Wicked

With Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo hitting the red carpet on a seemingly daily basis – themed coordinates in tow – one would be forgiven for wondering if the media frenzy surrounding Wicked is merited. But Jon M Chu’s adaptation of the hit Broadway musical is a delight. Grande and Erivo shine as Glinda and Elphaba, with the former recounting how her friend-turned-foe metamorphosed into the reviled figure of Oz.

From the moment of her birth, Elphaba was shunned due to her green skin. Despite later being characterised as an antagonist, we discover that Elphaba’s marginalisation due to the unusual hue of her skin merely made her more empathetic, as opposed to stony-hearted. There are evocations – intentional or otherwise – of Joseph Losey’s The Boy with the Green Hair here, as Elphaba’s marked difference leads to her being irrationally loathed by her peers, and thus ostracised, once she joins Shiz University. The film shows how even the most compassionate of souls can turn monstrous if pushed far enough.

It’s at Shiz that she meets the peppy Glinda, a woman whose candyfloss-pink world is at odds with Elphaba’s cynicism. Grande and Erivo cement their statuses as multi-hyphenates, both impressing with soaring vocals and seamless dance moves that recall the stars of Hollywood’s Golden Age. Having adopted a blonde makeover and a transatlantic accent as of late, Grande, in particular, is reminiscent of the starlets of the 1950s. Meanwhile, Jonathan Bailey is a riot as Fiyero, a seemingly shallow yet impossibly dashing prince who steals Glinda’s heart.

Wicked perhaps doesn’t wear its influences on its sleeve, but there are multiple familiar developments here. Some of the more twee musical set pieces have echoes of Grease, but somehow it works. Meanwhile, a plot involving the oppression of Oz’s animals has unmistakable shades of Dr Dolittle, with Peter Dinklage (or his voice, at least) giving a moving performance as Doctor Dillamond, a kindly goat and renowned professor.

With stunning set design, campy comic relief, impeccable performances and poignant allegories for race and animal welfare, the film has something for everyone. Wicked is that rarity in the age of advertising overkill: a film that lives up to the hype.

Antonia Georgiou

Wicked is released nationwide on 27^th November 2024.

Watch the trailer for Wicked here: