Review: Timothée Chalamet's Wonka is splendiferous

Once experienced, it is impossible to forget the absolute magic that was 1971’s Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory – particularly the stunning titular turn of the late, great Gene Wilder.

Arguably Roald Dahl’s most famous character, eccentric chocolatier Willy Wonka was brought to life by Wilder in such sublime fashion that the two names were inseparable for decades.

Ironically, the magic of Wilder’s take on Wonka was only lost on Dahl himself, who reportedly described the film as “rather crummy”!

But for most us, the performance was quickly considered hallowed, and, indeed, it wasn’t until 2005 when another big name would dare to take the part on.

Johnny Depp’s portrayal of the fabled inventor of the Everlasting Gobstopper in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was disturbing, and while it was delivered with skill there was an undertone that prevented a sparkle matching Wilder’s Wonka from coming to the fore. Yet, this was not to be the last we would see of the character.

Eighteen years since Depp donned the iconic top hat, and 52 since Wilder before him, a rather talented young man is now taking the keys to the proverbial candy store. Star of the stunning Beautiful Boy and the hero of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune franchise, Timothée Chalamet possesses a Midas touch doubtlessly coveted by every actor of his generation, and a talent that, in terms of his contemporaries, is almost beyond compare.