Matilda film review: Musical adaptation of Roald Dahl’s classic Matilda is a moving film with Emma Thompson giving one of her finest performances in villanous roles. Debuting on Netflix this week, this children’s film is aimed at very young children, 7 plus, Matilda also addresses rather serious themes at its core.
Directed by Matthew Warchus and with music and lyrics by Tim Minchin, the film retains the novel’s warm melancholy. It presents Dahl’s world as he imagined it, and not one customised to appeal to GenZ.
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Miss Trunchbull resembles a KGB agent
For example, headmistress Miss Trunchbull resembles a KGB agent more than a modern educator while spying on the students of the Crunchem Primary School from dozens of Cold War-era monitors in her den, and exercises discipline by wielding unchallenged control, like the warden of a gulag. She greets students with “No snivelling,” as they enter school, whose motto, Miss Trunchbull tells us in an early scene, is ‘children are maggots’.
Played by Emma Thompso, Miss Trunchbull despises despises all children alike. She represents all grown-ups who believe that they’re always correct, but not above redemption.
Emma delivers a scene stealing performance from behind three inches of prosthetics on her face. She’s unrecognisable in the role.
Supporting role played Lashana Lynch as the kind teacher Miss Honey is toned-down. Alisha Weir in the central performance of of an endearing little Matilda is appealing. Stephen Graham and Andrea Riseborough are her cartoonishly evil parents.
Music tackles social ills
Minchin’s music and lyrics tackle troubling social ills head on. “Just because I find myself in this story, it doesn’t mean that everything is written for me,” Matilda sings, dismissing the concept of determinism with a spring in her step and a quiet confidence that her brittle voice doesn’t do justice to.
At nearly two hours long, Matilda can feel stretchy despite the colourful characters and the fun musical numbers. But brilliant and pure performances make the characters convincing.
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