I Have Been Changed For Good: Wicked Movie Review (Spoiler Free)
When I was four years old, I asked my aunt if we could watch ‘The Wizard of Oz’ when she babysat me that weekend; it changed my life. Cut to 29-year-old Andrew weeping in theatre eight at AMC Empire 25 this past Monday, watching part one of Wicked.
You guys know what Wednesday means - new podcast episode!
Wicked Movie Review
Where do I even begin? This movie is absolutely unbelievable in every sense of the word. Jon M. Chu could not have done a better job at taking this beloved musical and adapting it to the big screen.
When I think about ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ one of the first things I think of is how gorgeous they made Oz: the bright colors in Munchkinland, the warmth of the Yellow Brick Road, the rows and rows of poppies that would later serve as a bed for Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion, everything is so vibrant and welcoming which is what draws so many into the wonderful land of Oz. One of the first things I thought about when they finally announced they’d finally be turning Wicked into a movie was how they were going to replicate the technicolor magic Victor Flemming created without making it feel too "modern,” and they did it perfectly. They so easily could have used CGI and green screen to bring the Emerald City and Munckinland to life, but instead, they planted 9 million tulips and built the Yellow Brick Road to bring this beloved story to life. Personally, seeing the Emerald City for the first time during ‘One Short Day’ was a moment I’ll never forget. This must be what Disney Adults feel like when they see Cinderella’s Castle for the first time in Disney World.
We all know Ariana Grande can sing, but she showed us vocal abilities we hadn’t seen before when bringing Glinda to life on the big screen. Her months of vocal lessons to shift her pop-star voice to a more musical theatre-trained voice were worth every second. In my opinion, her acting was the real scene-stealer. Her comedic timing, body language, and lack of self-awareness as Glinda were perfect in every single way, not to mention how she made the role her own by adding some new inflictions to Popular; don’t fret, it doesn’t take away from the song at all, it enhances her performance in the movie. It’s safe to say that both Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo were born for these roles.
The emotion and care that Cynthia Erivo put into her depiction of Elphaba should be studied in acting classes. The way that Cynthia was able to make us feel every single emotion Elphaba was feeling and fully embody what it feels like to be the outcast made it impossible to remember that she was even playing a character. As she walks down the stairs of the Ozdust Ballroom sporting her new pointed witch hat, you can feel every single side-eye and chuckle from the cast. As she falls from the top of the Wizard’s tower while singing Defying Gravity and sees her younger self, you’re suddenly remembering all of the things you’ve done as an adult that would make younger you proud.
Much like Ariana, nobody’s shocked that Cynthia Erivo is a phenomenal singer, but I think I speak for us all when I say she delivered the vocal performance of a lifetime. Her rendition of ‘I’m Not That Girl’ left everyone in the theatre weeping, and on the flip side, you could feel her optimism of starting a new chapter as she ran through Shiz singing ‘The Wizard and I.’
The entire cast of this movie knew how important this movie was for the culture, and you could tell that they each cared about their characters so immensely. Jeff Goldblum’s charisma had me convinced that The Wizard is the good guy in this film (spoiler: he’s not). Michelle Yeoh, as Madame Morrible, was so perfectly manipulative to Elphaba, telling her all the right things to convince her to go to the Emerald City and see The Wizard even though she knew it went against everything she stood for. And don’t even get me started on Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero; I was sweating in my seat as soon as he flashed that handsome grin in the Enchanted Forest. I cannot think of anyone more suited for this role than he is. I haven’t stopped thinking about his performance in ‘Dancing Through Life’, my favorite song in the musical.
I don’t have enough good things to say about this movie. As someone who attributes so much of the fiber of their being to Oz, this movie plucked every single heartstring and made me feel like I was four years old watching the 1939 classic for the first time again.
PS: If you’re reading this the day I publish it (November 20th at 6 PM), I’m on my way to see it for a second time in 48 hours.
Additional topics on this week’s episode:
Charli xcx goes double duty host and musical guest on SNL
If there’s one thing I know for sure, Brat summer is forever (thank god). This weekend, Charli xcx became the 44th person to join the double-duty SNL club when she made her third appearance on the show. Charli fully embodied what it means to be ‘Brat,’ from her monologue to the skits to her performances.
My top three moments from the night have to be:
I thought this was the perfect way to kick off this episode and give the audience an idea of what to expect throughout the night. Charli’s “too cool” attitude is exactly what makes this era so infectious because it’s 100% authentic and not forced.
This might be the fastest turnaround time for a follow-up sketch in SNL history (don’t quote me on that). After the virality of Ariana Grande’s Bridesmaid sketch earlier this season, it was genius to give us a follow-up so quickly because we’re all wondering what happened between Kelsea and Domingo.
Just like the song says, she’s everywhere, she’s so Julia. What better way to kick off this performance than by Julia Fox herself introducing the performance? From the second I saw Julia on the screen, I knew Charli was about to deliver and that she did. It’s incredible to me that nobody will ever see this shade of green and not think of Charli xcx and the Brat era.
Sabrina Carpenter closes out the Short n Sweet Tour in LA
Sabrina Carpenter officially ended the US leg of her Short n’ Sweet Tour in LA this weekend, and it was one for the books. Between a guest appearance from Christina Aguilera to perform ‘What a Girl Wants' and ‘Ain’t No Other Man,’ and a star-studded holding cell featuring Rachel Sennott, Marcello Hernandez as Domingo, Jack Antonoff, and Margaret Quailey, Sabrina pulled out all of the stops to make sure this final weekend ended the tour with a bang.
One of my favorite moments from the weekend? Katy Perry’s reaction to ex-boyfriend John Mayer sitting behind her at the show.
On the topic of Sabrina, we also learned that her Nonsense Christmas special (airing December 6th on Netflix) is going to be absolutely star-studded with appearances by Chappell Roan, Quinta Brunson, Megan Stalter, and Cara Delevigne, to name a few.
Beyoncé set to perform at the Ravens VS Texans Christmas Day halftime show
How did Beyoncé know a Cowboy Carter live performance was at the top of my Christmas list this year!?
Queen Bey will be gracing our televisions this December 25th with a halftime performance at the Ravens VS Texans game. Who knew they played football on Thanksgiving!? Nonetheless, I am beyond seated for this. Not only is this her first televised performance in four years, but it’s the first performance of the Cowboy Carter era, which is major. In Netflix’s press release, they let us know that “Beyoncé is expected to bring along some special guests who are featured on Cowboy Carter.” which immediately makes my head spin at the thought of a II MOST WANTED performance with Miley Cyrus.
Listen on Apple Podcasts | Watch on YouTube
