately, landing him imprisoned in a scam artist’s laundromat, “Scrubbit & Bleachit’s”.

While in captivity, Wonka cannot be stopped. His chocolate making tendencies lead to mystical and seemingly magical effects. Though that’s never actually explained in the movie, this makes the movie more fun.

As the movie progresses Wonka’s chocolate frequently save him and his other prison mates in many predicaments, such as luring a giraffe in a church,  sneaking into a zoo, and stopping the chocolate cartel! 

The musical numbers in this movie are phenomenal, and during scenes of the movie, tracks are often foreshadowed or repeated in the background instrumentally. For example, “Sweet tooth” – sung by Arthur Slugworth along with his two rivals Mr. Felix Fickelgruber and Mr. Gerald Prodnose  – was played many times when the chocolate cartel came on screen. 

The use of certain instruments affects the viewer’s mood. Like when a minor tune is played, it makes listeners feel melancholy. Whereas a major tune would excite the listeners and provoke glee. 

“For a moment,” sung by Kalah Lane and Timothee Chalamet as a duet, is the best track in my opinion. It was so emotional and dream-like, giving off a somber but eager mood. 

All in all, in my opinion Wonka was truly a work of art. It was a well-rounded, feel-good movie that made me very happy. I would recommend this to my friends and family, because even though the concept seems childish, Wonka is a very good movie for teens, children and adults alike. It has a universal appeal, that’s for sure.