Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium (2007)

Stumbled upon this gem of a movie about four years ago. Since then. saw it about three more times and it's still as charming as it was the very first time. It's an acting tour de force of four actors. First and foremost - Dustin Hoffman who's as superb as always and a bit more as the magical Mr. Magorium. Then we get Natalie Portman, giving a touching performance as Molly Mahoney who's a grown up that has some growing up to do. Not less impressive is Jason Bateman, the one full representative of completely normal people in the film who as far as I'm concerned gives his best performance ever as the "Mutant" who's only way to connect with people is by sorting their paper work for them. And last but by no means least Zach Mills as Eric, the perfect counter point to Hoffman's Magorium - the kid who was born a grown up, but is still a kid. While Magorium is a sort of Peter Pan who did grow old but kept his young soul. You have to see the movie to see how the two struck the delicate balance both roles require.All the four are putting a stellar performance, but what really took me by surprise is the fact Zach Helm, the writer director of this wonderful movie Didn't direct any other feature film (only one more documentary) - what a waste of talent. Even his writing career is way too short. Hollywood is missing him big time. I've seen so many films dealing with the same issues that came out as a collection of cliché with tons of sugar coating. While his little masterpiece is clever, charming and original.As for the plot, in one sentence, its a story about life and death, about how growing up is never a question of age and about the magic of self-belief. If you ever get a chance - don't miss it.

Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium (2007) got terrible ratings and even its writer- director, Zachary Helm, has called it a train wreck. I do not believe the movie is a train wreck. It is rather like the four protagonists (four protagonists in a hundred minute movie is a big dancing elephant wearing red flags) all came to the same intersection at the same time from four different directions; and none of them would give the right of way. That might be okay if the story was about four characters playing chicken. But it's not. The movie is "set in a magical toy shop which affords adults the opportunity to retain a child's sense of magic and wonder in their lives, where a clerk must decide whether she wants to run the store after its current owner Mr. Magorium passes away."The store clerk, Mahoney (Natalie Portman), is the character whose journey drives the story all the way to its end. She is the true protagonist. Mr. Magorium (Dustin Hoffman) is her antagonist and also the pivotal character. Eric (Zach Mills) the nine-year old Hat Collector, (whose one-note, negligent mother would be a lot more interesting if she recognized that he gets free day care at the Wonder Emporium) is magic helper number one. Henry/Mutant (Jason Bateman) is charmingly bumbling magic helper number two. The only character arc in the story that really pays off in the story is Mutant's - even though one magic helper in a story is usually enough. The biggest problem in the story is, briefly, Mahoney, doesn't know herself/her own potential yet and the writer doesn't give the audience enough hints, either. It's that simple. It just doesn't work for the audience not to discover Mahoney's potential until the moment she herself discovers it. However, the most important reason that I don't believe this movie is a train wreck is that foreshadowing of her self discovery (virtually nonexistent on Mahoney's journey in this movie) would have added "sparkle" (that's a spoiler) to the true protagonist of the movie. My guess is there's plenty of discarded footage or B-roll from which that foreshadowing could have come to be shown in the movie. The second most important reason I don't believe this movie is a train wreck is that making an extraneous magic helper (Mutant), who shouldn't even be likable, the most genuinely charming with sugar on it character in the movie without detracting from the through-line is impossible. Yet, that's exactly what happens here.

Before Natalie Portman officially graduated to sex symbol (in the Marvel's THOR series) she was playing roles more like this one, where she is a sweet kid caught up in events she doesn't quite understand. Ultimately, by the end of the story, in order to resolve the plot, she must "believe" in her mission, a la Tinkerbell in Peter Pan. The director Zach Helm did not have a lot of credits on his IMDb bio (still doesn't, actually) and that sort of shows. But all things being equal, this was a better film than the ratings would indicate. The two stars, Portman and Hoffman, carry this film. Literally. I mean, there are stretches where they pick it up, pack it in their suitcases, and carry it forward to the next plot arc. And, make no mistake, Portman and Hoffman, that is a lot of concentrated star power, more than enough to compensate for the occasional glitch in the script, or the occasional moment where the director temporarily forgets whether he is doing a children's fantasy that may appeal to adults, or an adult fantasy that should also appeal to children. I enjoyed the film immensely, got carried away in the magic, and would recommend it to anyone of any age for a rainy day.

Please excuse me. I like seeing this movie, Oliver's Ghost, Ice Dreams, Chariots of Fire and others. Yes, I watch them every time they come on. It whisks me away from a world of hell to some place else where something good happens. None of these movies are going to win academy awards. If you don't like the movie stow it me maties. For me this movie is a pleasant little movie that makes my life a little bit less of a hell.But this movie is special. If I was a child in a hospital facing the prospect of death I would like a visit from a cat or a dog snuggling up at my feet on the bed and watching Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium. It is a special movie that always brings a smile to my face. What is wrong with that? If it is not your cup of tea then go drink something else. It never fails to lift my spirits.