Matilda
1996 · Directed by Danny DeVito
Original language: English
- comedy
- family
- fantasy
The story
Matilda Wormwood is an brilliant and intelligent little girl. Unfortunately, her parents, Harry and Zinnia, fail to see that fact. As time passes, she finally starts school and has a kind teacher, loyal friends, and a terrifying, sadistic headmistress. As she becomes fed up with the constant cruelty, she discovers she has a special gift that she just might be able to use to outwit the unruly adults around her.
What it’s like
Bright, saturated 1990s suburban color: primary-red cardigans, sunny kitchens and a garish, over-decorated family home, all framed in busy, slightly exaggerated compositions that let the production design do half the joke. The camera moves with brisk, playful energy, sliding through doorways and tilting toward the absurd, while the score by David Newman bounces with cartoonish woodwinds and bustling strings that turn ordinary rooms into a storybook. The mood is sunny and mischievous with a streak of bitter cruelty, the sort of warm, cheeky comedy you can enjoy on a lazy afternoon or as a comfort rewatch with someone younger. Pacing is quick and episodic, with scenes landing their gags and moving on. Its emotional core is a lonely, very clever girl slowly finding a kind teacher and a fierce sense of her own power against neglectful parents and a tyrannical headmistress. Intensity is low: the menace is mostly verbal and comic, with some slapstick, a few harsh punishments and a frightening headmistress, but no gore and no real violence. Suited to families and to anyone who wants a gentle, witty, underdog-triumph film with a playful edge.
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