Movie Review: Matilda the Musical

I admittingly haven't had much exposure to any of Roald Dahl written work growing up. As a kid I never had the drive to pick up and read nearly as much as I do now. Thankfully for young Jack however there were a number of big picture adaptions of the British authors work already out there during my childhood. One of my favorite adaptions of his work is the 1971 classic, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate. While not a complete 1:1 adaption, this film did a fantastic job in bringing the strange and mysterious world of Dahl's creation to life. Fast forward to present day, there's bene a plethora of adaptions of his works I've had the fortune to watch including one of the very latest; Matilda the Musical. 

Directed by Matthew Warchus and produced by Sony's Tristar Pictures division, Matilda the Musical is a family film which adapts the story of Dahl's 1988 novel of the same name. The interesting element behind this film is it's not just an adaption of the written material but also the Broadway show as well; as Matthew Warchus served as the credited director on the live-stage musical for many years. I did wonder how being a double layered adaption would impact the films quality initially but despite those concerns I can happily confirm Matilda the Musical is a fantastic film for all the family to enjoy. 

Matilda Wormwood is a young girl living with a set of parents who clearly never wanted her. Disregarding her on a daily basis, Matilda finds more solace in her books at the local library. While being initially "home-schooled", Matilda ends up being enrolled into the local boarding school called Crunchem Hall after her father gets a fine for not properly schooling Matilda. As she arrives into the drab and depressing school house, she soon becomes friends with a group of kids in the class of her sweet teacher Miss Honey. During her first day Matilda comes to meet the horrible headmistress of the school known as Miss Trunchbull. Known for her cruel perspective on children, it becomes all too clear to poor Matilda that she and the rest of the school will never be free of their cruel oppression while Miss Trunchbull is around and the film follows her exploits in seeking to oust the cruel women from their lives. 

The story behind this film is pretty authentic to the novel from what I understand.  It follows a lot of the same story beats with an added charm of several musical numbers layered all throughout it. What I really like about the film is it nails that whimsical and innocent charm found in being a child. Despite the constant resistance Matilda and her friends face, they find ways to express themselves in such a hopeful and charming manner which really carries the film, especially in it's musical numbers. It knows what kind of story it's out to tell and it does it all with a wonderfully endearing message deep at the heart of it. It's carried a lot by it's cast of characters too, both the kids and adults alike have very memorable characteristics which help their iconic elements stand out all the more as the story draws closer to it's conclusion. 

If you had to draw a criticism from me on the film however I'd probably attribute it to the quality of some of it's musical moments. With a lot of the songs in this film being ensemble focused with the kids in mind, it leaves a bit to be desire in terms of melody and tone. It's no discredit to the songs themselves because I can appreciate they're well crafted and beautifully choregraphed. It's just they don't leave all that much of a lasting impact on me, well at least some of them don't. When the film decides to focus on individual song numbers though I did find them to be a lot more compelling to listen to.  

Another key strength is the casting and production behind this film. You can clearly tell everyone in this movie was having a fantastic time inhabiting these characters and playing around with these broadway-orientated sets. Emma Thompson as Miss Trunchbull is a really enjoyable performance with the way she can switch on a clearly intimidating performance. Alisha Weir was also great in the lead role her as well, she exemplifies the characteristics of Matilda brilliantly. On the production end, this film fully utilises it's environments to the utmost degree. One of the better musical numbers in the film "Revolting" showcases the full scale of this films creative quality with choreography and set design which just floors me every time I see it.

There's clearly a lot of love put into this film. On all angles it speaks to me as a film produced with passion in mind. It does a fantastic job in adapting the source material in a way that keeps it relevant and engaging for new audiences to appreciate. While not all of it's musical numbers will leave a lasting impression on you, the film itself is more than worth your time and I'd highly recommend it a film for the family to sit down and watch together.