Wicked

What often stops me from giving 5 stars to long but very good movies is that after important and beautifully crafted scenes, there are moments that lower the hype that was built up before and make the story boring and the movie unnecessarily longer than it actually needs to be. But this wasn't the case at all. From front to back, every moment was perfect. Every scene was of the highest quality. Everything was absolutely structured and perfectly created. The set design was incredible. It's been a long time since you could feel the work that was put into a movie, but in this movie, I couldn't stop thinking about how they were able to make this wonderfully magical world of the classic "The Wizard of Oz" so visually fantastic. Jon M. Chu really didn't disappoint anyone. The casting directors also did a very good job in casting Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo as the leads. Ariana Grande completely outdid herself in her performance. Acting-wise and singing-wise. Her voice has always been probably the most breathtaking I've ever heard and I'm glad that Ariana was able to showcase it just perfectly here. In the decade that I've known and loved her, she's never been this fantastic. Cat Valentine and Glinda are such worlds apart personally and artistically that it's hard to believe they are one person. The personal greatness that Ariana Grande has achieved over the years is becoming apparent now that she's back in the public eye through this movie. I am so proud of her for being able to fulfill her lifelong dream. She deserves all the credit for her role. She has exceeded all expectations. With this movie she has surpassed her artistic peak and I didn't think that was possible. From start to finish, you can tell that Ariana's heart is in this musical and she was simply born for this role. Every movement she makes, every sound she makes is absolutely passionate. Rarely have I seen such a precise and focused performance. There is absolutely no way that Ariana Grande will go home empty-handed at the 2025 Oscars. The same goes for Cynthia Erivo. Her voice was just perfect and made the movie even more special. I'm still stunned by the final performance while she sang "Defying Gravity". No one could have portrayed Elphaba better. I think it's one of the best movie of this year. I sobbed, laughed and had goosebumps the whole time. I hope the second act of the musical lives up to the standard this movie has already set. Top 100 favorite movies