Tim Minchin’s smash hit Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical has grown up — or fairly, grown right into a film musical of the identical identify, that includes revolting kids, a sure forbidden chocolate cake, and fiction’s most formidable headmaster.
Describing the brand new film musical is nearly as wordy as Minchin’s spectacularly sensible lyrics. Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical is a Netflix movie tailored from his Olivier-winning West End musical, which was primarily based on Roald Dahl’s 1988 kids’s ebook. That ebook impressed Danny DeVito’s beloved 1996 movie, and that film clearly impressed a number of the characterisation and aesthetics of the brand new film musical. (Extra on that in a bit!) Netflix’s adaptation was in educated arms, with the present’s author Dennis Kelly and director Matthew Warchus taking up the display model of the Royal Shakespeare Firm’s manufacturing.
How does the stage musical examine to Netflix’s Matilda?
Musical movie diversifications like In the Heights and West Side Story have raised the bar for a way musicals are filmed on display. Matilda seizes on some attractive alternatives however maybe misses one massive one.
Warchus and Kelly convey their stage savvy to massive ensemble numbers just like the apricot and aqua-painted opener “Miracle” and the large, brash, throw-everything-into-the-air finale, “Revolting Kids.” The jaw-droppingly intelligent stage favorite “College Music” options crisp choreography carried out by the younger solid, charging in unison on the digital camera throughout zooming hallway runs and translating the stage model’s distinctive alphabet sequence to a sensible run of the varsity’s classroom doorways. Although the film musical options some candy imaginative sequences, “Once I Develop Up,” the present standout that kicks off Act 2, is not given the therapy it deserves for such an outstandingly uplifting ensemble quantity. Where are those swings? The swings! With out them, one thing particular was misplaced.
Followers will recognise a number of the musical’s direct references to Dahl’s ebook and DeVito’s movie (see: Amanda Thripp’s therapy as a pigtailed hammer throw). Nonetheless, a number of the musical’s greatest sequences come from the surreal, whimsical, and imaginative realms of Matilda’s tales, spinning the story of The Acrobat (Lauren Alexandra) and Magnus the Escapologist (Carl Spencer).
Lack of swings apart, Matilda boasts some really wondrous units, full of very good set ornament. In distinction to the drab, echoing, bleak halls of Crunchem Corridor comes one other type of superb visible torture: the maximalist ornamental style of the Wormwood’s house. With a scorching pink shell sink basin, fringed lamps, and dinners that “do not microwave themselves,” the Wormwood home is a becoming ode to the gloriously cheesy precedent set in DeVito’s film.
Lashana Lynch steals the present as Miss Honey
Lashana Lynch is a standout.
Credit score: Dan Smith / Netflix
Certainly, the standout efficiency of Matilda comes from No Time to Die and Woman King star Lashana Lynch, who completely paces Crunchem Corridor’s greatest trainer amid her journey to dealing with her fears, confronting her bully, and discovering her independence. Infusing Miss Jennifer Honey with the kindness, logic, and inspiration with which Embeth Davidtz made her mark throughout the 1996 movie, Lynch stops the present along with her staggering efficiency of “My Home,” Minchin’s lovely ballad devoted to quiet delight in a single’s house and self. And it is Lynch’s moments of withdrawn confidence and internalised worry that create essentially the most convincing ambiance of terror across the position all Matilda renditions rely upon: Miss Trunchbull.
Emma Thompson takes on the formidable position because the shotput-throwing, child-hating principal of our Chokey-fuelled nightmares, Agatha Trunchbull. It is a powerful gig. The character has lived outdoors of Dahl’s ebook via Pam Ferris’ really magnificent efficiency within the 1996 movie, spitting and screaming “tally ho!” and shot-putting her technique to solidify one among Hollywood’s greatest villains of all time.
Laden with facial prosthetics and an already derided fat suit, Thompson’s Trunch runs on deadpan disdain fairly than Ferris’ hungry sadism. Her unraveling drama positive factors depth because the movie progresses. Thompson appears nearly intentionally bored torturing poor ol’ Bruce Bogtrotter with confectionery, however she lastly finds the chaotic launch the character relishes by the second half. As Thompson says because the Trunchbull, “How can I be your headmistress if I can not chill you to the bone?”
Emma Thompson takes on the Trunch.
Credit score: Dan Smith / Netflix
One of many nice additions to the musical is the event of the character of Mrs. Phelps, the librarian, who befriends Matilda via their shared love of tales and studying.
Comic Sindhu Vee takes on the position within the movie, and reminds the viewers how essential this character is to Matilda’s growth of her creativeness. (She solely seems to start with of Dahl’s ebook and DeVito’s movie.) Hanging on each phrase of Matilda’s dramatic tales via handfuls of popcorn, Vee makes each one among her scenes rely — and stole many of the laughs from the viewers on the 2022 BFI London Movie Competition.
How does Matilda the Musical examine to Danny DeVito’s Matilda?
Matilda the Musical is a famously grand alternative for younger performers, given the dimensions of the solid. And the youngsters making up the ensemble, supporting roles, and leads put every thing they’ve into their performances, from Rei Yamauchi Fulker as Lavender to Charlie Hodson-Prior as Bruce Bogtrotter, Meesha Garbett as Hortensia, and Winter Jarrett-Glasspool as Amanda Thripp.
Alisha Weir takes on the eponymous hero, Matilda Wormwood, and defiantly finds her personal toes within the lengthy shadow of each the Oliver-winning stage actors and Mara Wilson’s iconic efficiency within the 1996 movie.
It is tough to match Weir and Wilson as film-version and film-version-of-musical-version Matilda, as they each convey distinctive emotional vitality to the protagonist. Wilson is cheeky, deadpan, and earnest; Weir is intense, dramatic, and infuriated. The latter is sort of a little Hermione Granger with the facility of Carrie, escaping her mother and father’ abuse along with her personal creativeness and standing as much as bullies. Within the house of 10 minutes, Weir delivers Minchin’s lovely ballad, “Quiet,” from the hammock of a scorching air balloon and brings telekinetic doom to the Trunch. And each really feel true to the character she’s created.
Alisha Weir because the eponymous hero.
Credit score: Dan Smith / Netflix
It is a arduous job, taking up a Wormwood. As Matilda’s disdainful mom, Zinnia Wormwood, Andrea Riseborough is hilariously over-the-top, obvious with pure hatred at her studious daughter whereas outfitted in really outlandish outfits from costume designer Rob Howell. (No imply feat contemplating the quintessential “you selected books, I selected appears to be like” efficiency from Rhea Perlman within the 1996 movie!) In the meantime, Stephen Graham has the almost unattainable job of taking up Danny DeVito’s well-known rendition of Harry Wormwood, Matilda’s no-good father. However he channels his personal ridiculous, enjoyable model via impossibly white dentures.
Gloriously horrible folks.
Credit score: Dan Smith / Netflix
Having already carried out so on stage, Matilda the Musical manages to beat the immense stress to search out its personal toes within the shadow of the beloved 1996 movie model of Dahl’s ebook, arguably probably the greatest diversifications round. Armed with a bunch of revolting kids, an outstanding grown-up solid, a powerful tiny lead, and Minchin’s constantly great songs, Warchus and Kelly have efficiently introduced the West Finish musical to the display.
Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical premieres at the London Film Festival Oct 5 and 6, earlier than hitting cinemas worldwide Nov. 25 and Netflix later TBC.
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