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MATILDA: THE MUSICAL
Director: Matthew Warchus Cast: Alisha Weir, Emma Thompson, Lashana Lynch, Stephen Graham, Andrea Riseborough, Sindhu Vee, Charlie Hodson-Prior, Rei Yamauchi Fulker, Meesha Garbett, Winter Jarrett-Glasspool, Carl Spencer, Lauren Alexandra, Katherine Kingsley MPAA
Rating: Running Time: 1:57 Release Date: 12/9/22 (limited); 12/25/22 (Netflix) |
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Review by Mark Dujsik | December 25, 2022 Poor Matilda Wormwood (Alisha Weir) has been unloved and unwanted since the moment she was born—even before that, technically. That's the sad and simple truth of the matter. In the mind of Roald Dahl and with the help of some energetic songs, though, the story of Matilda: The Musical becomes a delight of dark humor, before it becomes a surprisingly affecting tale about finding strength within oneself, as well as trust and love in other people. It's little surprise that Dahl's story translates so well into a musical, of course. The beloved writer of admirably odd tales often kept things simple, so there was certainly plenty of room for songwriter Tim Minchin to fit songs into Dennis Kelly's script for the musical stage adaptation of the author's 1988 novel. Those songs are unexpectedly complex, in terms of melody, harmony, and what they're communicating about these characters and being a kid in general, so that's just another pleasant surprise in a film that's full of them. The story begins with Mrs. Wormwood (Andrea Riseborough, who ends a busy year with yet another transformative performance) discovering she's pregnant—as she's in the process of going into labor. She and her husband Mr. Wormwood (Stephen Graham) didn't want a child and definitely don't want one now that a baby is on the immediate way (The father is especially insulted that the son he might have wanted turns out to be a baby girl). All of this unfortunate origin story unfolds amidst the sing-songy internal monologues of babies, commenting on how their parents dote on them, and parents, doting on said babies, and a doctor proclaiming that all life is miracle. There's something both wickedly funny and genuinely upsetting about the juxtaposition of that joy and the Wormwoods' irritation. That becomes the course for young Matilda's life, really. Everyone goes about their ordinary, everyday routines—children going to school, parents heading off to work, families sticking together. For Matilda, though, she doesn't go to school, because her parents still act as if she doesn't exist—except when the even mildest reminders of the girl's existence annoy the couple. Mrs. Wormwood sits at home not doing much of anything, and Mr. Wormwood tries to figure out get-rich-quick schemes at the car dealership he runs. In the evening, Matilda can only watch from the landing to her bedroom in the attic as her parents watch TV together. The only joy the girl gets is from reading all kinds of books from a mobile library, maintained by the kindly Mrs. Phelps (Sindhu Vee), who has no idea how miserable Matilda is, because the girl is just too polite to bother anyone with that. Weir is a real find as the eponymous character—instantly sympathetic and sympathetically wily as Matilda's mind increasingly turns toward righteous rebellion. The plot isn't much, and it's also just enough. Matilda's truancy is discovered, forcing her parents to finally enroll her in a school. It's a remote academy that looks and operates more like a prison, run by the tougher-than-nails, cruel, and child-hating Agatha Trunchbull (Emma Thompson, eagerly villainous under all kinds of unflattering costuming and makeup). Rumors swirl that the former athlete, a hammer-thrower, once launched a student into the air, and there's a real shock when that information turns out to be foreshadowing. The screenplay, adapted by Kelly, and director Matthew Warchus doesn't try to downplay the darker elements of this story—only exaggerate them until they're nearly surreal. Anyway, Matilda finds some comfort in her teacher, the sweet Miss Honey (Lashana Lynch, in a very endearing turn), and some friendly classmates and in coming up with a story about the star-crossed romance between an escapologist (played by Carl Spencer) and an acrobat (played by Lauren Alexandra). The specters of her parents' apathy and Trunchbull's mounting viciousness, though, gradually turn little Matilda into a veritable revolutionary against abusive or negligent authority. She might even have superpowers. It's strange, fun, and touching, limited only, perhaps, by some production elements (visual effects and the harsh lighting) that also, from a certain perspective, give the film a certain underdog charm. The major selling points here have nothing to do with how expensive the sets look or how seamlessly the special effects blend into the action, after all. They're in the performances, which are strong from the leads to the young supporting cast, and how the story's transition into a musical emphasize the qualities that are already there. For example, there's some real creativity and heart in one tune, which has Matilda imagining herself in the quiet solitude of a hammock on a hot air balloon as a storm of rage gathers around her in the real world. To call these songs catchy wouldn't be accurate (although the one in which Matilda realizes she can get back at her parents is, for sure), but that's also not Minchin is trying for in this case. They're clever (One subtly goes through the alphabet—or at least how a kid in a school that doesn't care about education would know it), propulsive, and insightful (Matilda's classmates imagine what it will be like to be a grown-up who knows what it means to be a grown-up, because they don't yet). Mostly, though, the film succeeds because it stays true to Dahl's imaginative, off-kilter spirit. In its story and its songs, Matilda: The Musical is an overtly mischievous but sneakily heartwarming piece of work. Copyright © 2022 by Mark Dujsik. All rights reserved. |
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(for thematic elements, exaggerated bullying and some language)
