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.
Alisha Weir, Lashana Lynch, Emma Thompson, Stephan Graham & Andrea Riseborough.
Matilda the Musical is most definitely the best Roald Dahl adaptation to date with this wonderfully creative and fleshed out story that resonated with me and the audience who I heard sniffing from tears. While the opening scene filled me with doubt, as it did first appear as very childish but as the film went on, it became a dark and very personal narrative that turned Miss Honey into my favourite Roald Dahl character. Played perfectly by the incredible Lashana Lynch that surprised me with how brilliant of a voice she has.
It’s hard to ignore how talented all these kids are, who were fantastic during all the musical sequences and really elevated a lot of songs, which were not as catchy as others. Some songs are really clever and even powerful in certain moments, which really overshadows the other songs that felt rather dull.
Each scene is directed with care & is complimented perfectly by the electric editing that binds it all together really well. The cinematography is fantastical & colourful, which only adds to how joyful the overall narrative is. Its contrasts well with itself during the darker scenes that added many complex layers to characters, specifically Miss Honey & Matilda. However, a reoccurring character that was lovely to watch felt like a loose end that didn't come together as much as I thought she would during the films conclusion.
Difficult to discuss as it’s a lot of film & story that definitely won’t be for everyone, but if you can get past the more childish sequence, you can find a deeply touching story of family & treating others. Conveyed so well by its awesomely choreographed & written songs that everyone in the cast delivered fantastically.
