Tag Archives: W

Comedy, Drama, Musical

Wicked

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Reading Time: 9 minutes

Date watched: November 23, 2024
Date Reviewed: November 27, 2024

Before I launch into this review, I feel I need to provide you with a little bit of context in case you have come here not knowing anything about the film. If you know what Wicked is, please skip ahead. If you are still with me, at a very high level what you need to know is:

    • In 1939 there was a film called “The Wizard of Oz” (if you do not know this fact, I need to have words with you) based on a book
    • In 1995 another book was written with this as the inspiration called “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West”
    • In 2003 a musical adaptation of the book “Wicked” was adapted for Broadway.

Yes, this is a movie musical. I know the trailer doesn’t really allude to this and I hate how they market movie musicals but here we are. What I ask is that you continue to read on, even if you don’t like musicals. That also extends to our friends who haven’t seen the Wizard of Oz or have and aren’t big fans. Maybe you are only here “for the plot”.

Ok we should all be back together now. Let’s begin!

Review

Fellow Ozians,

The movie which I initially didn’t think was needed has turned into the most popular film of 2024!

Yes dear reader, if you have read any of my previous reviews you will know that I am a big musical theatre fan. And while I wouldn’t have called myself the biggest Wicked fan (I would think that honour goes to the friend who initially introduced me to the musical) I have in fact seen four versions of the stage production for a total of 5 times. For those doing the math, the first Melbourne production I saw twice!

Why then would I say I’m not the biggest fan? Well I will admit that I haven’t read the book it was based on as being one of the reasons.

There is however no denying that I love the stage production. So why then was I so hesitant for a movie version? Maybe it was the attachment I have to the Original Broadway recording of which I have listened to endlessly. Or the attachment I recently found I had to the original cast of the first Melbourne production. Probably the biggest factor was that the film was split into two parts, with the first part having a longer run time than the entire stage production! How could they do such a great show justice? And would this end up just like The Hobbit?

So why then did I go see it you may think? The answer: I’m a musical theatre nerd. Of course I was going to see it! And when I found out that Club Broadway were going to do a screening followed by an after party I thought, you know what – If I’m going to see this film, the best environment would be with fellow musical theatre nerds. They would understand. We would bond together however this experience turns out. BEST. DECISION. EVER.

The experience exceeded my expectations is so many ways.

Firstly, in the lead up to the screening (which was opening weekend, a Saturday midday session), I was getting more and more excited from each clip that I started to see on socials. Learning about the live on set singing. Cast interviews. I had a few friends who were sceptical of Ariana Grande in the role of Glinda, but I was personally pretty excited for her inclusion. I then found myself starting to get nervous that I might be building up my expectations. And worse what if the reason why the film is longer is because they have added additional songs, content, and took focus away from one of the best parts of this show – the two female leads Glinda and Elphaba, with unnecessary additions of male roles?

I put those thoughts aside and when the day finally came, a girl who loves comfy pop culture clothing, whose favourite colour is blue, and who was hesitant about this film, found herself walking into the theatre in a poofy pink dress with an accompanying wand. Yes, I went to the cinema dressed as Glinda. Popular style. If you don’t know what that means, click here. The only thing I didn’t nail was a pink flower in my hair.

Did I feel out of place? To begin with yes, but it did not matter because by the time we arrived at the cinema, so many others were also dressed up. A lot more Elphaba’s to Glinda’s, including two that I saw who stepped it up a level and painted their face green. Did I mention it was also a 37°C day? Kudos to your effort. I knew that I was in the place that I belonged.

I now turn my attention to the film. You probably already have an idea about what I am about to say here given the run up.

I absolutely adored it.

I’ve had a few days to sit with it now and I think it is just about perfect. One of the things I find out of place may just be my memories of the sequencing from The Wizard of Oz. But I’m going to trust the filmmakers more than my memory at this time.

It is also probably worth mentioning that whenever I see the stage production, I always cry at some point. I can usually make it to the end of Act One. On an emotional day, it’s the opening number. Sometimes I can hold off until the third song.

I can tell you that the film got me from the opening number. I managed to stifle flowing tears until a little later on in the film. And of course, the final number got me – it was always going to.

If you have never seen the stage production or are not a fan of musicals (or perhaps even The Wizard of Oz)  – firstly, thank you for continuing to read on. I’ll be making references to the stage production quite a bit but one of the things you need to know is that from what I have seen from other audience member reactions and also my own perceptions is that you don’t need to know anything about Wicked going in.

The show itself is already so well written and with the original creators of book and musical involved, the film was in good hands. Taking away the songs, the story is a compelling drama filled of highs and lows. You really become emotionally involved with the characters and can understand their motivations, even if you do not agree with them all of the time.

On screen our lead character is green and the world is set in the Land of Oz which contains magic and talking animals with jobs but you don’t have to look far for parallels to the current state of the world and perhaps even your personal life. The themes of injustice, being an outcast, not alone buy lonely, propaganda, scapegoats I found so powerful. It was something that really hit me directly and so clearly. A new experience I’ve not really had from the stage production before. That is why I think it is going to be/is universally loved. It’s not often to get such a connection like this from a film – musical or not.

To those who may be worried about all the songs, I would say that Wicked isn’t a song heavy film. What I mean by this is that you will get dialogue, and it is also a very funny, so you will have plenty of laughs. If it helps, I would say this musical is more like a ‘The Greatest Showman’ than something like an ‘Into The Woods’.

And to those who know Wicked, as a film I found it to be true to the stage production without being a straight up replication. All the comedy was there (plus some!) and the focus on Glinda and Elphaba was not at all lost. I was really interested going in to see what things they would be able to do on film that can’t be done in a stage production and was surprised at how much the story has been enhanced without changing many of the core components.

That in large part is due to what Jon M. Chu, the director, has done to build the world the story sits in. It is simply remarkable. The word “wow” actually escaped my lips as the opening sequence rolled through the vast field of tulips of Munchkinland. One of my favourite things to do while waiting for the stage production to start is to read all the places on the giant map which holds as a backdrop. This film turned that map into a whole world that I could visualise and though it sounds crazy, I felt like I was actually there.

If you are a fan of the original ‘Wizard of Oz’ film and/or the stage production of ‘Wicked’, there are so many little easter eggs in there for you to find. It will only enhance your viewing without diminishing the experience for the new audience members. Let’s just say the audience I was with lost our minds over something pretty exciting which if you are on social media, you probably already know about.

You might also be wondering about my earlier point that this film, which is part one, is longer than the entire stage production. I found the film to be very well paced and for me, the time simply flew past. I really enjoyed where they choose to finish part one and eagerly await part two – a whole year away! The extended scenes and extension to some of the songs added, made for a richer story and experience that didn’t feel like filler.

I must also acknowledge at this point that this review is becoming just as long as the film! I’m not going to do a scene by scene breakdown or song by song analysis because that isn’t what this space is about. And believe me I could! My intention is to share my experience of the film with you and to help you get an idea if you may like it or not.

Wicked is such a joyful film. It is visually stunning on the big screen. The choreography is both incredible and incredibly shot. The costumes, hair, and makeup magnificent. And such a diverse cast in very way you can think of. Big shout out to having an authentic wheelchair user for the character in a wheelchair too! The more I think on it, I can’t fault it. And judging by the reception and busy cinemas (even into the second week), I think is proof.

And of course I cannot end this review without mentioning the cast. All of whom were spectacular but I really want to focus on two.

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. Two powerful voices. Two incredible actors. Neither who had done on the role in a stage production before and nailed it. Despite going dressed as Glinda, she is not a character I would be friends with IRL and not someone I identify myself with. But there is something about this role which I love so very much. I would identify with some of Elphaba’s traits, particularly her passion for equality and justice. I think many would agree and is likely the reason so many in the audience I was with, went dressed as her.

I really do hope you take the chance to go see Wicked even if it is not usually your thing. This is an experience that I think you would want to be a part of and the cinema is a great place for that.

As for me, I’ll be back for my second viewing this weekend. The question is, do I paint my face green this time…

Rating:  A Must See

Biopic

Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody

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Reading Time: 4 minutes

Date watched: January 16, 2023
Date Reviewed: January 18, 2023

Review

What do you get when two adults try to schedule going to the movies together? You end up going to an 8.30pm session on a Monday night!

So with our schedules aligned, a friend and I went to see the new Whitney Houston biopic: I Wanna Dance with Somebody. I wouldn’t call myself a huge Whitney Houston fan (in the true meaning of fanatical) but I do love her music and she features across a few of my playlists.

Like so many artists, when you get a chance for a deeper give you realise just how many hits they have and this film certainly shows not only how successful Whitney was but how many well-known songs are in her repertoire. I’m probably going to be listening to Whitney for the rest of the week. I may be listening to her as I am typing my reflections on the film – I’m highly influenced in that way.

For many of us, I think the story of Whitney Houston is a somewhat sad and troubled one which was ultimately tragically cut short. As the film is from the same creatives that brought us Bohemian Rhapsody, I thought this film would be done in a similar fashion where it won’t show us the tragic end and instead end on a high note of how we should remember Whitney.

And that’s certainly what happened. The film is a homage to the once in a generation voice Whitney had and the incredible legacy she has left behind. A legacy that includes seven consecutive No. 1 hits on the US Billboard Hot 100 and the first woman to enter the Billboard 200 at No. 1.

That said, I was still preparing myself for a sombre experience. This however did not happen. For some reason I didn’t feel as if I got to know Whitney. It was like something was lacking, I’m just not sure what.

Given that White is no longer with us, it’s not her story to tell. It’s her life presented through the eyes of others. The film is said to have been authorised by the Houston family and I noticed that Pat Houston was listed as an executive producer in the opening credits – Pat is Whitney’s sister-in-law (which I found out during and post the film).

There is a lot of content which is covered in the two and a half hour run-time but ultimately the narrative presented is somewhat confused. Rather than focusing on one or two plot points to develop a richer story, the film attempts to explore too many relationships across her lifetime leaving the viewer with too many unexplored threads.

Setting aside the story the film is trying to tell, there is a lot to like here.

Firstly Naomi Ackie in the lead role did an incredible job with her performance, showing the rollercoaster life Whitney had in such a short period of time. Ackie portrays each stage of Whitney’s life from teen up until her last day and you can tell she gave a lot to the performance. I would have loved to see her given scenes with more grit, I saw glimpses and this might have given the film what it needed.

While Ackie provides some vocals on the soundtrack, most of the singing used was of Whitney’s actual voice. Quite simply there is no one with a voice like hers.

I really enjoyed the process shown for how Whitney selected what songs she wanted to record (as she wasn’t a song writer) and loved the way the music videos were recreated as part of this.

The costumes were stunning adding a lot of joy and glamour to the film. And stick around for the real life photos and videos that the film recreated – I love it when biopics have real footage included as part of the credits.

It would have been impossible to show case all of Whitney’s back catalogue and while you always want more, the choice of songs used were great. I thought the way each number 1 hit was show via a champagne bottle (which was a stipulation in her contract) was a clever technique but I wish they had of made it clearer what each song was in that sequence.

While I do tend to take these kind of films with a grain of salt, as there is always an element of embellishment or timelines being changed to help with pacing, what I will take away from the film is a great appreciation of the incredible voice that Whitney had.

I would have liked to seen more about Whitney but perhaps we just don’t know how she felt and worked through those periods in her life.

Rating:  Good

Drama, Mystery

Where the Crawdads Sing

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Reading Time: 3 minutes

Date watched: August 13, 2022
Date Reviewed: August 19, 2022

Review

When I saw that Reece Witherspoon’s production company (Hello Sunshine) was behind this film, I knew it was something that I wanted to see. Witherspoon’s name carries great weight to quality storytelling on film and television following the successes of Wild, Gone Girl, and Big Little Lies. She also champions an area that I am very passionate about, female-driven stories.

Set in the late 1950s / early 1960s, Where the Crawdads Sing follows the story of Kya. A young girl from a poor family, who grows up in the marshlands of North Carolina on her own, after being left abandoned by her family. As she grows up, she becomes known as “The Marsh Girl” by the local community.

It’s based on the best-seller novel by Delia Owens, which I hadn’t read prior to seeing the film. The woman sitting next to me in the cinema did tell me that she thought it was a good adaptation.

The film starts off with the discovery of a body in the marsh and uses the technique of flashbacks to delve deeper into how Kya finds herself on trial for murder of the body found. We spend a lot of time looking back before being brought back into the present for short bursts, giving clues to the audience along the way.

It’s through the flashbacks that the film also tackles several confronting themes including domestic abuse, assault, and rape.

While there are some red herrings included (as any murder mystery does) I don’t feel that they were explored far enough to be a legitimate option although it does provide reasonable doubt. If you pay attention, there are clues along the way that hint how the ending will play out. I had the ending worked out around halfway through.

This didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the conclusion, it’s still quite a remarkable and satisfying end. I like trying to work out the riddle and am delighted when I am correct (who isn’t I guess).

However perhaps for this reason, I did feel like the ending dragged out much longer than it needed to. It was almost agony waiting for the reveal. At one point I thought that it wasn’t going to happen, which would have been disappointing as confirmation is a must for this story! The audience deserves it.

Even though most of the story takes place while Kya is on trial, the film leans more into the mystery component than a courtroom drama. This is because a lot of the onscreen time takes place in the flashbacks. I did enjoy the courtroom scenes and would have liked to see a little more of the film in this setting. Kya’s lawyer Tom Milton also gave off some Atticus Finch vibes, down to the white suit.

I found the cinematography very crisp and showed the beauty of the southeast of America. It’s a very clean looking film and it’s that juxtaposition against the topics that are addressed that demonstrates while things may look pretty on the surface, there can be ugliness hidden underneath. Many of the characters are judged based on their appearance but their actions speak volumes as to who they really are.

If I had to take my pick, I’d probably go with Gone Girl over Where the Crawdads Sing. While an unfair comparison as they are based on novels by different authors, that’s just where my personal preference lies.

Where the Crawdads Sing is an enjoyable film that I’d recommend. Probably not one that you need to see at the cinema though.

Rating:  Good