I was blown away last night by the new film version of Matilda – but maybe blown away a bit too far?
First of all it is magnificently staged and performed. Lashana Lynch, who I saw playing tough as Captain Marvel in Doctor Strange; In the Multiverse of Madness and as Nomi in In No Time To Die, here plays very tender as Miss Honey. Emma Thompson, who we know can play just about anything from Alison Porter in Look Back In Anger through Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing, Elinor Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility, Nanny McFee, Professor Trelawny, and P L Travers in Saving Mr Banks, here inhabits Miss Trunchbull, the fascistic Headteacher of Crunchem Hall magnificently. Alisha Weir, the young Dublin born actress from Don’t Leave Home, is a fabulous Matilda and Stephen Graeme and Andrea Risborough are properly over the top as her despicable parents.
Tim Minchin and Dennis Kelly’s adaptation of Raol Dahl’s book into a stage musical has been lauded – and rewarded – for over ten years now, and Matthew Warchus, who directed the 2010 stage show, is back to direct this film and obviously relished the opportunity. Most of his work has been on stage, but you might remember his work on ‘Pride’. The huge cast of amazingly talented children dance and sing their hearts out and the movement from stage to screen is utterly wholehearted. Anyone who goes to the trouble of getting a giraffe on set for a 2 second shot certainly has my vote.
But.
Maybe, sometimes, a stage musical is best kept to the stage? I once saw Stephen Sondheim’s Musical Into the Woods on stage. I loved it. Ten years later I saw Rob Marshall’s filmed version, garlanded with a dozen international stars. It was very well done, but although I was entertained, I was never really moved. Spoiler alert; people die in that musical, and on stage I was affected by their fates. On screen I was unmoved, and that is not simply about the difference between stage and screen. I have seen West Side Story on both and been moved by both.
I can well imagine that seeing Matilda on stage I would be really excited by its amazing verve, wit and physicality. Im would really like that. On screen I was properly impressed, but never excited. In fact at times I felt rather exhausted by it.
So; no reason not to go and see this movie, and many really good reasons to go and see it. It is really very well done and I would recommend seeing it soon in a cinema rather than waiting for it on Netflix. It is far too big for a TV screen. Maybe you will enjoy it more than I did. I hope you do.
But (so many 'buts') I also think the PG cert is questionable. Miss Trunchbull is properly scary, and some children might really need someone’s hand to hold.
