The past few years have seen the return of the musical to the movie theater. First there was Moulin Rouge, then Chicago. And just for fun, let's include South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut. This is all in addition to the Disney animated movies which contain song numbers. I've liked this return to the silver screen, the overly dramatic musical stylings combined with modern production values create a wonderful new experience for the current crop of moviegoers. Now we get an adaptation from the ever popular Phantom of the Opera. The trailers looked phenomenal, gorgeous production, and potentially good music. It is now spreading to the theaters, and we can see if it stands up to Broadway.
I did get to see the show on Broadway a number of years ago and loved it. From the power of the Phantom's theme, to the stage, to the falling of the chandelier, an incredible show. The film on the other hand is a very mixed bag, one that I am very affectionate towards, but not all that it could have been. I know I shouldn't be coming the two, being very different mediums it is a bit unfair to look at both on the same level, but when adapting a work to the screen, needs to be adapted, not merely transferred.
First off, I am sure most of you reading this are at least somewhat familiar with the tale of the Phantom, so I am going to forego an formal description of the plot, and just get into what worked and what didn't for me.
The absolute best thing about this film is the look, it is incredible. The attention to detail is great, all of the design inside the theater, to the catacombs, even out to the snow covered cemetery. If there is one thing that Joel Schumacher is good at, it's amping up the spectacle. There is always something to look at, keeping the eye busy. That is probably the single thing that makes this truly worthy of seeing.
The acting itself is up and down, but overall effective. At the top of the heap here is Emmy Rossum, who plays Christina the center of the love triangle. Her voice is perfect, and in addition to that her expressions are convincing. You truly can sympathize with her as she is put through the highs and lows of being on the stage and being menaced by the Phantom. The acting issues are on the other side with Gerard Butler as the Phantom and Patrick Wilson as Raoul. Wilson in particular, he has exactly one expression, blank. His singing and character is flat, I don't get any sense of real emotion out of him, and this renders the character rather pointless as I couldn't feel any real sympathy for him, or anything for that matter. Butler, on the other hand, is a bit better, although he is more tragically handsome than a scarred creature, that will always be the realm of Lon Chaney. He plays the role with a well placed tragic regality befitting someone who feels he is above everyone, yet below really people, a strange place to be indeed. My biggest issue with him is that his voice does not seem to be right for it, there isn't enough menace it, where there should maybe be a bit of growl, the pitch goes in the wrong direction, but it does a decent job.
There are a number of wonderful set pieces throughout. A few that made an impression on me include the swordfight between Raoul and the Phantom that plays out amidst the falling snow in a cemetery. The other is a fun segment for the song called, I believe, Masquerade. A perfectly choreographed dance involving a large number of dancers and building to the entrance of the Phantom. The thing to keep an eye on here is one of the male dancers on the stairs wearing a half black and half white mask, I found him to be incredibly creepy.
I think that my biggest issue is with the way it was translated to the screen, or rather the lack of translation. They are two different venues and need to be treated as such. What happens here is that the film version is still staged as if it is on the stage. Each segment is blocked off and feels independent of the others, this essentially destroys the flow. When it was translated, it needed have transitions added in. There is too much of a disjointed feeling. The stage version clearly needs blocking as there is a limited space on which to do the entire show, here, with all of the effort put into the look, this should not have been a problem. Sadly we are left with an incredible looking, moderately effective acting and a terribly disjointed tale.
I would be remiss if I didn't mention one more acting performance, that of Minnie Driver as the diva Carlotta. I almost didn't recognize her, but it was her, and she was wonderful as the high maintenance star serving as comic relief throughout, they even mixed in, what I perceived, as little jabs at Paris Hilton.
Bottomline. While not completely successful, it has enough going for it to be worthy of seeing on the big screen. Spectacle always plays well on the screen. Emmy Rossum is a rising star to keep an eye out for, as she has a wonderful look and a beautifully expressive face. And let's not forget, the great music, I absolutely love the Phantom theme. This is worthy of your time, if only for spectacle of it all.
Recommended.
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