There’s something so uncanny about Timothée Chalamet’s performance as Willy Wonka in Wonka. It’s tough to put your finger on it: What’s the dividing line between endearingly kooky Wonka and menacing Johnny Depp Wonka? Why is Timmy saying, “I’m making chocolate, of course,†in that voice? Does he look AI generated to anyone else? Just me?
But the answer’s actually pretty simple, which is that Chalamet is, for once, playing a happy little fellow! Chalamet’s got a grin on his face pretty much constantly throughout this thing, except for when he’s acting wide-eyed and befuddled or hare-brained and scheme-y, which are also somewhat rare modes for him. In movies, we’re used to seeing Timmy heartbroken, lovelorn, strung out, wise beyond his years, serious, or even smarmy, but never is he a purely jolly little magic man quite like this.
This is bad news for audiences who like to see Chalamet play a broody, moody boy, but great news for one specific demographic: Timothée Chalamet’s mom. On Good Morning America, Chalamet made an important amendment to a quote he gave to People last week, claiming Wonka was his maman’s favorite film of his. “She called me yesterday — she corrected me. She said Beautiful Boy was her favorite.†This made everyone in the studio laugh, surely because the 2018 opioid-crisis drama is straight-up not that great and by far his least-smiley role. Over the laughter, it sounds like Chalamet said he was joking, adding, “She didn’t,†although Variety is reporting it at face value, so we may have to reach out to his mom, iconic local real-estate agent Nicole Flender, for verification. “She did say, when she saw it, ‘It’s nice to see you smile,’†he clarified.
One out of one Timmy’s moms agree: Let him play happy guys!