review: I'll review the movie in a moment. What I want to share first is how pleasantly surprised I am at the extras included. Sure, they could have given us more--four different kinds of trailers, costume design boards, a scene from every Phantom movie thus far, interviews with Crawford and Brightman, not to mention commentaries. But hey, isn't that what Christmas is for? :)However, I was enthralled by the story of how the musical came to be. We get not only plenty of airtime from Lord Webber and Stilgoe & Hart, but we see the original stars in footage that we would never be able to see otherwise. Sara Brightman singing "Pie Jesu" in what looks to be a cathedral, Michael Crawford doing light comedy--light comedy!--on a British show and performing in the circus. We're taken into Webber's estate to view the singers who first performed the Phantom material as it was being constructed, and are enlightened as to how Britain charmingly previewed the musical, via music video, to the rest of the nation as what looked to be, quite literally, a rock opera. (Well, it WAS the 80s.)The other extras that focus on the movie production are also quite good. I thought it might be only a slightly longer version of one of those HBO First Looks, but it was super-informative. In it you get a look at the premier, at part of Emmy Rossum's screen test, the fun of trying to understand Jennifer Ellison's (Meg) accent, Patrick Wilson singing opera in sport pants, the Mask of the Red Death swigging from a water bottle, plus a look at the outrageously elaborate costumes and what the chandelier falling looked like in real life. There's so much more I can't remember, but trust me, it's worth it.I'm not sure sure about the additional scene. I'm glad they didn't keep it in. While it's a lovely song, the Phantom was too soft, not at all obsessive or dangerous. And we don't want that, now, do we?And, about that movie. Emmy Rossum has a perfectly capable voice even at her age, just as Christine is supposed to be quite young. But her face had the same expression on it--trancelike--almost the entire time. When she saw Raoul caught in the Punjab lasso and cried out, I was like, Finally! And then she went back into the trance. I wish they had coaxed more expression out of her.Gerard Butler. Either you love him or you hate him. We all know he's hot. I was really surprised at first sight of the Phantom, because from the stage shows you get the impression that even with the mask on, he's a crowish figure of no less than forty years. I enjoy watching Butler, but if they had used someone less attractive I don't think it would have taken anything away from the movie. As for his voice--I whispered to my mom at one point that he sounds like a rock star. And yes, Butler was indeed in a rock band. He's no Michael Crawford. And sometimes his treatment of phrases isn't the best. But on the flip side, sometimes it's just as uncomfortable listening to a stage Phantom sing in full-on operatic mode. It's...whatever you like, I guess.Of course, the sets are lavish and the costumes lush (and vice versa). I love Minnie Driver in the Carlotta role, and the men who played the managers were really a delight. I know people gripe about all these different things--the addition of scenes, speaking dialogue that was previously sung, the misplacement of the chandelier's big scene, a colorful masquerade being clothed in black and white. But in the end I still think the movie is more than worth it. Why?Because you can see it whenever you want to now. Because the full orchestra sounds heaven-sent. Because knowing all the words to a musical is a big deal. Because it's beautiful. Because it's a full-on experience that requires nothing less than your full attention. Because snow and confetti falling never looked so perfect. Because my first exposure to the musical was on a cassette tape with half the second act missing and it was still so potent that I stayed up to listen to it again. Because the Phantom's hot (oops).So, that's what I think. If you truly love the musical, you'll like the movie. If you knew nothing of the musical before, then you'll probably like it, too.
question: Is the costume not beautiful ?
the outrageously elaborate costumes