The Phantom of the Opera
Gerard Butler. Now there’s a name that always seems to crop up whenever I mention guilty pleasures. Wait a minute, I’ve said this before. Never the less, this Scottish Actor has been appearing in stale but still good movies ever since his rasping vocal voice attracted Hollywood attention. And for this little musical he has teamed up with another guilty pleasure aficionado as he plays the lead from in Joel Schumacher’s The Phantom of the Opera. Alongside one of Britain’s greatest composers, this surely couldn’t go right, could it?
Based on Andrew Lloyd Webber’s (that’s the famous composer I was talking about,) most famous show, The Phantom of the Opera, this is the movie musical adaptation unlike any other. Set in the Paris Opera house, ballet dancer and orphan Christine has been operatically trained by a mysterious figure who has haunted the building for years. When a series of accidents thrusts Christine in the spotlight, she is quickly overcome with admiration; especially from her childhood sweetheart Raoul. But there is someone else who wants Christine for their own, The Phantom of the Opera. Boasting some of the best songs and sweeping score, this is a timeless musical given the big screen treatment.
Why Is It Bad?
Gerard Butler cannot sing. Ok, that is a bit of a misguided thing to say. There is something of a voice there but it isn’t good. And it certainly isn’t so incredible that Michael Crawford or Ramin Karimloo. It is really, well, off. This wouldn’t be so bad if he had a few songs much like Pierce Brosnan did in Mama Mia! But as he is the title role of an all singing, there is no talking, movie such as The Phantom of the Opera it really is hard to escape his off tune performance. The raspy undertones just don’t do the original show justice. And while we are on the subject of the West End show, if you are a fan then you will recognise the numerous amounts of flaws from the change in story and characters. Especially, the dubbed Minne Driver and the extra sword fighting scene. If you aren’t a fan, then you’ll find it a drib, drab and cheesy overblown musical.
Why is it Good?
I am a huge fan of the original so it was really hard to write the above paragraph. In that sense, I can’t be completely objective. I think the music is incredible; it is dark and brooding. They definitely make “The Point of No Return” a better song and scene then the original show, giving it fantastic fiery underbelly. Emmy Rossum makes a beautiful and fantastic Christine, stealing the show with her impressive range. Patrick Wilson is a wonderful Raoul and the supporting roles are all pretty decent. But makes The Phantom of the Opera shine is Schumacher’s panache for the spectacular. With incredible set designs that capture the heart of Paris in Pinewood Studios and costumes seeped in stunning period detail, The Phantom of the Opera is gleaming.
The Phantom of the Opera is like being proposed to with an expensive ring only to find there’s a gruff and raspy man that you aren’t sure you fancy, proposing to you. It is enjoyable and it captures most of the West End classic onto the screen. And at the end of the day, if you get into any sort of arguement with Butler, it's always worth pointing out his rather fetching tights.
TTFN
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