Film Review: Wicked — Spell-binding but long

A review of 'Wicked' by Jon M Chu starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande.

Film Review: Wicked — Spell-binding but long

Jon M Chu’s ‘Wicked’ film tells the story of the early years of Elphaba, played by Cynthia Erivo and Galinda, played by Ariana Grande. The roommates clash to begin with as Elphaba is the green-skinned outcast and Galinda is the popular blonde but eventually they bond.

The casting is the main triumph of this film with both lead actresses providing powerful and accomplished performances. Grande’s impressive vocal range is given plenty of chance to shine and the chemistry between them both is magnetic. It is hard to name which actress performs best because both actresses give stellar, spirited performances.

The pink frothiness of some of Grande’s outfits and the bright, elaborate sets seemed at odds with some of the darker topics that the film explores such as oppression, prejudice and the nature of good and evil. I felt slight confusion that these serious themes had been entwined in a big-budget, sing-along musical extravaganza.

At two hours and forty minutes long, which is longer than the stage play, I feel that the film could have been shortened by a third. My view on this is compounded by the fact that this film only covers half the story, with the second part due out next year. If Chu did not adopt the mantra of ‘less is more’ with the length of this film, he succeeded with it with the use of CGI. Chu artfully employed CGI to bring the magical elements of the film to life but also used grand actual set designs which successfully added depth to the acting and storytelling without unnecessary distractions.

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Archie Price Siddiqui

Archie Price Siddiqui Local Reviewer

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