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Wicked – Film Review

Cast: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande-Butera, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, Marissa Bode, Peter Dinklage, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum

Director: Jon. M. Chu

Synopsis: A misunderstood young woman forges a friendship with a popular student at Shiz University in the land of Oz…

Review: There is a very good reason The Wizard of Oz is considered a timeless classic and an iconic work of cinema which has stood the test of time. More than three-quarters of a century since Dorothy and her friends travelled down that yellow brick road, its enduring themes of finding your courage and the power of friendship, combined with the memorable music (for which it won two Oscars) and the iconic red footwear adorned by its lead character, contribute to its legacy. It is no surprise that in the years since, there have been numerous expansions to the wonderful world of Oz in various forms, including the 1995 prequel novel “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West,” which later inspired a musical. A musical that has been seen 65 million times in more than 100 cities in 16 countries. Popular, indeed, but the road from stage to screen can sometimes be tricky to negotiate. Fortunately, in the hands of Jon. M. Chu, the first part of this adaptation truly soars.

Adapting the first act of the musical, Galinda (Grande-Butera) arrives at Shiz University and soon becomes eager to impress the school’s Dean of Sorcery Madame Morrible (Yeoh). There she meets Elphaba (Erivo), the misunderstood daughter of the Governor of Munchkinland. Elphaba has possessed magical abilities from childhood, but is mocked and scorned by society due to her green skin. After the duo are forced to room-share while at university, they forge the most unlikely friendship. This leads them both to visit the Wizard of Oz in the Emerald City before their paths diverge forever into becoming The Good Witch and The Wicked Witch of the West respectively.

When you have had music and lyrics that have enchanted theatre audiences for more than 20 years, it shouldn’t come as a shock that the music composed for the stage by Stephen Schwartz has remained unchanged for the screen. Likewise, for the dialogue, however given this first half is confined solely to the musical’s first act, it allows Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox’s screenplay to devote considerably more time to exploring these characters and fully fleshing out their backstories, particularly Elphaba. Villains can so often be misunderstood souls who are driven to their wickedness by the cruelty and mockery inflicted upon them by others, and Elphaba is one such soul. Disliked by her father since birth, while being kept at arm’s length by her disabled sister Nessarose (Bode), means she is more withdrawn and reserved, but doesn’t allow herself to let the bullies wear her down.

Galinda, by contrast, is the complete opposite of Elphaba. The vainglorious queen of Shiz University, always with a couple of faithful minions in tow and looking to stand out from the crowd, with an excessively pink wardrobe that could give Barbie a serious run for her money. While she initially joins the rest of the students in mocking Elphaba, she eventually becomes sympathetic towards her and strives to improve her popularity among the rest of the university’s students. As well as possessing terrific singing voices, the film’s magic lies in the chemistry between Elphaba and Galinda, and Erivo and Grande deliver magical performances. The latter might not have the most extensive acting resume to her name, but she effortlessly brings Galinda’s vanity to the core, demanding to be the centre of attention at all times. Yet, there is an endearing quality to her that you can’t help but love, particularly in those tender moments between her and Elphaba.

Without a doubt, Erivo and Grande are the stars of the show, though they are wonderfully supported by a quirky cast of characters, including the effortlessly charming Prince Fiyero (Bailey), and the stern yet compassionate Madame Morrible. Yeoh, reuniting with her Crazy Rich Asians director, to wonderful effect. Additionally, no film set in the land of Oz would be complete without the Wizard himself, portrayed perfectly by Jeff Goldblum, who brings his signature quirkiness to the role. Chu is no stranger to musicals, having directed 2015’s Jem and the Holograms and 2021’s In the Heights. Despite the latter’s truly spectacular musical numbers, Chu really steps up to deliver some truly showstopping musical numbers that will have you singing the songs for days and weeks afterwards.

Adapting such a beloved piece of storytelling that has cast a spell and bewitched its way into the hearts and minds of legions of fans was always going to be a tough ask, as adaptations of musicals can often go very very wrong. Yet, Chu has brought to the screen a very timely story about being unafraid of who you’re meant to be, to stick to your guns and not be intimidated in the face of bullies. A magical experience in every sense of the word, and the good news is, this is only the first half. Grab your broomsticks and pointy hats, because we’ll be venturing down the yellow brick road back to Oz again this time next year.

Filled with truly magical musical numbers, enchanting costumes and sets, and spellbinding performances combine to deliver an enthralling cinematic experience for long-time fans of the Broadway play and newcomers alike. Expectations and gravity well and truly defied.

Crazy Rich Asians – Film Review

Cast: Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh, Gemma Chan, Awkwafina, Ken Jeong

Director: Jon M. Chu

Synopsis: When an American woman is invited by her boyfriend to visit his family in Singapore ahead of his best friend’s wedding. Upon arrival, she soon realises that his family are insanely rich…

Review: Like almost any genre, the romantic comedy one is one that can provide audiences with films that tend to retread familiar tropes and don’t seek to bring something new to the market. Therefore when something does manage to be a delight breath of fresh air into the genre, it is undeniably wonderful to see. In recent years, two such films have met that criteria, namely last year’s The Big Sick and now, Crazy Rich Asians, have proved themselves to be massive hits that also break significant ground, the latter of which especially so since it is the first big budget Hollywood production to feature an all Asian cast in a quarter of a century.

At the centre of this romance is Rachel Chu (Wu) who is an Economics Professor at New York University. She has dated her boyfriend and fellow NYU Professor Nick Young (Golding) for around a year. Things get interesting for her when he invites her to Singapore to visit his family, ahead of the wedding of his best friend. What Rachel doesn’t know, and soon begins to fully comprehend, is just how wealthy Nick’s family is. This starts to put a strain on their relationship, particularly when she meets his family and they seem to have their doubts about whether Rachel is the right match for him. It is a very familiar set up for a rom-com story, but the with their extravagant wealth that they possess, it puts the genre in some uncharted territory.

As the main couple in this story, Constance Wu and Henry Golding both excel as Rachel and Nick respectively. There is genuine chemistry between the two and perhaps the most key ingredient of any rom-com is you want these two to make it work. However, of course, that isn’t going to be easy as Nick’s uber rich family pose a few problems, in that Nick’s mother especially (an equally excellent Michelle Yeoh) does not view Rachel as being wholly suitable to become a part of their family. Given how one member just casually splashes around a million dollars on a pair of earrings like it’s mere loose change, which to them, it probably is.

There are a lot of characters at play here, but there are some notably memorable turns from Awkwafina as Rachel’s best friend at college, Goh Peik Lin and Ken Jeong as her wacky but extremely entertaining father. With such a large cast though there is always a risk that some cast members are under-utilised, and Gemma Chan’s Astrid, sister to Nick, is one such character who could have done with a lot more screen time as there is a plot with her own family life that could have benefited from being fleshed out a bit more. Nevertheless the screenplay adapted by Peter Chiarelli and Adele Lim manages to weave the family drama and the romance together tremendously well.

Where this film really shines is its visual splendour. The costumes on display here are very bright and colourful, and they perfectly illustrate the remarkable wealth that these people possess. The excellent production design also helps to really hit that point home, particularly when we get to the rather lavish wedding ceremony, one that would certainly give any member of any royal family around the world a run for their money. This is a very different film for director Jon M Chu, and while there are certain familiarities with rom coms of the past, he gives the movie a fresh vibe to it. It is somewhat surprising how it has been so long for a major Hollywood film to feature an all Asian cast, but with the success this film has had, more studios will hopefully soon follow suit.

Boasting some extremely resplendent production design, coupled with an extremely heart-warming tale that manages to breathe new life into the rom-com genre, whilst also being a landmark achievement for representation in Hollywood.