Film Review: The Witches
© The Witches (2020) Directed by Robert Zemeckis
What could be more welcome for a Halloween sadly lacking fanfare, costumes, parties and generally uber-creative silliness than a new version of the film based on Roald Dahl’s much-loved book of the same name? As everyone knows by now, movie witches are always dressed and groomed to the teeth. All the better to hide the telltale signs of witchiness—bald heads, claws. Anne Hathaway has picked up the Angelica Huston mantel from Nicolas Roeg’s 1990 version of the book and she gives the role of the Grand High Witch everything she’s got. A wonderfully unplaceable accent seems to morph as the words come out of her “Joker”-shaped mouth, while she vamps, chews scenery, and shape-shifts.
© The Witches (2020) Directed by Robert Zemeckis
This version takes place in a resort hotel in Alabama where a young orphan boy (Jahzir Bruno) and his grandmother (Octavia Spencer) have gone to get away from his first witch-encounter back in their hometown. Since this is a Roald Dahl story, the plan goes awry in a very big way. They find themselves in the middle of a gathering of witches from all over the world having their convention in the same hotel. Grandma knows the ways of witches from her own childhood experiences so she knows what to look for and does her best to protect her ward from their evil machinations. This particular group of pedophobes has, as their only mission, the elimination of all children by turning them into rats, so they will be killed by humans. The witches have some wonderful musical interludes with special effects.
© The Witches (2020) Directed by Robert Zemeckis
As it is in children’s stories, the baddies must be defeated, and they are—with marvelous special effects and twists which keep the story from being too pat. Things are not restored to their original state, but lessons are learned and accommodations are made for the altered circumstances which allow for the requisite happy ending. The set design for the hotel is a curious version of a swanky southern plantation, which is odd considering that the two main characters are now Black. Stanley Tucci, as the hotel manager, is reliably droll and antic as the action ramps up to Beetlejuice levels. The art direction and camerawork all contribute to the immersive Roald Dahl effect. It may not be an important film, but it is definitely a fun watch, seriously good looking, and ultimately sweet, which is not very Roald Dahl. Contradictions are a good thing here. (Available on HBO Max)
