Saw the phantom movie

[Born2cthelightsofbway]

Posted: 11/12/04 at 11:45am

I was lucky enough to see an advanced private screening of "The Phantom of the Opera" and OMG what a dissapointment although I am not suprised.
Gerard Butler- Sounded like a rock star singing and his acting was weak.
Emmy Rossum- A pretty voice but hollow and weak, and her expression never changed.
Patrick Wilson- Nice voice, but weak acting.
The sets were really good except they looked really fake. And because the songs are pre-recorded when they sing for the movie they have to lip-sync and Emmy Rossum barely moved her mouth! They changed a nice amount of the story which to me makes it lose its touch. They made Christine not Meg the promising dancer and when she is asked to sing she is not shy so she does not build up. The Phantoms mask was also too small and what was weird was when his mask was small of what you could see his face was clear but they when she took of his mask where it was clear was now gross. This movie also had no soul and to me you did not feel for anyone. At first because i have seen the show so many times I thought maybe it was just me but I heard a lot of laughs and negetive whispering. Also this show just does not work on the film the way chicago did. Oh well.

Updated On: 11/12/04 at 11:45 AM

[luvWICKED416]

Posted: 11/12/04 at 11:47am

oh no.... really!? That's dissapointing.. i'll have to see for myself in Dec.

[Born2cthelightsofbway]

Posted: 11/12/04 at 11:48am

yeah, i know i was not suprised though. The three leads were just really really weak.

[Plum]

Posted: 11/12/04 at 11:51am

Oh, you mean "Saw the phantom movie." I was about to mock you for saying "Save the phantom movie." :)

[luvWICKED416]

Posted: 11/12/04 at 11:53am

didn't even realize that, haha... good call

[Born2cthelightsofbway]

Posted: 11/12/04 at 11:57am

Sorry.

[Plum]

Posted: 11/12/04 at 12:01pm

What for? It's just a typo. No big deal. :)

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 11/12/04 at 12:02pm

Yeah, I noticed that the Phantom's mask is smaller, and that the unmasked part of his face is normal. In the stage version, his entire face is pretty weird, and the mask covers only the *really* bad part. Also, he wears a wig to cover his real hair, which is pretty skanky. What do they do regarding the hair in the movie?

[Born2cthelightsofbway]

Posted: 11/12/04 at 12:19pm

His hair is kind of slicked like in the show. But was makes no sense is in the movie the mask his small and the unmasked part is normal but when his mask is removed that same unmasked normal part is gross.

[VIETgrlTerifa]

Posted: 11/12/04 at 12:31pm

It sounds like Director Joel Schumacher didn't disappoint people who were expecting the usual from him.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 11/12/04 at 12:36pm

This movie also had no soul and to me you did not feel for anyone.

So they didn't change a thing? It is exactly the same as the stage play?

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 11/12/04 at 12:38pm

sueleen, isn't it early for your first dish of milk?

[CarolynW]

Posted: 11/12/04 at 1:38pm

Interesting I went to a private screening last night in Los Angeles. I enjoyed the film very much. There were many guild members who vote for awards at the film and they seemed to like it.

I like what they added to the film, that made it have more story than the stage production.

There was a Q&A with Joel S. after the film and it was avery nice evening for me.

I am looking forward to buying the DVD when it comes out. That is how much I liked the film.

YOurs,

Carolyn Updated On: 11/12/04 at 01:38 PM

[wickedfan]

Posted: 11/12/04 at 1:39pm

I have to agree with Sueleen on this one. I am not a fan of the show. I thought it was a very weak adaptation. Also it sounds as if the movie does keep a nice touch from the book. In the book Christine wasn't necessarily "shy" about singing. She was more indifferent to it. And the second time she had to perform she wasn't that up to par and the audience got very confused. It was all a matter of Erik's effect on her, which in the show wasn't really shown. They just made her seem in a trance throughout every scene that they were in together.

Updated On: 11/12/04 at 01:39 PM

[Kevin Kringle]

Posted: 11/12/04 at 2:05pm

I like to dress up like the Phantom on Halloween although most people tell me I should cover up my entire face

[BWIDB Charlie]

Posted: 11/12/04 at 2:11pm

Why do people make comments like "And because the songs are pre-recorded when they sing for the movie they have to lip-sync..."? Are people really not aware that virtually every song that is "sung" in any movie is pre-recorded? Of course, it has to be..otherwise you'd pick up so many background noises of the crew, ambience, etc etc. Do you really think Julie Andrews was singing on that mountain?! There was a helicopter swirling around her!

Oh well, enough of my whining!


Charlie
[e-mail]

[Kevin Kringle]

Posted: 11/12/04 at 2:17pm

Also, I don't know how much stock I put into your opinion or review if you like some of the worst theatre ever put on a stage such as Dracula.

[EponineThenardier]

Posted: 11/12/04 at 2:29pm

During the mirror clip, I got really annoyed with Emmy's lip syncing(Sp). Everyone in Chicago and even Moulin ROuge did a wonderful job with it. So thats all I could focus on in that clip.

[InTheMoney]

Posted: 11/12/04 at 3:39pm

So it doesn't make you feel sorry for the Phantom at the end then? (When he lets Christine go) That's very disappointing! That part always makes me cry. If I don't get through a box of kleenex during the film I will be extremely disappointed.

[BlueRose]

Posted: 11/12/04 at 5:13pm

What specifically didn't you like? I just ask, because the positive reviews tend to be very specific-including details about what they like and dislike. The negative ones tend to just be "oh, the movie sucked, the actors sucked, everything sucked". Also, most of the reviews that have come out have said that most of the audience members there (including guild members and other movie people) appeared to enjoy it. Updated On: 11/12/04 at 05:13 PM

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 11/12/04 at 6:15pm

Ok, you said that the actors were stale in the their acting ( paraphrasing of course ). When I listen to the songs, I "Feel" the emotions of the characters when they sing, which I generally don't with the OLC, which I love by the way. Gerard is completely heartbreaking as the Phantom during the songs. You can tell when Emmy is scared and frail along with when she is strong and happy (Sarah Brightman pretty much sounded the same throughout the recording). And Patrick Wilson actually makes you believe that he loves this girl and will do anything to save her. Now, I don't know if you are saying this because of they way they acted it out or what (since I have never seen it) but judging just by the soundtrack, I have to disagree with you about that.

Also, here is my take on the mask thing. **Takes in deep breath**

Throughout the stage show (and movie too I would guess) the Phantom puts some kind of hypnotic spell over people. That is why Christine goes towards the Phantom in the graveyard until Raoul breaks the spell when he calls for her and she runs from the Phantom. I think that the Phantom uses this so called "power" to hide parts of his face that are disfigured, yet not covered by the mask. That is why Joseph Bouquet (sp?) gives a description of the Phantom has grotesque but yet, Christine sees a normal man (or Angel) with a mask and in a way, we the audience are seeing the Phantom through her eyes since she is really the only one who really ever sees him (except for a few scenes of course). When she takes off the mask, that hypnotic spell he has over her is gone because he is, at that moment, vulnerable. That is when she actually SEES what he looks like. Does that make any kind of sense?

Updated On: 11/12/04 at 06:15 PM

[broadway86]

Posted: 11/12/04 at 6:20pm

The reviews that I have read so far were positive. This is actually the first time I'm hearing somethign negative about it. Oh, well. I'm going to see it.

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 11/12/04 at 6:21pm

You best believe I will be there numerous times to see this movie. WOO WOO!

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 11/12/04 at 6:22pm

I have only seen reviews that are posted here. Are there others somewhere that I can read?

[Musetta1957]

Posted: 11/12/04 at 6:30pm

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http://www.phantomfans.net