The Phantom of the Opera
I don't often get to the cinema. That's why when I review films they're generally at least a year old. I wanted to see The Phantom of the Opera when it came out last year, but didn't get around to it. I regret that, because even without screen size considerations, I could really have done with having it nice and loud without worrying about annoying the neighbours.
To start out, I thought the film was a bit ropey. I just about remember the stage version - not because I've seen it, but because it was one of the ones from which my mother was always playing the soundtrack - and it sounded excellent. For the sheer sound of it the film isn't quite so good; the Viscount (I spell it in French almost as badly as I pronounce it, so we'll stick with that) was fine, conveying just the right amount of sturdiness in a role that ultimately is about being pretty. The female lead was excellent (we'll come back to her). The Phantom, on other other hand, while well acted, had nothing on Michael Crawford.
It also loses a little simply for being a film. A good stage musical has a wonderful atmosphere, and is simply very impressive. The film, well, you generally don't manage to film singers live, and you generally can't get the miming for ADR quite right, and a lot of the on-camera singing loses its edge even when it's the correct person singing (one of the stronger cases of this from a recent work is Viggo Mortensen's songs in the Lord of the Rings; they sound good, and you know it's him, but they look poor. Although BIlly Boyd's number in the Return of the King is spot on, somehow...).
Even ignoring the difficulties of recording for the screen, the music is ever so slightly off. Perhaps it's because I can't remember the original well enough and have been mentally filling things in the way I felt they should be, but a lot of the early parts just didn't feel right. I would have forgiven the addition of an electric guitar to the big organ section, had the organ not been badly synthesized, and in some places the dramatic motif seemed to have gained tempo and hence lost some power and suspence.
Near the end I came to forgive all that, though. The film is incredibly sexy, and it's all down to Christine (Emmy Rossum). Her innocent 'childhood sweetheart' love for the Viscount contrasts nicely with what looks at times like simple lust for the Phantom, and both are very convincing. Both actors contribute well to that, but I couldn't help but feel that the Viscount's compassion and the Phantom's intensity just paved the way for her to carry it all off.
Helps that she's gorgeous. There's something about the chest and shoulders of a pretty woman rising and falling (upper chest: stop staring at her tits :-p ), and the fact that the Christine breathes very heavily whenever the Phantom is in the same scene and spends most of her time singing makes for lots of head-and-shoulder shots of just that. The period garb and its square-cut necks doesn't hurt, in that respect (although this isn't Pride and Prejudice. Stop staring at her tits :-p ).
Have now officially gone through the stage where the fanciable movie actresses were too old for me, into the world where they're too young. Still, if she could act like that at 18, chances are she'll still be able to do it as she gets older. As opposed to Natalie Portman who's just been going downhill since Léon.
Anyway, if you're sure you can't stand musicals, then it won't win you over. Otherwise, I suggest you take a look.
To start out, I thought the film was a bit ropey. I just about remember the stage version - not because I've seen it, but because it was one of the ones from which my mother was always playing the soundtrack - and it sounded excellent. For the sheer sound of it the film isn't quite so good; the Viscount (I spell it in French almost as badly as I pronounce it, so we'll stick with that) was fine, conveying just the right amount of sturdiness in a role that ultimately is about being pretty. The female lead was excellent (we'll come back to her). The Phantom, on other other hand, while well acted, had nothing on Michael Crawford.
It also loses a little simply for being a film. A good stage musical has a wonderful atmosphere, and is simply very impressive. The film, well, you generally don't manage to film singers live, and you generally can't get the miming for ADR quite right, and a lot of the on-camera singing loses its edge even when it's the correct person singing (one of the stronger cases of this from a recent work is Viggo Mortensen's songs in the Lord of the Rings; they sound good, and you know it's him, but they look poor. Although BIlly Boyd's number in the Return of the King is spot on, somehow...).
Even ignoring the difficulties of recording for the screen, the music is ever so slightly off. Perhaps it's because I can't remember the original well enough and have been mentally filling things in the way I felt they should be, but a lot of the early parts just didn't feel right. I would have forgiven the addition of an electric guitar to the big organ section, had the organ not been badly synthesized, and in some places the dramatic motif seemed to have gained tempo and hence lost some power and suspence.
Near the end I came to forgive all that, though. The film is incredibly sexy, and it's all down to Christine (Emmy Rossum). Her innocent 'childhood sweetheart' love for the Viscount contrasts nicely with what looks at times like simple lust for the Phantom, and both are very convincing. Both actors contribute well to that, but I couldn't help but feel that the Viscount's compassion and the Phantom's intensity just paved the way for her to carry it all off.
Helps that she's gorgeous. There's something about the chest and shoulders of a pretty woman rising and falling (upper chest: stop staring at her tits :-p ), and the fact that the Christine breathes very heavily whenever the Phantom is in the same scene and spends most of her time singing makes for lots of head-and-shoulder shots of just that. The period garb and its square-cut necks doesn't hurt, in that respect (although this isn't Pride and Prejudice. Stop staring at her tits :-p ).
Have now officially gone through the stage where the fanciable movie actresses were too old for me, into the world where they're too young. Still, if she could act like that at 18, chances are she'll still be able to do it as she gets older. As opposed to Natalie Portman who's just been going downhill since Léon.
Anyway, if you're sure you can't stand musicals, then it won't win you over. Otherwise, I suggest you take a look.
Comments