Wicked (PG) |Close-Up Film Review   

Heralded for the excellent performances of Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Galinda (later called Glinda). The two actresses play the early versions of the green witch who will later become the Wicked Witch of the West and the beautiful one who becomes the Good Witch of the North. 

But the film is much more than the two leads. It looks wonderful, has a great cast and super production design. 

Although it has kept winning audience awards for the stage version, I saw Wicked three times and never got to like it. No songs to hum to, and, apart from the magic bits, a very staid theatrical production. But the film of the musical is delightful. Although somewhat long, playing for two hours 40 minutes – and this is only Part One; Part Two is coming out in one year – it is very watchable from start to finish. 

The movie tells the story of the early life of the two witches. We start in Oz and then go back to the girls meeting when they both attend Shiz university. Michelle Yeoh is the school principal, Madame Morrible. She takes Elphaba under her wing and teaches her magic. The girls later go to Oz, where they see the munchkins (here played as small, but not restricted growth actors as in the original film, The Wizard of Oz). It is presided over by Jeff Goldblum’s benevolent Wizard. 

There is a lovely performance by Jonathan Bailey as Prince Fiyero, who is very attractive and self -confident and receives attention from both girls. 

Cynthia Erivo has a fantastic voice. She is also a very good actress and although slightly hampered by her green colouring, she manages to show on her face, all the defiance of her character as well as the vulnerability. Ariana Grande proves a worthy companion to Erivo’s performance. Not a natural comedienne, she is a good actress and provides a number of laughs as she strives and basically succeeds to become the most popular girl at the university. She is mainly dressed in pink and flicks her hair suggestively at Fiyero. The two girls start as rivals who very reluctantly are made to share a room. They later become close friends until fate draws them apart. 

Costumes, set design, cinematography and great direction by Jon M Chu ensue that the film bubbles along in a lively and altogether entrancing manner. Not to be missed!