#1
Posted: 12/26/04 at 4:51pm
Why bury this in someone else's thread? 
re: The Official what you thought of the 'Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom Mov
Posted On:12/26/04 at 04:27:56 PM
The Phantom of the Opera is one of the best film adaptations of a stage musical in many years. Far, far better than Chicago, the film, which I dislike immensely eventhough the basis of the later is overall a better musical than Phantom.
Phantom believes in itself and presents itself for what it is, an overly ornate, unapologetic opulent melodrama with music. So it works because it doesn't try to be anything else. It creates its own world and the film viewer is quickly, easily, and for me, willingly, taken on a trip, something a good film does without the viewer even being aware until he/she is emotionally invovled despite logic.
Casting someone as good looking as Butler as the Phantom only heightens the emotional intensity and drama. Christine really has a problem now, doesn't she, boys and girls?
The casting is fine, with a good comic turn by Driver, a playing-striaght-because-I-believe-it turn by Richardson (she of the only, and honest sounding, French accent; the singing good, the score lushly presented, the sets and costumes wonderfully inventive and gorgeously stunning; the screenplay fleshenes up the story and makes it more believeable than the stage version. The creative flaws exist in the show itself-a score that offers not much variety, but this was easier to absorb and exuse on film because there is much to treat the eye.
An overly filled, sumptuous holiday fruit cake, and a damned good film musical.
They rarely make 'em like this anymore.
Yes, I'm going again. Yes, I'm buying the DVD.
Yes, I'm recommending it!
PSMD be damned!!
re: The Official what you thought of the 'Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom Mov
Posted On:12/26/04 at 04:27:56 PM
The Phantom of the Opera is one of the best film adaptations of a stage musical in many years. Far, far better than Chicago, the film, which I dislike immensely eventhough the basis of the later is overall a better musical than Phantom.
Phantom believes in itself and presents itself for what it is, an overly ornate, unapologetic opulent melodrama with music. So it works because it doesn't try to be anything else. It creates its own world and the film viewer is quickly, easily, and for me, willingly, taken on a trip, something a good film does without the viewer even being aware until he/she is emotionally invovled despite logic.
Casting someone as good looking as Butler as the Phantom only heightens the emotional intensity and drama. Christine really has a problem now, doesn't she, boys and girls?
The casting is fine, with a good comic turn by Driver, a playing-striaght-because-I-believe-it turn by Richardson (she of the only, and honest sounding, French accent; the singing good, the score lushly presented, the sets and costumes wonderfully inventive and gorgeously stunning; the screenplay fleshenes up the story and makes it more believeable than the stage version. The creative flaws exist in the show itself-a score that offers not much variety, but this was easier to absorb and exuse on film because there is much to treat the eye.
An overly filled, sumptuous holiday fruit cake, and a damned good film musical.
They rarely make 'em like this anymore.
Yes, I'm going again. Yes, I'm buying the DVD.
Yes, I'm recommending it!
PSMD be damned!!
Updated On: 12/27/04 at 04:51 PM
