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With the
recent revival of movie musicals in Hollywood (Moulin Rouge!,
Chicago), it seemed inevitable that eventually, a big-name composer and a big-name
director would try to convert a big-name Broadway musical to film. Sure enough, Andrew
Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera, a Joel Schumacher film, opened in select
cities on December 22.
A quick note: If you don’t like musical theatre,
or if you’ve seen Phantom on Broadway and hated it, or if you think Andrew Lloyd
Webber should be tried for crimes against humanity because of his music...I’m going to go
out on a limb and guess that you’re not going to be crazy about this adaptation.
However, if you're not in that particular category of people (and I hope you’re not),
then I’m willing to bet that you’ll like this movie.
If you’re not
familiar with the stage show, here’s a quick summary of the story: Christine Daaé is a
young ingénue at the Paris Opera House. She’s been taking music lessons from an unseen
master who is referred to by the dancers as the “Phantom of the Opera.” The Phantom is
actually a disfigured man who lives beneath the opera house, and is...well, a little
psychotic. The Phantom is in love with Christine, and while she feels a very strong
attraction towards him, she’s also in love with her childhood sweetheart, Raoul. The
majority of the movie details the Phantom’s growing obsession with Christine and the
lengths he’ll go to make her love him back.
I adored this movie. I think
the story and the music transferred brilliantly from stage to screen. Andrew Lloyd
Webber and Joel Schumacher made some excellent decisions regarding the plot—although
there are some major changes from the stage version, the result is a simply
brilliant film adaptation. Fans and critics have been especially divided over the
director’s choice of casting, so I'll take a few minutes to discuss the three principal
characters: the Phantom, Christine, and Raoul.
Gerard Butler (Dracula
2000, Timeline) plays the title character. His performance has spurred more
heated discussions and arguments among fans than any other actor in the movie—mostly
because he’s not a classically trained singer, and his voice has a much rougher edge to
it than most of the actors who have played the Phantom on Broadway. However, Butler is a
stupendous actor and manages to convey the Phantom’s pain and loneliness more effectively
than any stage actor I’ve ever seen. And his untrained voice actually complements that
raw pain and emotion.
Christine is played by Emmy Rossum (The Day
After Tomorrow, Mystic River).
Rossum shows off a lovely soprano voice in the film. She’s a little weak on some of the
higher notes, but she’s young, and her voice hasn’t fully developed yet. Her acting,
however, is excellent. She’s consistently able to portray her conflicting fear and
desire for the Phantom, and she seems genuinely torn between the Phantom and Raoul,
played by Patrick Wilson.
Wilson (Angels in America) was the first
principal cast for the movie—and with good reason. He has a lovely voice, and he manages
to give real depth to the normally thankless role of Raoul.
Phantom also has a wonderful supporting cast. Special recognition,
however, should go to Minnie Driver, who plays the opera diva, Carlotta. Her performance
is hilarious, completely over-the-top, and thoroughly enjoyable.
Beyond
the individual performances, the music is beautiful (the singers are backed by a
100-piece orchestra, which you’ll never get in live theatre), the sets are breathtaking,
and the costumes are absolutely stunning. The movie is well worth the price of
admission, simply for the eye and ear candy.
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