Matilda & Me

Documentary Review

Matilda & Me | © 2016 Australian Broadcasting Corporation & In Films Pty Ltd
Matilda & Me | © 2016 Australian Broadcasting Corporation & In Films Pty Ltd

With billions of people living on the surface of this planet, I like to think there are many who could be considered heroes in the eyes of at least some other people. Some might admire the goals achieved by their family members, some might admire athletes who push the boundaries to achieve new heights and others may respect those who persevere to unlock scientific and technological breakthroughs which continue to see humanity thrive into the 21st century.

Personally, those I look up to generally use their words to both help inform and entertain. To throw out a couple of names, these would include John Oliver who has brought critical issues to public attention in a very satirical yet informative manner, and documentary filmmaker Louis Theroux whose in-depth work and eagerness to cover issues others might not were things that encouraged me to undertake a degree in Journalism. But one of the people I have admired for a longest time has been Tim Minchin, the Australian-born all-around talent who is a skilled comedian, performer, musician and composer of satirical yet highly informed songs. While it was his performance of Storm which first reeled me in, he has gained a large following through his work on the music and lyrics of Matilda the Musical, the successful stage adaptation of Roald Dahl’s renown children’s book ‘Matilda’.

After many years on Broadway and London’s West End, Matilda the Musical has finally arrived in Minchin’s home country for a multi-year tour. Starring a large cast of adults and children, the show kicked-off at the Sydney Lyric Theatre in August 2015, and is now in the middle of its Melbourne season at the Princess Theatre. Subsequent legs are already announced for Queensland and Perth, and there could very well be more to come.

Matilda & Me | © 2016 Australian Broadcasting Corporation & In Films Pty Ltd
Matilda & Me | © 2016 Australian Broadcasting Corporation & In Films Pty Ltd

Matilda & Me is a documentary which follows the history of Tim Minchin, from his time as someone trying to make a name for himself as a performer and comedian, right up to the opening night of Matilda the Musical in Sydney. This hour long featurette (+ extras) filled with interviews, commentary and footage manages to shine many new lights on Minchin’s career and family life, providing insight into how he became a household name and landed his role with the show. While with most documentaries I would prefer impartial staff on the creative team, I think it did help having Nel Minchin serve as director, writer and narrator (alongside co-director Rhian Skirving). Tim’s sister managed to provide fascinating and intimate first-hand knowledge of his history, which was complemented by interviews with close friends and those who know him well. Although I went into Matilda & Me expecting it to be first and foremost about Matilda the Musical, it was these moments away from the musical that I would say were the most memorable.

That being said, Matilda & Me does not forget its focus on the successful stage musical. Not only do viewers gain a bit of insight about how Minchin came to work on the show (With some particularly fascinating commentary on the topic provided by Matilda Director Matthew Marchus and Playwright Dennis Kelly), but there is also plenty of behind-the-scenes footage direct from rehearsals from the Australian production. Although I feel there could be a whole documentary on its own about the process of going from rehearsals to the opening night performance, the snippets we see were interesting enough.

Matilda & Me also features a lot of footage from Tim Minchin’s past work. For those who only know of him as someone who worked on Matilda the Musical, I think the documentary featured a good repertoire of pieces which showcase what he is capable of. Viewers are treated to snippets of “Somewhere The Magical Musical of Penrith” (Theatre Company, 2005), his songs including “Thank You God” and “Prejudice”, and some of his comedic performances. This is in addition to interview footage with a number of personalities including (but not limited to) Andrew Lloyd Webber, Eddie Perfect, Andrew Denton and the four young girls who portrayed Matilda during the show’s Sydney season.

Matilda & Me | © 2016 Australian Broadcasting Corporation & In Films Pty Ltd
Matilda & Me | © 2016 Australian Broadcasting Corporation & In Films Pty Ltd

The Australian DVD release of Matilda & Me comes with a handful of on-disc extras, which complement the main documentary well. This includes four extra features which focus on different elements of Matilda and the stage musical: Meet the Matildas (Featuring commentary from Molly Barwick, Sasha Rose, Georgia Taplin and Bella Thomas), The Magic of Dahl, When I Grow Up and Behind the Scenes of Matilda. These are four extras which I think justify purchasing this documentary, even if you watched it when it first aired on ABC. There is also a promotional trailer and trailers for titles from Madman Films.

From my perspective as a viewer, the only thing I think Matilda & Me could have really benefited from was a longer runtime. This is because I would have loved to have seen even more of Tim’s journey, and more behind-the-scenes footage from the show. Asides from that minor issue, this was a very interesting documentary which held my attention from start to finish. It effectively highlighted why Tim Minchin was chosen for his part in Matilda the Musical, and how his talents and dedication have made this musical what it is today.

Matilda & Me is now available on DVD. A review copy of this documentary was provided for the purpose of this review from Madman Films.

Sam
Sam
Founder of The Otaku's Study. I have been exploring this labyrinth of fandom these last fifteen years, and still nowhere close to the exit yet. Probably searching for a long time to come.

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