Just watched through.
Absolutely delightful. What a bright, colorful, grand film adaptation this is. Certainly in the “good” pile of musicals on the Netflix streaming service, alongside “tick, tick…BOOM!” and “The Prom.” I saw this on Broadway close to 9 years ago, and the film serves as a wonderful complement.
I, for one, liked most of the cuts and changes. I miss the block letters (and honestly, who wouldn’t?) but loved the new stagings for “School Song” and “The Smell of Rebellion.” I’ll admit the film got off to a rather odd start with all the babies and their parents, but my fears were quickly silenced mere minutes later.
Alisha Weir is a miraculous discovery in the title role, Lashana Lynch shocked me in the best possible way (esp. with a little Jennifer Hudson type vibrato in her singing voice, IMO), and Emma Thompson is DELICIOUS as the Trunchbull, though I could use a bit more menace. I saw Chris Hoch live, and while solid, I wish I had seen Bertie for obvious reasons. I thought the parents were more effective on stage.
The subplot with the acrobat and the escapologist: what I thought at first could possibly be a distraction on screen actually ended up working quite well. It’s supposed to take you inside Matilda’s head and it does just that here.
They kept the iconic pose in “Naughty”, and the cartwheels at the end. YES.
Yes, Matilda’s telekinesis is taken a bit further after the mysterious chalk writing:
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When the Chokey chains latch onto Trunchbull’s pigtails that Matilda gave her, throwing her out the glass window… sweet revenge for the Amanda Thripp throw. I also liked how Miss Honey had the final word this time once Trunchbull was grounded, which nearly made me shed a tear: “It’s over. Run.”
Warchus translated his stage direction very well to the screen, and again, I’m thrilled that Minchin’s score is getting more recognition. It’s apropos that he is a master wordsmith and he used that to incredible effect when writing the show, and although some of his melodies leave a bit to be desired, whenever they’re effective, they hit you hard.
And I could not give a review for this movie without mentioning those revolting children. Damn, they are TALENTED. Like their stage counterparts, I can guarantee some of them, if not most of them, will be going places when they grow up (see what I did there?).
Stream it, everyone. Stream it.
“I am furious, but I am sailing.”
Updated On: 12/25/22 at 11:24 PM
