The Portable Door

We now open The Portable Door, an Australian film based on Tom Holt's novel that debuted earlier this year. I found time to make its acquaintance even as the month is almost over. Let's see how it is.

Paul Carpenter (Patrick Gibson) is a hapless Londoner who just wants a job. But a dog steals his scarf and leads him to the offices of J.W. Wells and Co. (the namesake company of The Sorcerer from Gilbert and Sullivan's operetta; the novel makes the connection clearer). J.W. Wells and Co. does "what we can" to make coincidences happen, like a chance meeting with a soulmate or reuniting lost relatives. The board of directors is a bit unimpressed, particularly middle manager Dennis Tanner (Sam Neill), but they still hire him as an intern. He's joined in his magical corporate daily duties by fellow intern Sophie Pettingel (Sophie Wilde). 

One day, CEO Humphrey Wells (Christoph Waltz) assigns Paul to find his portable door. It's a magical door that can go anywhere someone wants to; Paul soon finds it masquerading as a towel. He and Sophie travel the world during business hours with their new MacGuffin. Paul discovers that Humphrey is plotting something sinister for the people of London. Or maybe, the world! Also, there are goblins involved.

All in all, this owes more to They Live than Gilbert and Sullivan. Humphrey's end goal, much like the aliens in John Carpenter's film, takes subliminal consumerism to a devious level. While the characters in They Live needed special glasses to expose the subliminal, a few ads throughout this film don't even hid it ("There's no such thing as a coincidence" says one). Director Jeffrey Walker and writer Leon Ford play their own corporate satire for sweetness, hilarity and creepiness. The film opens with one of those user agreements you get with computer programs. Overall, it's a pretty weird film.

Paul's a fine protagonist. We're all for him getting a job once we see his crummy flat at the start. We're weirded out with him when he's confronted by the company's bizarreness. Sophie, however, is much more compelling because Humphrey's plot revolves around her. The film gets pretty creepy once you realize she's being magically made to try things like coffee against her will. Secretary Alice's (Jessica De Gouw) affection for a stapler makes much more sense later on. Tanner is a good scene stealer, but Humphrey outclasses him in every way. As played by Waltz, Humphrey goes from kindly, to sinister, and finally, to petulant manchild. That's quite a range. Waltz even pops up as Humphrey's father, John Sr., and it's only barely confusing when they meet.

There's a lot to say about the technicals. The production design is spectacular, visualizing such weird locales as Paul's flat, the interior of JW Wells and Co, and an endless hall of doors called the Nether. As the film was co-produced by Jim Henson Productions, they bring with them plenty of neat visual effects and makeup designs. The lightning effects are nifty, while the goblins are perfectly creepy creatures. There's some decent location filming to disguise Queensland as London by cinematographer Donald M. McAlpine. The film's weirdness is accentuated by Benjamin Speed's memorable score.

The Portable Door is a decent magical satire and a good first impression to Holt's literary world. Will the other novels be adapted too? Who knows. But I'm more than in the mood for a few more Gilbert and Sullivan film adaptations. They're in the public domain, why wait?! As for this film, it's ready to stream stateside on MGM +. I don't see why you shouldn't look in.