The Phantom of the Opera (2004)

Well pinch me I must be dreaming, Joel Schumacher hs made a masterpiece? I am not dreaming and I can tell you it is true. This is everything a musical movie should be, fantastic songs, amazing sets and wonderful acting.

I have seen the stage show once and enjoyed it a lot, but the movie just blew me away, it was so lavish and gorgeous I was floating in mid air or at least it felt like it. Emmy Rossum steals the show as Christine the beautiful young ingenue, she has the voice of an angel and her gorgeous youthful looks and innocence make for a wonderful performance. Gerard Butler doesn't have an amazing voice, but for what he lacks in singing he makes up for in acting. The supporting cast are great too, especially Minnie Driver who is HILARIOUS as La Carlotta.

I loved this movie but there are bound to be haters who hate webber or schumacher, my advice go in with an open mind and let the images and music captivate you.

10/10

Fmovies: I was able to view this at a special screening and was very impressed. It is a visually stunning movie - the costuming and sets are as extravagant and lavish as the music. Gerard Butler gives a particularly anguishing and sympathetic performance as The Phantom. Emmy Rossum is beautiful portraying Christine and her transformation from a young innocent to a woman who is aware of herself, her sexuality, and the world of love. Patrick Wilson is a particularly dashing, heroic and protective Raoul and Minnie Driver provides hilarious comic relief as Carlotta. I particularly enjoyed the film's ability to delve deeper into the lives of characters. It provided depth and context and layers to all of the characters that the stage production cannot do. The entire cast was magnificent and I will be hearing the "music of the night" in my head for the next several days. I would definitely recommend it and can't wait to see it again.

I went to see this film with my best friend yesterday and I asked her what she thought of the film and she said "That was the worst film i've ever seen" I turned to her and saw she was blubbing her eyes out(she was being sarcastic).

This film was AMAZING!

It looked gorgeous, the singing for some reason has been slated a lot by critics but I thought the singing was wonderful and everyone should be applauded especially the two leads Emmy Rossum and Gerald Butler they were brilliant.The songs sound as good as ever, there was one thing that really ticked me off with some reviewers they have said "The song are in desperate need in updating" and all I can say to that is "Don't change perfection because its already perfect. The stand out moment for me was the beginning,when the film changed from black and white and went back in time to tell the story,it sent shivers down my spine. I have to say i've never seen the stage show but now i've watched this I don't think I need to

10/10 Go see this film!

The Phantom of the Opera fmovies. The Phantom of the Opera is of course a very well known story and has been adapted so many times that you would probably lose count if you tried. This of course is the musical adaptation if you may have not realized by now. Now if any part of your criticism of this film has to do with it being a musical then you probably didn't enjoy viewing it. I, myself are in no way a fan of musicals but in this case I found the experience of watching this film to be extremely gratifying.

For once I did not find myself feeling disgusted at the direction of Joel Schumacher. Joel Schumacher definitely handled this storyline with much more care then he has with other films throughout his career. Right from the opening minutes the film became extremely engaging and really never slows down. One thing for sure, and most people would agree, is that the set design and visual glamour of the film is astounding.

Yet one aspect of the film that certainly has not caught on with everyone is the acting of Gerard Butler who plays the Phantom. Such criticisms as he is not scary at all or he is lacking in the area of singing. For me his singing did not bother me one bit and the fact of him not being scary enough is just ridiculous to fault him for that. This film is a musical, not a horror movie. You simply can't expect a singing murderer to ever really be scary. If there is anyone to pick at for falling short it is Patrick Wilson. In my view he never presents anything unique or appealing in his performance. He, in a way, just seems to be just there. Emmy Rossum though certainly asserted her presence in the film. Her feelings as well as the Phantom's are always felt not despite the singing or music but rather with the help of it.

Personally this is my favorite musical and I definitely recommend it even if you're not a fan of musicals. Keep in mind as I stated before there won't be much of a horror factor but that is not really the point. This is by all means a romance and tackles the theme of loneliness in a very touching, poignant and compassionate way. The Phantom of the Opera is certainly gruesome but instead poetic.

I dragged my long suffering boyfriend to see The Phantom of the Opera on Sunday, and was pleasantly surprised by it. Although I have never seen it on-stage, the film version - for me - was so enchanting that I now cannot wait to obtain tickets to it. The sets were absolutely beautiful. France is known for its beauty, and this adaption certainly paid homage to that. The theatre set itself was absolutely stunning; marble and velvet being the main materials within it. Emmy Rossum (Christine) was 17 when this was filmed and was absolutely outstanding. When she started to sing, my mouth literally dropped open. Minnie Driver (La Carlotta) was very funny in her Italian diva role. Her hand gestures added to the mannerisms of a typical diva. Her singing was overdone to add to the character (even though Ms. Driver did not do all the vocals herself). Patrick Wilson (Raoul), out of all of them, had the most captivating voice. Although Raoul seemed a bit wet and droopy, he was still gorgeous and made the GIRLS in the audience swoon. However, the star of the piece for me, was Gerard Butler (the Phantom). Although his vocal skills weren't entirely right for the part, he portrayed the Phantom as a lot of people see him; as a victim. I actually ended up warming to him, and when asked by my boyfriend who I would choose; Raoul or the Phantom, I said the Phantom. Something about the way Mr. Butler played him, was so sexy and he drew the WOMEN to him. Watching the Phantom and Raoul, certainly separated the boys from the men and the girls from the women. Another pleasant surprise is that Jennifer Ellison was actually rather good in her role as Meg, Christine's best friend. Miss Ellison has been trained in acting, singing and dancing and so was well equipped to the play the part, and carried it off very well. I wouldn't be surprised if more roles in Hollywood turned up for her. Overall, I rate this film a 5/5 and definitely recommend it. It sent shivers up my spine and gave me goosebumps. I urge those of you who haven't seen it, to become goosebump friendly by watching THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA!

I have seen the movie, Phantom of the Opera, five times, a phenomenon never experienced with any other movie in my life. The movie has such depth and rich details, making it is worthy of spending the time and money to see it five times. Please spare me any more negative comments about Gerard Butler's performance! I have seen the play in New York and in a regional theater. Of all performances I have seen, Gerard Butler's portrayal of the Phantom is the finest, most sensitive, and most provocative. His singing is full of emotion, making his character believable and powerful. I would like to see Gerard Butler get some recognition for his performance, because he lifts the character of the Phantom far beyond what it has been in the past. He was perfect for the role, and his acting and singing should be recognized as one of the best performances on the screen this year! Emmy would not have been as great as she was without the performance provided by Gerard Butler. I want to thank Gerard Butler for taking me out of the everyday details of living into a world of "music of the night." Speak out for Gerard Butler's receiving recogniton for his truly inspiring performance as the Phantom!