Wicked

Rating may go up or down really not sure right now.

What I do know is I’ve not stopped thinking of film since I watched it (side note I’ve also not stopped signing that Elphaba note as well, I apologise to my friends). There’s this effortless magnetism to the film which draws you in, wraps you up in this story, and leaves you lingering on the feelings you felt in its lengthy runtime.

I do think the film suffers quite poorly from a shaky opening half an hour, something just doesn’t particularly click. The first opening number isn’t the best, the cgi is its shakiest and there’s a dump of exposition and introduction to characters which is a little clunky. However, once this has been established, and particularly when Elphaba and Glinda move in together, the film is on fire and it doesn’t let up until the incredible final scene.

The film would be nowhere near as magnificent as it is were, were it not for the sensational performances. Cynthia Erivo is mind bogglingly talented as a vocalist and a performer. She is commanding when she’s on screen. Her voice is actually beyond crazy, not only her vocal ability but the emotion behind everything she’s saying is tangible. Pair this insane vocal ability with some powerful acting and you get a performance which is simply electric. So much of the shots of Erivo are close medium shots of her face and I adore Chu’s choice to do this as so much is written on her face and in her eyes that just makes you feel emotional watching her.

Standing side by side with Erivo is Ariana Grande-Butera who is simply magnificent. Her comedic abilities are second to none, from her wild old Hollywood style of comedy, played very much in her movements, to her incredible vocal affectations in her near every word, she’s a scene stealer, someone you also just are unable to keep your eyes away from. I think what’s truly impressive about Grande-Butera’s performance is just how un-Ariana it feels. She’s playing a role and fully acting as you would expect but even her vocal performance feels unique, it feels like somebody else’s voice and it’s so impressive.

I appreciated the depth afforded to her character as well. It’s very easy to see Elphaba’s arc in this movie, it’s nothing groundbreaking but it is beautifully handled, while Glinda gets a far more meatier and complicated role. I enjoy how there’s conflict in her character and that stays with her, she’s far more colourful than the black or white she would perhaps be afforded in other versions. I particularly love in the last scene how through song there’s changes of understanding, and the line “I hope you’re happy” being subverted as they begin to see each other. Most of this character stuff I’m assuming is also in the musical but it’s translated here very well.

It’s a strange job to attempt to balance the inherent campiness which comes from musical theatre and adapting that into a film which deals with serious subject matter but I think Chu did a wonderful job at this. It never really feels cringy or out of place, he strikes a really wonderful balance and really gets you invested in this story.

The story really is as special as it is due to the main performances but across the board the acting was sublime. Jonathan Bailey was charming as always, I’m not sure if he was given that much to do or if I was simply smitten by him but either way he was enjoyable when he was. Michelle Yeoh and Jeff Goldblum are not doing anything you wouldn’t expect them to but it works. Shout out Bowen Yang for having some incredible little lines. Marissa Bode was delightful as well.

The sheer craft and love poured into the performances could also be felt in every single craft of the film. The musical numbers were out of this world. The choreography was so stunning, particularly Dancing through life as some moments actively had me wanting to point out how insane some of the moves were. It’s wonderful to have a director who clearly knows what he’s doing when it comes to blocking and getting coverage as you’re able to understand what’s going on in each scene and it captures the magic of these numbers.

It’s simply so beautiful how practical most of this film feels and no wonder since the incredible sets are utilised so perfectly. It’s clear how massive a difference this makes in capturing performances from actors when they’re able to breathe in a space that feels real. It also just looks better on screen and I hope more blockbusters take notes on making movies feel more real.

While these sets are so spectacular going into the movie I did expect to be annoyed by the visuals and them detracting from the sets given there’s been so much conversation around this and honestly it didn’t distract me at all really. It’s clear the lighting is a conscious choice and the same applies to the colouring and I think for the most part it works. I will say the Dancing through Life scene is horribly lit however aside from this I really don’t think there was many issues. I also was impressed when CGI was used, there’s some glaringly bad shots but again it mainly looks magical.

The standout moment of this movie I was expecting to be the climax, and it’s phenomenal. The song is brilliant and both of their performances in this moment are clearly so special. I found myself actually quite emotional when Elphaba and Glinda are standing face to face and you feel the feelings pouring out of the pair of them and their unbelievably emotional eyes looking into each other. It’s such a special moment in this film when they are a pair, when their voices are harmonising as well it’s simply magical.

However, what I found to be the standout moment was the quietest moment in the film. When Elphaba turns up to the dance and it’s the turning point for Glinda. I just found myself in tears at how much was being said with essentially no dialogue. There was no music, no big flashing number, it was Erivo and Grande-Butera acting so effervescently I found myself really quite emotional. This idea of being able to walk into a room, with your head held high, even though you are othered, even though nobody understand you, to have this faith in yourself and to find the strength to not only stand but to dance, I simply thought this was stunning.

It’s powerful that a film like this is able to balance such quiet moments of intimacy, with loud hyper energetic scenes. It’s able to balance comedy with heaviness. I think the messaging of this movie is perhaps a message which comes at the right time, it’s perhaps always needed, it’s maybe a simplistic message but it doesn’t make it any less valid. It’s also very refreshing for a film like this to not shy away from its overtly queer messages. I also love how it’s essentially explicit that this is a true three way relationship. More expressions of joy and love on this scale please, films with this much heart need to be made. What is this feeling perhaps best song as well