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Movie Review - The Phantom of the Opera (2004)
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Ms. Ang: 
Ms. Cali: 
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(What this rating means)
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| Director: |
Joel Schumacher |
| Starring: |
Gerard Butler, Emmy Rossum, and Patrick Wilson |
| Rated: |
PG-13 (for brief violent images) |
| Length: |
143 minutes |
| Genre: |
Musical/Drama |
| Tagline: |
The world's biggest musical! |
| Studio: |
Warner Bros. |
| Website: |
The Phantom of the Opera |
| Release: |
January 21, 2005 (wide) |
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PLOT
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Christine rises from ballet chorus to leading lady and gains the attention of two very different men: Raoul, the
Vicompte de Chagny, her childhood friend whom she hasn't seen in many years, and The Phantom of the Opera, who
lives in the vaults and catacombs of the opera house. She is disturbingly attracted to the Phantom, yet is happily
reunited as sweethearts with Raoul. The Phantom will stop at nothing to drive Christine's success in the Opera,
even murder. Raoul is cocky, yet loving and protective; the Phantom is a disturbed and tortured soul with a
disfigurement, yet passionate in his love for Christine. When he captures her for a second time and takes her to
his lair, Raoul comes to save her - but she must choose between staying with the disfigured Phantom forever to
save Raoul's life, or choose Raoul over the Phantom, and likely die. Lots and lots of singing, eyebrows, and
pouty lips ensue.
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MS. ANG'S and MS. CALI'S TAKES
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Ms Ang: Sumptuous. Spectacular. Grand. Glittering. Majestic. Moving. There you go. There
is my review. OK, fine. I'll make real sentences.
I have been tracking the makings of this movie like a true geek since I first found out about it, oh, at least a
year ago. Maybe more. I remember looking for updates on the casting. When I found out Emmy Rossum was Christine,
I went and rented Songcatcher to hear her sing. Good movie, great music, and she was only 13!!!
I looked for websites about the movie, and there is one huge website whose entire purpose is to protest the fact
that Michael Crawford (original Broadway Phantom) was not cast as the Phantom. I posted a message on their forum
and said their movement was admirable, but did anyone stop to think that maybe Mr. Crawford didn't WANT to do the
movie? I looked the next day for replies and they had taken my message off the board. Thanks a lot, protester
people.
Then I found the fan site
for the movie which is really wonderful and completely fueled my geekiness with articles and photos and updates
every few days. Thank you Leonardo!
And, even though the movie did not get released in my area when WB said it would be on December 22 (Thank YOU,
stingy theaters!), I finally got to see it last weekend. I saw the stage show a few years ago, well, more than a
few, sometime in High School. I remembered a few details but basically carried with me a general 'feel' of the
story and music and of the show. That same feel is completely carried over into the movie, and then amplified by
a thousand.
Some differences: The movie is able to put more detail into the opening scene of the Auction, The chandelier
crash was moved to a different place in the story (which, for the movie, makes more sense), background
information was given on the Phantom, where he came from, why Madame Giry knows him so well, etc.
If you are not a fan of theater, or have never seen the stage show, it is still VERY worth your time to go see
the movie. Right Ms. Cali? How'd you like it?
Ms Cali: Sumptuous. Spectacular. Grand. Glittering. Majestic. Moving.
Oh, okay, I'll write my own review.
I knew very little about the story of the Phantom before I saw the movie. To be honest, I had never really been
interested in seeing the theater production - I think that stems from the time I tried to watch the silent movie,
starring Lon Chaney, and fell asleep due to the repetitive piano music. I had seen Michael Crawford perform some
of the songs from the play on PBS, but that was about it.
And I still don't care for the story all that much. I actually found both Christine and Raoul to be quite stupid
in some parts, but overall it's not really the story that matters. The production is amazing - from the spectacular
opening scene to every single set and musical arrangement.
I was also impressed with all the major actors, which is quite a feat. Usually one or two of them get on my nerves.
There were a couple moments when Patrick Wilson (with whom I have been in love since I saw him in
The Alamo) reminded me a bit too much of Ashton Kutcher, but I've been told
that's just me.
I did find it interesting that the former future Mrs. Josh Brolin (that's Minnie Driver) has released her own album,
and yet, she was the only cast member who did not sing her own parts. Then I listened to the one song she has on the
soundtrack, and I must say... shut up Minnie Driver.
Overall, I would say this movie is one of the best I've seen in a very long time. I haven't stopped listening to
the soundtrack since I bought it, and when I'm not listening, the songs are stuck in my head... you could say that
the Phantom of the Opera is there inside my mind.
Speaking of the music, I have to mention that Andrew Lloyd Webber is the master of the synthesizer. Some parts of
the movie felt like a music video, and other parts I wanted to jump up and sing "Go, go, go, Andrew, you know what
they say..." but that just added to the overall experience of watching the film.
Ms. Ang, anything to add?
Ms Ang: Well, yes! During the movie I leaned over to my husband and said, "Looks like
Christine graduated from the Keira Knightly School of Lip Pouting!" He laughed and later said, "Well, technically,
it's the Val Kilmer School of Lip Pouting, but it has come full circle - when she left him, she was but the
learner; now she is the master." Seriously, this girl's lips never close! I think only when she had fainted in
the Phantom's lair did her lips close. And Gerard Butler (Phantom) looked like a recent graduate sometimes as
well.
Ms Cali: I didn't notice the lip pout... I was too distracted by her
eyebrows! So perfectly manicured! So high up on her forehead!
Ms Ang: I had bought the soundtrack when it was released in November, and sadly, was a
little disappointed. All the music was great and the chorus numbers were fantastic, but some of the stars'
singing ability did not impress me. But I am highly critical, having a finely tuned musical ear and classical
training in singing. Thankfully, most things that sounded weird on the CD turned out to be better in the context
of the film. For example, in the stage show there are lots of lines that are sung, a lot of the times just on
one note, that are sort of an inner monologue or sometimes a conversation (hey, it's a musical, people sing
stuff, Okay?), and they changed it to sort of a whisper-speak in the movie. Listening to this weird whispering
on the CD was freaky but made sense when you could see it in the context of the scene and the whisperer's
facial expressions and such.
Ms Cali: Since I'm not at all musically trained (nor musically
inclined... okay, fine ... I couldn't carry a tune in a bucket), I love the soundtrack... except, of course,
for Minnie's song... shut up Minnie Driver!
Ms Ang: Overall, stellar performances by everyone in the entire production. Even
the chorus people who never get noticed, I noticed you! My favorites had to be Ciaran Hinds as Firmin, Jennifer
Ellison as Meg Giry, and Miranda Richardson as Madame Giry.
Ms Cali: My favorite, hands down, was Madame Giry. And Statler and
Waldorf (um... Andre and ??? the two guys who ran the opera - fill that in for me, would you Ms. Ang?).
Ms Ang: That would be Andre and Firmin, played by Simon Callow and Ciaran Hinds, Ms. Cali.
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ODDS & ENDS
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- Emmy Rossum was only 16 when she auditioned for the role of Christine. She was 16 and 17 during filming, and
just turned 18 before the movie opened.
- Towards the end of filming, voice tracks were laid only hours before filming the scene they were used in.
- Quote from Jennifer Ellison regarding her endowments: "Minnie and Emmy had to be stuffed with padding and
'chicken fillets'. But mine were fine!"
- Quote from Ms. Cali regarding Minnie and Emmy's 'endowments': "Ewwwww!"
- Patrick Wilson played both the young and old Raoul, and did almost all of his own stunts, except jumping
over a log while riding a horse bareback.
- Patrick Wilson is hot! (So says Ms. Cali. Ms. Ang thinks: Not so much)
- Ms. Ang could probably sing the whole libretto from memory.
- Ms. Cali has the entire soundtrack stuck in her head, but for some reason cannot seem to memorize the words
to the songs.
- Miranda Richardson was in Empire of the Sun with Christian Bale who was in Swing Kids with
Noah Wyle who was in Librarian: Quest for the Spear (if you didn't see that, you missed out on some great
movie badness) with Bob Newhart who was in Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde with Reese Witherspoon
who was in Best Laid Plans with Josh Brolin who was in Hollow Man with Kevin Bacon.
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MAMA'S APPROVAL
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There isn't really anything here to object to. Younger children probably won't get the more adult themes and
might be frightened by the Phantom, and there is one murder scene that might scare them. But otherwise, this
is a movie that everyone could enjoy. (Johnny's note: My mom saw it and loved it. She
can't wait for the DVD.)
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TRAILER COMPARISON
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Ms Ang: Well, I cried every time I saw the trailer, and I cried during the overture when
I saw the movie, so I'd say it's pretty accurate! The trailer is a very condensed sequence of scenes from all
throughout the movie.
Ms Cali: The trailer sets the tone of the movie very well, without
giving too much away. I will not admit to crying during the trailer, but I will confess to tearing up slightly
towards the end of the movie (okay, it was all I could do to keep from sobbing hysterically, but I held it in!).
Johnny's note: Crying during trailers? Nearly breaking into a hysterical sob? Whatta
bunch of girls.
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THE GIST
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Ms Cali: I went into it expecting Moulin Rouge or Chicago,
but Phantom outdoes them all. It has the spectacular settings of Moulin Rouge, but isn't as overwhelming on
the senses. It is set in 1870 Paris, but manages to be timeless - an enduring classic.
Ms Ang: Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera is a grand movie that is
incomparable to anything ever made before, except, of course, the stage production from whence it came. A fantastic
spectacle with rich music, detailed sets and extravagant costumes.
Ms Cali: Personal message to Andrew Lloyd Webber - now that Phantom is
out of the way, isn't it time for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The Movie? Go, go, go Andrew...
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