REVIEW: Matilda: The Musical (2022)
Dec. 29th, 2024 08:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
feather_ghyllMatilda: The Musical (2022) Rated: PG
Directed by: Mathew Warchus
Screenplay by: Dennis Kelly, based on the musical by: Dennis Kelly and Tim Minchin, based on the book by: Roald Dahl
Starring: Alisha Weir, Emma Thompson, Lashana Lynch
I’ve never seen the musical adaptation on stage, though I’ve heard some of the songs. I wasn't able to go see it in the cinemas, but as it was on iPlayer this Christmas, it felt like a good chance to watch it. It’s neatly transferred to the screen here, set in a larger than life, sometimes more colourful version of the 1980s (a nod to the fact that it was published then. I devoured it when it came out as a bookish girl.) And it’s British, as it should be.
I wasn’t sure about some of the additions – I don’t remember Matilda making up a story to tell a librarian, nor even the most fantastic elements (an escapologist marries an acrobat…) being true. The more we learn about the story she thought she was making up, the less I bought it. I liked it more as her telling a version of what was happening to her. The whole idea of ‘changing your story’ feels like a more organic development to enrich the songs, and the idea of being ‘a little naughty’ and ultimately ‘revolting’ children works, with Matilda inspiring her classmates and Miss Honey as well as wielding justice individually. The further exaggeration of Miss Turnbull and her pedagogy (an assault course, the multiple pokeys she builds) are fine, although some of the greatest thrills come from Dahl’s dialogue, still intact, where children are maggots and snotbags. The idea of physical education as torture for non-sporty bookish types, the regiment of school life taken too far, authority figures being bullies, and parents not wanting their children are relatable or chilling enough that the further exaggeration feels almost like too much, even though I suppose they had to expand on the book for the musical.
Alisha Weir carries the film with aplomb on what seem like very young little shoulders as Matilda, the genius whose parents are absolutely terrible. Matilda’s sense of fair play is perhaps her real superpower rather than her telekinesis, and stops her from going too far down the path of revenge. Emma Thompson has a whale of a time and enough of a voice to carry her through as the Trunchbull (a role created on stage by a man.) She was helped by clever costuming and, possibly, camera tricks to enhance her physicality. Stephen Graham and Andrea Riseborough are game as Matilda’s seedy and vulgar parents. Although it turns out she has a lovely singing voice, I felt Lashana Lynch was miscast, for me, Miss Honey should be smaller and slighter. Part of the power of seeing Matilda and her classmates suffer and then fight back against the headmistress is that they are the littlest children in the school.
I thought the songs were more about the lyrics than anything, but then they stayed with me after I watched this. The opening song was powerful, setting the scene for the love parents usually do have for their children, and how far the Wormwoods fall short. (Though I was impressed that they did clothe her in clothes that fit.) It also introduced the heightened feel and colourful palette of the film. ‘When I Grow Up’ expresses a child’s desire to do what they like beautifully, but it doesn’t move the plot forward or link directly to anything else that happens, while ‘Revolting Children’ is a proper explosion of celebrating liberty. But the choreography of the songs is energetic, particularly when the cast of children throw themselves at the cool dancing styles. I can only imagine how powerful they’d be when performed live. It ends with a charming duet between Matilda and Jenny Honey about finding family in each other, with the simple metaphor of hand-holding working well [ETA: linking them to Jenny's parents].
There’s enough of Lowood school to Matilda’s school, Crunchem Hall, and Dahl’s clever nastiness and understanding that children love burp jokes remain. Spelling is also a running theme, which was fun. (I saw what they did with renaming the school The Big Friendly School, and I’m sure that every child watching this wished that their school grounds incorporated a fairground too.) I don’t know how much was changed from the stage version, but it felt as if it were opened up rather well to become a movie musical, although I suspect it’s not going to be seen as a classic.
Directed by: Mathew Warchus
Screenplay by: Dennis Kelly, based on the musical by: Dennis Kelly and Tim Minchin, based on the book by: Roald Dahl
Starring: Alisha Weir, Emma Thompson, Lashana Lynch
I’ve never seen the musical adaptation on stage, though I’ve heard some of the songs. I wasn't able to go see it in the cinemas, but as it was on iPlayer this Christmas, it felt like a good chance to watch it. It’s neatly transferred to the screen here, set in a larger than life, sometimes more colourful version of the 1980s (a nod to the fact that it was published then. I devoured it when it came out as a bookish girl.) And it’s British, as it should be.
I wasn’t sure about some of the additions – I don’t remember Matilda making up a story to tell a librarian, nor even the most fantastic elements (an escapologist marries an acrobat…) being true. The more we learn about the story she thought she was making up, the less I bought it. I liked it more as her telling a version of what was happening to her. The whole idea of ‘changing your story’ feels like a more organic development to enrich the songs, and the idea of being ‘a little naughty’ and ultimately ‘revolting’ children works, with Matilda inspiring her classmates and Miss Honey as well as wielding justice individually. The further exaggeration of Miss Turnbull and her pedagogy (an assault course, the multiple pokeys she builds) are fine, although some of the greatest thrills come from Dahl’s dialogue, still intact, where children are maggots and snotbags. The idea of physical education as torture for non-sporty bookish types, the regiment of school life taken too far, authority figures being bullies, and parents not wanting their children are relatable or chilling enough that the further exaggeration feels almost like too much, even though I suppose they had to expand on the book for the musical.
Alisha Weir carries the film with aplomb on what seem like very young little shoulders as Matilda, the genius whose parents are absolutely terrible. Matilda’s sense of fair play is perhaps her real superpower rather than her telekinesis, and stops her from going too far down the path of revenge. Emma Thompson has a whale of a time and enough of a voice to carry her through as the Trunchbull (a role created on stage by a man.) She was helped by clever costuming and, possibly, camera tricks to enhance her physicality. Stephen Graham and Andrea Riseborough are game as Matilda’s seedy and vulgar parents. Although it turns out she has a lovely singing voice, I felt Lashana Lynch was miscast, for me, Miss Honey should be smaller and slighter. Part of the power of seeing Matilda and her classmates suffer and then fight back against the headmistress is that they are the littlest children in the school.
I thought the songs were more about the lyrics than anything, but then they stayed with me after I watched this. The opening song was powerful, setting the scene for the love parents usually do have for their children, and how far the Wormwoods fall short. (Though I was impressed that they did clothe her in clothes that fit.) It also introduced the heightened feel and colourful palette of the film. ‘When I Grow Up’ expresses a child’s desire to do what they like beautifully, but it doesn’t move the plot forward or link directly to anything else that happens, while ‘Revolting Children’ is a proper explosion of celebrating liberty. But the choreography of the songs is energetic, particularly when the cast of children throw themselves at the cool dancing styles. I can only imagine how powerful they’d be when performed live. It ends with a charming duet between Matilda and Jenny Honey about finding family in each other, with the simple metaphor of hand-holding working well [ETA: linking them to Jenny's parents].
There’s enough of Lowood school to Matilda’s school, Crunchem Hall, and Dahl’s clever nastiness and understanding that children love burp jokes remain. Spelling is also a running theme, which was fun. (I saw what they did with renaming the school The Big Friendly School, and I’m sure that every child watching this wished that their school grounds incorporated a fairground too.) I don’t know how much was changed from the stage version, but it felt as if it were opened up rather well to become a movie musical, although I suspect it’s not going to be seen as a classic.
