I liked this, but at the same time I think it could have been a lot better. Somehow it bugged me, but...I'm still thinking about it. I think what I liked is not nessesarily the movie but the story. I have grown up with the music. I know all of the songs but I had never known the story behind them. I really liked this as a story. One thing this movie did for me was solidify the fact that Andrew Lloyd Webber is a fantastic song writer both musically and lyrically.
I liked Christine. She's really beautiful. On the other hand Raoul is a dog. He was brave but so unattractive to me that I could never want her to be with him, which is why the end was so sad for me. As much as the Phantom is violent, I still wanted her to be with him and change the situation. And no, it wasn't the hairdo, Raoul just has an ugly face and his voice wasn't anything special either. No offense to whoever plays him in this movie...
The music in the film is okay, sometimes they made stupid faces or I just didn't believe them for instance when they were singing a really hard part and it didn't look like they were trying at all. I don't believe that. If you are hitting a note beyond the heavens, you'd better look like it or it's just not believable. I liked Christine's voice for the most part. Like I said, Raoul was expendable. The Phantom's voice bothered me because he had no vibrato in his voice whatsoever. I don't like a ton of vibrato (unless your last name is Gibb or something...) but he had none. When he hit those really high powerful notes, it just sounded like he hit a brick wall. It sounded so strained. It could have been a lot looser of a delivery if he just would have let it go and sung with a little vibrato.
All in all, I'm glad I saw it just so I could know the story, it makes the music so much better than it already is.
Oh, and the movie also made me think of this: The Phantom of the Opera was one of the first pieces I played in concert on the drum set. What a cool song it was on the set! I remember it being hard though because I couldn't just "do my own thing" or memorize this one, I had to actually read the sheet music. I can read drum set sheet music, but seeing it was a different story. It was enlarged for me but still...It was great though and oh, how I miss Orchestra! We were so good and there were songs like this that only a full Orchestra could play. Next time you hear the title song, pay attention to the drums and think of me...get it, ...think of me...ha.
5 comments:
Funny commentary...and yes, Christine in beautiful.
Nice joke and the end, but yeah, you are 100% wrong about Raoul- Patrick Wilson is gorgeous and I LOVE his voice. He reminds me of a hotter version of Ryan O-Neal. He is a legitimate Broadway actor too. Could have done without the long girl hair, but whatever.
The reason that the Phantom's voice is a little lacking is because Gerard Butler isn't really a singer. Maybe you would have liked his voice better if you knew that. I think he did a pretty good job considering it was his first real gig.
Emmy Rossum is the perfect Christine.
Could have done without Minnie Driver as Carlotta. Didn't connect with that one.
Glad you saw it, too bad we don't agree about it though!
I do know Gerard Butler is not a singer so a better idea would have been to cast a singer/actor as the Phantom, I think the Phantom should definitely be a good singer or the whole thing just doesn't work well for me. Butler did okay, could have been better with another actor altogether. All in all, it was just okay for me but exciting for my first real exposure to the story of it. I'd watch it again, but it wouldn't make me think any better of it. It's 3 1/2 stars in my book at best.
I didn't like Michael Crawford as a singer. I think he stinks! It's hard to have an awesome phantom without at least a decent voice. I didn't mind Butler's voice. Funny how we all have our own opinions on things...makes life less boring.
well yeah I don't know if I even like Michael Crawford as the Phantom because really I haven't heard that in a long time, I mostly know the music from you playing it on the piano growing up. Shar was surprised when I told him the original was Michael Crawford, because the only thing he knoes Michael Crawford for is Hello Dolly! ha ha
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