Film Reviews & Movie Analysis

Based on the West End musical, Wicked is the untold story of the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz. The film explores the relationship between two school rivals-turned-friends, Elphaba and Glinda, and what really happened to mar one of them as good, and the other as wicked.

Wicked absolutely soars because of its two leads. Cynthia Erivo shines as Elphaba, giving an incredibly emotive performance as a character who is often powerless to voice her own frustrations and desires. Erivo’s portrayal captures Elphaba’s loneliness, her yearning for acceptance, and her simmering anger with stunning precision. You could feel every unspoken thought in scenes with her father, her classmates, and especially when she danced alone at the Ozdust – which, yes, I did tear up at.

Ariana Grande also surprises as Glinda. I’ll be the first to admit that I forgot how comedic she could be when she literally was one of my favourite characters in Nickelodeon’s Victorious. Grande brought humour, charm and her own unique ethereal quality to a role that could have easily been one dimensionally, seen as shallow.

Not that we’ve got the praise out of the way, the film isn’t without its flaws. As much as I wanted to be swept away, my inner cinephile couldn’t help but notice some cracks in the story that left me with questions. Let’s talk magic system. For a film that’s all about witches and powers, the rules of magic were vague. Does everyone have the ability to produce magic? Is it a dying art? Can it be taught? If so, why is Glinda the only one lining up for lessons? A little more clarity would have been great, especially as Elphaba’s magical ability is the linchpin to the story.

Finally, the film spends a lot of time making sure we understand Elphaba, and in growing her relationship with herself and Glinda. This left the final third of the film feeling rushed. Elphaba and Glinda skip off to Oz and that same day everything goes horribly wrong and changes the fate of their lives forever. Not even a cameo filled musical montage could distract from how quickly we hurtled towards the end of the film.

All that’s left to do is pour a little more praise on the film by noting my favourite musical numbers. No One Mourns the Wicked (the chorus on this was crazy) The Wizard and I (filled you with so much hope), Popular (classic and fun) heck I even liked Jeff Goldblum’s A Sentimental Man (simple and sweet).

*Holding space for Defying Gravity*

Girl. Even though it took twenty minutes to get through in the movie, I still had chills by that final belting line of Defying Gravity. Erivo, like all artists who are fortunate to play the role, put her own spin on the… uppy and downy bits.. Of the song which showed off her range and skill – you know. In case we’d forgotten.

Ultimately, Wicked delivers a visually stunning, vocally breathtaking first instalment. Elphaba’s subtle wardrobe transformation also deserves a nod, and not just because sexy-librarian-victorian-gothic-chic is kind of my aesthetic.

We only have a year to wait for the sequel, Wicked: For Good and I’m genuinely looking forward to seeing how the story develops and takes on the darker tones to come.

What did you think of Wicked – worth the hype?