We are off to hollywood! ( kinda) by Sappymoosetree
Published in December 2007
It is quite a nice mental image to conjure up, of a host of Hollywood’s top producers sitting around a shiny, round table trying to think up a word which rhymed with “emporium”. As I like to think about it, some youthful executive had the eureka moment: he jumped up in the air and shouted “Magorium”, and in that second, Mr Magorium’s Wonder Emporium was born.
If this all sounds a little silly to you, then I make no apologies, because I think that this is the spirit that this film should be taken in. Written and directed by Zach Helm, the film tells the story of a magic toy shop, full of fantastic inventions that would have even made Roald Dahl jealous. There are flying fish, magical books, colourful explosions and lots of pre-adolescents running about screaming.
Being cinema, this happy existence isn’t set to last without a certain amount of trouble. Mr Edward Magorium, played by Dustin Hoffman, has reached the ripe old age of 243 and is planning to retire. He intends to leave the shop to his timid employee Molly Mohoney (Natalie Portman) who is overwhelmed by the responsibility. Things are then mixed up horribly by the appearance of an awkward accountant (Jason Bateman) who can’t accept that the shop has a life of its own, leading to a host of difficulties for the young Mohoney to overcome.
Mr Magorium’s Wonder Emporium smacks rather heavily of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Molly Mahoney is a sort of 21st century Charlie Bucket, struggling to come to terms with her inheritance. However, with a fine cast and one of the best film titles of the year, it could just be worth a visit.
Filed under: Films | Tagged: bateman, bucket, charlie, chocolate, dahl, distin, emporium, factory, helm, hoffman, jason, magorium's, mahoney, molly, mr, natalie, portman, roald, wonder, zach
