Friday, December 30, 2022

Road Dahl's Matilda the Musical (2022)

IMDb plot summary: An adaptation of the Tony and Olivier award-winning musical. Matilda tells the story of an extraordinary girl who, armed with a sharp mind and a vivid imagination, dares to take a stand to change her story with miraculous results.
Directed by Matthew Warchus. Starring Alisha Weir, Emma Thompson, and Lashana Lynch.

Matilda is... the film version of the stage musical version of the book Matilda by Roald Dahl, about a girl growing up in a neglectful home and school who learns she has supernatural powers. Music and lyrics are by Tim Minchin, and they're pretty wonderful. I saw the original Broadway run of this show on my honeymoon so I definitely have fond memories of it, and this is a pretty decent adaptation. The colors and visual composition in particular are truly stunning, and they really went out of their way to provide plenty of moments for choreography, which was one of the most striking things about the original show. I also love how the film is perfectly happy to match its imaginative songs with fantastical images. It just let it BE a musical, and a silly, over-the-top one at that, but then it hits home with a song like "Quiet" and I'm crying. The movie isn't perfect -- the multiple fat suits are a disappointing and distractingly bad decision -- but so much of the movie serves the story and the music that it's still overall a satisfying viewing. Here's to more filmed versions of great musicals!

How it entered my Flickchart:
Matilda > Forever Young
Matilda > Anna Karenina
Matilda > Secretary
Matilda > Deathtrap
Matilda < The Producers (1968)
Matilda < Sleepless in Seattle
Matilda > Hacksaw Ridge
Matilda < Schindler's List
Matilda > Repulsion
Matilda > Speed
Matilda < Us
Final spot: #192 out of 3742, or 95%.

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