Those who thought that smoke machines and cobwebbed candelabras were the stuff of Halloween parties and dance clubs need to think again. In Joel Schumacher's film adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Broadway musical THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, these moody set devices--and countless others--make every scene an atmospheric vision of souped-up 19th-century Gothic bliss. Christine Daee (a luminescent Emmy Rossum) is a tortured young star who is haunted by the voice of the phantom (Gerard Butler--who also played the lead in DRACULA 2000), a musician who hides in the shadows to hide a facial disfigurement, yet sings to her obsessively. Dwelling in the dark, damp chambers beneath the Paris opera house, the phantom lords over the cast and management with artistic autocracy--he writes the shows, casts them, and threatens all who disobey his plans with dramatically violent outbursts. But when his young student Christine falls for the rich and dapper Raoul (Patrick Wilson), the phantom descends into madness. Webber's memorable songs are performed with aplomb by Rossum, whose background includes singing with the Metropolitan Opera, and Wilson and Butler provide ample accompaniment. One of the treats of the proceedings is Minnie Driver's deeply exaggerated portrayal of the jealous diva, giving this PHANTOM a very appropriate dose of comic relief.
critical reviews
"[PHANTOM] is a rapturous spectacle. And the movie, directed full throttle by Joel Schumacher, goes the show one better....It smolders."
- Rolling Stone
"The look is dazzling....Scotsman Gerard Butler does a fine job as the charismatic, ghostly character who hides away in the opera house because of his disfigurement." - USA Today
"[T]he lavish production captivates the senses, and the musical and emotional crescendos are overpowering."
- Movieline's Hollywood Life
"The beloved musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Richard Stilgoe sees a lush screen adaptation starring Emmy Rossum as Christine....Costume textures and fine details are amazingly rendered..."
- Widescreen Review
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"I liked it enough to buy it, but I just can't bring myself to give it a higher rating because Gerard Butler's Phantom was so weak. Otherwise, it was a worthy adaptation of the musical."
"The supporting cast is great, the visuals are great, I wish the lead actors were great... the movie is no substitute for seeing it on stage, although it is considerably cheaper."
"This is a fabulous movie and if you love the phantom opf the opera (like I do) you will not be disappointed. It is alomost as good as the play and I have seen that 7 times and counting. (p.s. Men never really enjoy a good opera)"
"My friend had been bugging me for months to see this movie, and now that I finally have, I'm very glad I did! It makes me regret my stubbornness. Phantom of the Opera, in one viewing, has gotten me interested in singing and theater acting. Kudos to Gerard Butler for coming close to Michael Crawford's glory, and to Emmy Rossum for her incredible..." see more
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