The magical granting of a wish, suddenly bestowing untold riches or fulfilling a transformative dream, is the marker of a traditional fairytale. It is a plot twist woven through folklore and one that often leads to the punishment of the greedy or the ambitious.
But although the idea is as old as Jack and his Beanstalk, the Oscar nominations unveiled last week make it clear it is also at the heart of the latest risk-taking cinema.
