Matilda the Musical is a joyous romp but some scenes may upset your little ones
Film Review: Matilda the Musical (PG) – seen at The Light Cinema, Wisbech
Starring: Emma Thompson, Lashana Lynch, Stephen Graham and Alisha Weir.
Running time: 1hr 57m Director: Matthew Warchus
Young Irish actor Alisha Weir is simply wonderful as Matilda in this joyous musical adaptation of the classic Roald Dahl novel.
The Dublin-born 13-year-old portrays with absolute aplomb the mixture of sadness and mischievousness that the title character is known for.
But one actor doesn’t make a film, and it’s some stars performing outside of their comfort zones that really make this movie come alive.
We’re used to seeing Stephen Graham in gritty roles such as Andrew ‘Combo’ Gascoigne in This Is England, John Corbett in Line of Duty or Hayden Stagg in Peaky Blinders, but here he plays Matilda’s goofy, idiot wide boy of a dad and he is superb at the role.
Equally outside of her usual casting is Lashana Lynch who swaps the strong characters of No Time To Die and The Woman King to portray the meek,kind and lovely Miss Honey.
And Emma Thompson uses prosphetics to the full as she dons an army uniform to transform into the terrifying Miss Trunchbull.
Andrea Riseborough is also suitably vacuous as Mrs Wormwood, joining a list of characters that leap of the pages of the book exactly as I imagine Dahl intended them to.
Most of us know the story: the gifted Matilda Wormwood grows up with crude, distant parents who send her to a school run by a terrifying headmistress.
However, Matilda develops telekinesis and is able to defend her friends from Trunchbull’s wrath and fight back against her unkind parents too.
There’s a whole host of songs accompanying events although, I must admit, one day after watching, I cannot remember any of them.
But these things take time, and if it does become one of those family favourites such as Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Wizard of Oz or Frozen, I’ sure they’ll seep into all our consciousnesses.
My only criticism might be how sad some of the scenes were between Matilda and her parents. The film is a PG but some youngsters could be upset. But we all know there is a darker side to Roald Dahl’s work and hopefully, subsequent scenes will cheer them up immensely.
By Jeremy Ransome
Rating: 7/10
Coming up at The Light Cinema, Cromwell Road, Wisbech...
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Aliens (15)
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Black Adam (12A)
Fri: 14:30, 19:45. Sun: 20:15. Mon: 15:15, 20:40. Tues: 14:35, 17:15. Wed: 13:20. Thurs: 15:00
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (12A)
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Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical (PG)
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Royal Ballet 2022/23 Season: The Nutcracker (TBC)
Thurs: 19:15
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Fri: 13:00, 17:10. Sat, Sun: 15:15, 18:00. Mon: 14:50, 18:00. Tues: 14:50, 20:20. Wed: 13:00, 17:50. Thurs: 18:00 (subtitled), 20:20
Strange World (PG)
Fri: 15:10, 16:45. Sat: 10:15, 12:45, 15:15, 17:40. Sun: 13:10, 14:40, 16:00. Mon: 16:45. Tues: 14:15, 16:30. Wed: 14:30, 16:45. Thurs: 17:25
Terminator 2: Judgement Day (15)
Mon: 19:30
The Highway Rat (U)
Sun: 10:00. Wed: 11:30
The Menu (15)
Fri, Thurs: 20:40. Sat, Sun, Mon: 20:45. Tues: 20:30. Wed: 15:40, 20:30
Violent Night (15)
Fri: 15:45, 18:15, 20:00. Sat: 14:00, 16:45, 18:15, 19:30. Sun: 14:30, 17:15, 18:20, 20:50. Mon: 15:00, 17:35, 20:45. Tues: 15:30 (subtitled), 18:00, 20:30. Wed: 15:20, 18:00, 20:35. Thurs: 15:20, 18:00, 20:30
Showing at The Luxe Cinema, Alexandra Road, Wisbech...
Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical (PG)
Fri: 11:00, 14:00, 17:00 & 20:00. Sat: 10:15, 13:30, 16:45 & 20:00. Sun: 10:15 (autism friendly)13:30, 16:45 & 20:00. Mon: 14:00 (subtitled), 16:30 & 19:15. Wed: 16:15 & 19:15. Thurs: 16:00
Royal Ballet - The Nutcracker (LIVE - 12A)
Thurs: 19:15
