The Portable Door
2.5 out of 5 stars
British novelist Tom Holt has written an extensive collection of works over his career. Now, he sees one of his books made into a feature-length film. Despite the prolific, and originality of his work, The Portable Door gives audiences a glimpse into his humorous fantasy worlds as they come to life on the screen. Australian director Jeffrey Walker has managed to rally Academy Award actors for this project, making expectations high for this Australian production.
Paul Carpenter (Patrick Gibson) is having a horrific day as he attempts to land a barista position at the local cafe in London. Everything is going wrong, and then as a dog steals his scarf while he waits to be interviewed, the down-on-his-luck young man ends up at a door marked applicants. As the job seeker looks around for the four-legged thief, Paul finds himself in the waiting room for a job with the mysterious firm J.W. Wells & Co. The potential applicant needs to learn about the company, and he asks fellow applicant Sophie Pettingel (Sophie Wilde), more about the organisation. Still, he is called back for an interview with the board. With CEO Humphrey Wells (Christoph Waltz) and Dennis Tanner (Sam Neill) at the table, the unsuspecting applicant finds himself with an internship even though he has no idea what he will do or what the company does for business.
Initially, this has all of the whispers of a bizarre workplace comedy as each character is introduced and absurdity drives the storyline. Yet, it only takes a little while for the ludicrous to take a magical turn, and the involvement of The Jim Henson Company comes to fruition. Gibson and Wilde capture the audience's hearts for the first two acts, and their unexpected chemistry propels the story along in a measured manner. Gibson portrays the innocence needed to encourage us to cheer for his character and hopes he discovers the magical reason for being hired. As this narrative unfolds, Christoph Waltz, Sam Neill, and Miranda Otto bring the gravitas to add to the well-rounded characters that develop the mystery of J.W. Wells & Co. The cast and production team do an admirable job of creating this rich story and its unique world.
As the third act unfolds and the wheels fall off, the production and the practical effects of the puppeteering team undermine the journey. Walker and his team struggle to know if they are meant to play the introduction of many of the magical creatures for laughs or for terror. Then the less-than-convincing sorcery that is unveiled suffers from comparison to all of the fantasy adventures that have dominated cinemas for the past few decades. The opening acts managed to warrant the talent this film boasts. Yet, the conclusion undermines this whole screenplay and looks like a made-for-television movie.
The Portable Door is a concept that deserves more attention, and this world needs to be developed in more films. Despite the pedestrian first instalment, we hope to get future versions of J.W. Wells & Co.
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REEL DIALOGUE: Coincidence
When the word coincidence is mentioned in the story of The Portable Door, many characters take notice. Interestingly, this is because one of the businesses of J.W. Wells & Co is to make events that look like mere chance occur. The staff at the company do not believe in coincidence. Still, many in our society cite it when explaining unexpected events and surprise encounters.
One might not think the Bible has much to say about these things, but random life events are not dismissed as chance. Yet, we need to know that even though we may be taken aback by situations, God is not surprised. The word that needs to be considered with God is that he is sovereign. In the words of the Bible, it says that God will make “all things work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). It’s worth studying in more detail how God knows all and can even use our mistakes and unexpected experiences to bring them together to fulfill His purposes.
Coincidences do not indeed exist, while God’s purposes do.
“I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’ From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that I will bring about; what I have planned, that I will do.” - Isaiah 46:9–11
