Matilda the Musical (2022), directed by Matthew Warchus

Translation from stage to screen can be tricky, but this has been done very well. The matching of Roald Dahl with Tim Minchin is sublime, with such clever songs that naturally flow with the narrative. The casting is spot on: Emma Thompson brilliantly awful as Miss Trunchbull; Lashana Lynch sweetly brave as Miss Honey; and Alisha Weir fiercely determined as the fabulous heroine. Who knew action star Lynch could sing so beautifully? All Dahl’s children’s tales have dark elements and Matilda is one of the darkest, with its themes of child neglect and abuse. But this film does a great job with the message of solidarity and standing up to bullies. And its celebration of smart girls who love books is refreshing. A thoroughly enjoyable movie.

Blinded by the Light (2019), directed by Gurinder Chadha

It is 1987, the last year of school for aspiring writer Javed and what a big year it is. He finds his writing voice, gets his first girlfriend, discovers the music of Bruce Springsteen and begins to break away from his traditional Pakistani family. Inspired by the true story of writer Sarfraz Mansoor, the film effectively captures the teenage angst and frustration of feeling trapped in a dead-end town—Luton, in Thatcher’s Britain. Unemployment is at an all-time high and racist National Front thugs roam the streets with impunity. Do you stand up for yourself? Do you fight back? Do you escape? Springsteen’s songs have all the answers. The film has something of a fairytale quality, minor characters border on caricatures and the musical sequences are a tad over the top. Viveik Kalra as Javed is all exaggerated facial expressions at the start, but he grows into the part and becomes more credible; his graduation speech at the end is moving and convincing. The Springsteen soundtrack matches the narrative well, although some songs play too long, rather hammering home the point. There are loads of familiar faces among the supporting cast, with Hayley Atwell as an encouraging teacher, Nell Williams as girlfriend Eliza and Dean-Charles Chapman as best friend Matt the standouts. It’s a feelgood film that is enjoyable if not quite up to the standard of Chadha’s earlier work, such as Bend it Like Beckham and Monsoon Wedding.

Mama Mia – Here We Go Again (2018), directed by Ol Parker

Most of Abba’s big hits were used in the first film so minor hits and album tracks are more prominent in the sequel, but this actually serves the story better. Set several years after Mama Mia, it is coming up to the anniversary of Donna’s death. Her daughter Sophie has realised Donna’s dream of transforming the Greek island farmhouse into a hotel and is planning the grand opening, but everything is going wrong. Meanwhile we are taken back to Donna’s graduation and the story of her travels to Greece and how she met Sophie’s potential fathers. The casting of the younger versions of the main characters is great, with all of them recognisable and believable, but Lily Cole as Donna is outstanding and she sounds just like Agneta. This film is much better than the first at disguising the non-singers; Amanda Seyfried shoulders most of the musical burden and does it well. Slight but enjoyable, the plot and timeline don’t bear examination and the film could do with a few more laughs. It lifts at the very end with a poignant mother-daughter duet and a joyous whole cast finale, to go out on a high note.

La La Land (2016), directed by Damien Chazelle

Billed as a modern-day, old-fashioned musical, La La Land is clever, often funny and surprising. It’s a contradiction of a film, which pays homage to the Hollywood dream, while at the same time poking fun at it. The primary colour palette is striking and plays well with the visual joke of the seasons passing but the weather never changing. The music is delightful and tells the story perfectly, which is just as well as there is little dialogue. As aspiring actress Mia, Emma Stone is lovely although she could do with a little more meat on her bones – her startling eyes look too big for her face. Ryan Gosling is more subdued as jazz pianist Sebastian, but the pair makes a convincing combination. The unexpectedly bittersweet ending reminds that following your dreams comes at a cost, especially in Hollywood.