Review: Wicked

 Final Review of Oscars week! Tomorrow I'll recap some predictions and who's expected to win. This post will contain spoilers.

Wicked 

Summary

    The film starts off with Glinda (Ariana Grande), the good witch, announcing that the Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) is dead to the citizens of Oz. They celebrate but one asks if Glinda had known Elphaba to which she replies that they were friends at school. In reality they were roommates. Elphaba is really at the school, Shiz, to drop off her non-green sister Nessarose (Marissa Bode) when she demonstrates a natural aptitude for sorcery and is quickly admitted to the program, with the promise that the Wizard of Oz would want to meet her someday. Glinda tries to talk to the head of the program, Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) but accidentally volunteers to share her room, a private suite with Glinda. 

    Though they originally hate each other, it changes when Fiyero (Jonothan Bailey) rides into town and suggests going to a ball. Glinda not wanting another student, Boq (Ethan Slater) to ask her out, suggests to Boq that he should ask out Nessarose. Because Boq is enamored with her, he does. Nessarose tells Elphaba and she goes to confront Glinda when Glinda gives her a hat, meant as a mean prank disguised as a gift. Elphaba really appreciates the gesture and goes to Madame Morrible and threatens to quit sorcery if Glinda doesn't join in. Glinda is informed of this right before Elphaba's arrival to the ball wearing the prank hat. Though everyone laughs at Elphaba, Glinda doesn't and joins Elphaba in dancing, forming a solidarity and a friendship in the process. 

    With their newly found friendship, they continue their schooling until the letter from the Wizard arrives, inviting Elphaba to the emerald city. Elphaba invites Glinda and they set off to the city where they meet the Wizard. Elphaba immediately asks for the wizard to help with the animal problem. Recently there had been animals who were previously able to speak being silenced and fired from their jobs. The wizard promises to help if Elphaba can read from the spellbook, so she does. Instead of helping the animals though, it causes the wizard's monkey guards to grow wings, painfully. Elphaba takes the book and runs away, though Glinda tries to stop her, she understands that Elphaba can't work for the wizard and that she needs to do her own thing. It is declared to Oz that Elphaba is an enemy, though she hasn't done anything wrong except discover the immoral actions of the wizard silencing animals. Elphaba flies off, now declared an enemy of Oz by the wizard and the film ends with the promise of being continued.

Rating

Rating: 10/10

Every single detail was just perfect

The Tiny Details

    I love musical theater, though I've never enjoyed Wicked for the sole reason that I felt the musical moved too fast on stage to support decisions later in the show. I always felt that Elphaba and Glinda's friendship was too rushed. The movie fixed this for me just by having the Ozdust scene last a little bit longer as well as having more scenes where they hang out such as in class, before inviting Glinda to the Emerald City, and a longer dialogue before Popular. It fixed the pacing for me, and I have no doubt that part two will continue this trend. 

    The details also sealed this as a 10/10 film for me. One of my favorites was a quick second shot before What is This Feeling? where Elphaba puts the green bottle (her mother's) under the pillow. It's not significant to the audience yet but to those familiar with the source material, it is. The scenery and costumes were also so detailed and it made the film come together, most of the set was not green screened and it really shows. Getting all that green to not clash and go together nicely in the whole film is a true accomplishment. 

    My favorite detail deserves an entire paragraph and that is of course the Idina Menzel and Kristen Chenoweth cameo in One Short Day. This was already my favorite song going into the film and this made it so much better. Having the original Broadway Elphaba and Glinda tell the story of how the wizard came to Oz was a fantastic move. I love when original members tell the origin story and in a way pass on their legacy. My favorite FAVORITE part was Idina Menzel doing the original Defying Gravity riff during the song, it was so iconic to me and I'm sure other people who love Broadway. 

    The most surprising part of this film to me was Ariana Grande. I was weary of her taking on the role, I didn't think she'd be believable. I'm rarely happy to be wrong and this time I was ecstatic to be wrong. Ariana Grande put her whole soul into that role, and it shows because she really captured the Glinda energy in everything she did in that film. On Broadway, Glinda is a character I tolerate, but Ariana Grande made her so much more likeable to me with her improved lines and subtle movements that made all to difference to me. 

Favorite Characters

It's been a while since I've seen a film with enough characters that I like to be able to do a top five format, luckily this film fits that category. 

5) Glinda

    Like I said in the previous section, Ariana Grande made this a standout roll for me, I connected with Glinda a lot more in this film that I had the Broadway version, and that connection makes her a top 5 for me. 

4) Dulcibear

    This was just the most adorable fluffy bear I've ever seen in my life. Something about her reminded me of Nana from Peter Pan. I also loved how she treated Elphaba kindly as a child when everyone else didn't. 

3) Pfannee

    Bowen Yang had some of the best lines with this character, his presence was amazing and though it was a minor role it was really good. 

2) Elphaba 

    I love how she had a set of opinions and morals, and she follows them, her whole motivation being to try to help animals is so nice and it makes it sadder that everyone turns against her for it, it puts a lot into perspective. 

1) Fiyero

    I love all of his lines, my favorite on Broadway and in the film. The cut some of my favorite Fiyero lines such as "maybe the driver saw green and thought it meant go". I love his Dancing through Life mentality and how he hides behind being self-obsessed and deeply shallow.

Best Quotes

5) "Life's more painless for the brainless" - Fiyero

    Love the foreshadowing of this line and I always will

4) "I didn't eat grass as a child" - Elphaba --- "no you didn't I did" - Fiyero

    This line muttered by Fiyero under his breath when first meeting Elphaba makes me laugh so hard. It 100% makes sense that he would have eaten grass as a child.

3) "I cannot hear your guesses because this is a letter" - Glinda

    This is another great line that made me laugh, it is said towards the beginning of the film, and this is when I knew that I'd end up enjoying Glinda's character a lot more than I previously had

2) "I don't see why you can't just teach us history instead of harping on the past" - Glinda

    This line both on Broadway and in the film really is a facepalm moment but I also think that it's such an important line because people really feel this way in real life and don't understand how ridiculous they sound. 

1) "dancing through life down at the Ozdust, if only because dust is what we come to, nothing matters but knowing nothing matters, it's just life" - Fiyero

    My favorite part of Dancing Through Life, upbeat songs with existential lyrics will never stop being my favorite form of music. I could really pick this line apart for hours on end and I have that's what makes it my favorite. 

An Inspired Playlist

I have always loved the music and lyricism of Wicked, so I've included my top three from the film (What is this Feeling?, Dancing through Life, and One Short Day). Here are some more that I think fit the vibe: 

Good Luck, Babe - Chappell Roan: Elphaba and Glinda are definitely way more than just friends and this song is like their anthem honestly. 

Casual - Chappell Roan: Another one, they aren't casual, and I think more of this in the context of the book, but I still included it because they're all the same plot. 

Taste - Sabrina Carpenter: For those who have seen the play: this is Fiyero, Elphaba, and Glinda in any order or connection.

Little Miss Perfect - Taylor Louderman: If anyone saw the interview where Ariana Grande thought Glinda was at least a little queer, this is Glinda's song. 

Americano - Lady Gaga:  Another Elphaba/Glinda song, since it really is more defying social norms. Also, I wanted more excuses to listen to this song.

Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5o79Py1NaE7P8MqflJBpuF?si=5c9bd5de45614082 

Oscar Nominations

Best Picture:  I'm surprised it didn't win at the Golden Globes; I thought it would take best musical or comedy, but I think in terms of the Oscars it's good the film is up there, but I wouldn't expect it to win.

Best Actress:  Cynthia Eviro is amazing, and her vocals are off the charts, but I just don't see Elphaba as the lead in this film. Part Two, definitely I see her being a strong contender and possibly my top choice for the Oscars next year but not this time around. 

Best Supporting Actress:  Ariana Grande 100% deserves this award hands down, I would love for her to win an Oscar for this role, she put so much effort into this, and it paid off. 

Best Original Score:  The music is just so good and so is the score

Best Editing:  The editing was so good, especially with the ending of Defying Gravity

Best Sound:  It's a lot easier for me to gauge this category when I see the film in theaters, and I did with this film, and I thought the sound was just top quality. 

Best Makeup and Hairstyle:  Obviously when an entire person has to be painted green every single day for scenes there is some recognition that is deserved. 

Best Costume Design:  I LOVED the costumes, they were so extravagant especially in the Emerald City, I loved Idina Menzel and Kristen Chenoweth's outfits. Also, the student's outfits with half skirts made a lot of the choreography for What is this Feeling? and Dancing through Life so much cooler. 

Best Visual Effects:  This film was beautiful and that is completely attributed to the visual effects like words can't describe how amazing the visuals of this film were.