Matilda
MATILDAÂ (PG)
D: Danny de Vito
TriStar / Jersey (Danny de Vito, Michael Shamberg, Stacey Sher & Felicity Dahl)
US 🇺🇸 1996
98 mins
Comedy/Fantasy
W: Nicholas Kazan & Robin Swicord [based on the novel by Roald Dahl]
DP: Stefan Czapsky
Ed: Lynzee Klingman & Brent White
Mus: David Newman
Mara Wilson (Matilda Wormwood), Embeth Davidtz (Jennifer Honey), Pam Ferris (Agatha Trunchbull), Danny de Vito (Harry Wormwood), Rhea Perlman (Zinnia Wormwood)
Roald Dahl’s classic children’s book gets the big screen treatment, and though this has been rather Americanised, director Danny de Vito & screenwriters Nicholas Kazan and Robin Swicord do an admirable job adapting the work, though this is mostly down to the casting of Mara Wilson, who is the perfect mix of innocent & cheeky that the role needed.
Wilson plays the title character, a precocious six-year-old with magical telekinetic abilities who is not paid any attention by her shady car salesman father, her neglectful mother or her bully brother.  Her school is run by the tyrannical headmistress Agatha Trunchbull, who enjoys punishing children, but Matilda finds friendship with her kindhearted teacher, Jennifer Honey, and together they address the injustices they have both suffered.
As a child who grew up on Roald Dahl’s stories, this really did capture the chaos and wonder of his writing style, though I must admit that it’s a shame it wasn’t set in his native Britain, but would also accept that it’s nitpicking for the sake of it, as the cast here are all perfect, especially Mara Wilson, delivering a performance that becomes even more impressive upon the realisation that the young actress lost her own mother during filming.
This is a great family friendly fantasy, feeling rather timeless despite being produced in the mid-90s.
7/10
MATILDA: THE MUSICAL (PG)
D: Matthew Warchus
TriStar / Working Title / The Roald Dahl Story Company (Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Jon Finn & Luke Kelly)
UK/US 🇬🇧🇺🇸 2022
118 mins
Musical/Fantasy/Comedy
W: Dennis Kelly [based on the stage musical by Dennis Kelly & Tim Minchin and the book “Matilda” by Roald Dahl]
DP: Tat Radcliffe
Ed: Melanie Ann Oliver
Mus: Christopher Nightingale; Tim Minchin
Alisha Weir (Matilda Wormwood), Emma Thompson (Mrs Trunchbull), Lashana Lynch (Miss Honey), Stephen Graham (Mr Wormwood), Andrea Riseborough (Mrs Wormwood)
A British adaptation of Matilda, albeit an adaptation of the stage musical rather than Roald Dahl’s classic children’s novel.
Alisha Weir plays the eponymous character, a precocious school girl who uses her telekinetic abilities to get her own back on her mean teacher and neglectful parents.
Whilst it’s good to see a version of the story taking place in its native Britain, it has to be said that the American version had much better casting.  Weir is fine enough in the lead, but lacks the cheeky demeanour that Mara Wilson brought to the role & feels very much like a young girl extracted right out of stage school. Emma Thompson has fun as Mrs Trunchbull, but is barely recognisable beneath the prosthetic makeup.
Overall, it’s fine for a fun, wholesome family film, but the songs aren’t particularly memorable and I have to admit that the American version is the better film of the two.
6/10
