342. Matilda The Musical; movie review

 

MATILDA THE MUSICAL

Cert 12A

118 mins

BBFC advice: Contains mild threat, comic violence

Oh, this is wonderful and I will be amazed if Matilda The Musical doesn't become a Christmas staple for years to come.

Tim Minchin's award-winning stage production has been lovingly adapted to the big screen thanks to sparkling sets and a fabulous cast.

Matthew Warchus's film stars Alisha Weir as the title character, a five-year-old who is a genius despite her feckless parents (Andrea Riseborough and Stephen Graham).

She outwits her mum and dad and, spurred on by her friendly librarian (Sindhu Vee) she is a voracious reader.

And then comes the day when the school inspectors insist she goes to Cruchem Hall Elementary.

Matilda is thrilled to make new friends such as Lavender (Rei Yamauchi Fulker) and Nigel (Ashton Robertson) and loves her new teacher (Lashana Lynch).

But the film really springs to life when her draconian head teacher, Agatha Trunchbull emerges.

Emma Thompson is just magnificent in the role, combining outrageous fierceness with wonderful slapstick comedy.

Meanwhile, Graham and Riseborough are deliciously self-consumed and Lynch is precious as the too-meek-to-be-true Miss Honey.

But, this is all about the kids getting their own back and they couldn't have a better leader than Weir as 

Matilda. 

I could sense the audience cheering inwardly at her ingenious one-upmanship against the adults.

Oh, and the songs are the best big-screen earworms since The Greatest Showman.

Have I said I adored Matilda The Musical? Well, I ruddy well did.

Reasons to watch: Joyful musical

Reasons to avoid: If you have no heart

Laughs: Three

Jumps: None

Vomit: Yes

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 9.5/10

Did you know? The original novel of Matilda was first published in 1988 and was one of the last stories Roald Dahl wrote that was published in his lifetime (he died in 1990). The musical adaptation of the story debuted in London in 2011.

The final word. Tim Minchin: "Matilda says books are a good thing.’ Minchin pauses for a second, offering the knowing smile of a seasoned polemicist. 'I still think it’s okay for me to say from my position of privilege that it would be better for the world if people read more books and watched less of “The Kardashians''.' Time Out

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