Sweet Treat Is A Depp In The Right Direction

Sun Herald

Sunday September 4, 2005

Rob Lowing

CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY

Rated: PG

Starring: Johnny Depp, Freddie Highmore, Helena Bonham Carter, Noah Taylor.

Critic's warning: Scary squirrels, cows being whipped to make whipped cream.

Critic's rating: 8/10

IN an era of strident special effects, director Tim Burton cleverly opts for gentle whimsy in his Charlie And The Chocolate Factory. The result will be too quiet for some, and complaints after one preview included mumbling songs and misty visuals. But Burton respects the enduring appeal of Roald Dahl's popular 1964 story by spotlighting two great actors.

As the eccentric owner of a fabulous chocolate factory, Depp turns in his wiliest performance yet. It is not, as advance reports have it, a Michael Jackson-styled celebrity recluse but an emotionally addled eccentric genius, clad in 1960s pop star fashions.

It is another winning partnership for the actor and his director, who together made the equally beguiling fantasy Edward Scissorhands, the sly movie homage Ed Wood and the skittishly spooky Sleepy Hollow.

Meanwhile, Depp's Finding Neverland co-star Highmore is an adorable child hero. His smile lights up the screen and he effortlessly conveys the family togetherness theme that Burton neatly uses to stop his movie being just a shopping list of confectionary delights.

Charlie And The Chocolate Factory begins as desperately poor Charlie Bucket (Highmore) dreams of winning a Willy Wonka golden ticket. After closing his factory to prying eyes 15 years before, Willy (Depp) has announced that the five children who find a ticket will be allowed to visit his factory.

Even though you know the outcome, the set-up is delightfully suspenseful. Charlie will, as you know, win a golden ticket, along with greedy German lump Augustus Gloop, bratty rich girl Veruca Salt ("Daddy, make time go faster!"), ferociously competitive American Violet Beauregarde and violent video-game playing Mike Teevee.

The kids are dazzled by the factory's wonders, such as chocolate waterfalls and fudge mountains. But they soon discover that everything sweet has a sour side.

Comparisons with the 1971 movie which starred Gene Wilder are tricky. The original had a shiny crispness that Burton's film maybe lacks. However, the remake should score with the over-sevens. They'll enjoy the mouth-watering food and theme-park visuals, and the deadpan factory workers, the Oompa Loompas, who are all played by the same actor. (The film is too vivid for littlies).

Adults will appreciate the cast and amusing references to classic movies such as The Fly and 2001. Depp expertly makes Willy potentially menacing but never creepy while new sequences, such as flashbacks to Willy's unhappy childhood, provide jokes ("I'm sorry I was having a flashback") and a reason for his foibles. Australian Shine star Taylor is just right as Charlie's dad; Bonham Carter is mum while leprechaun-like David Kelly is perfect as Grandpa Joe.

The psychedelic colour swirls in the backgrounds and the unusual hand-tinted look to the characters' faces emphasise the fantasy without the usual Hollywood garishness. The music is a rollicking mix of pop and satire, with key songs such as Augustus Gloop Nincompoop written by Dahl himself.

© 2005 Sun Herald

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