The Phantom of the Opera

Considering his filmmaking history, there aren't many directors who would have been an odder choice to helm this one than Joel Schumacher. Over the last ten years, he has ruined the Batman series and broken several laws by releasing Bad Company, but he's had some good spots as well - Phone Booth, an action thriller set entirely on one street, and Tigerland, a cheaply made war movie. None of this translates to directing a classic Andrew Lloyd Webber musical onto the screen. Yet here we are. Schumacher gets full marks for effort, and you'll soon forget you're watching the work of the man who gave us the appaling Batman and Robin. But sadly, Webber's musical hasn't translated well onto the big screen.

Things start well, with a good introductury scene filmed in black and white, set at an auction of items found in the Paris Opera house that is the setting of our story. As the chandelier 'in pieces' is raised, the whole opera house rebuilds itself in front of our eyes, accompained by the weirdly likeable Overture, in the best sequence of the film. Only once the film switches to colour can the audience appreciate how stunning the sets are - the films is truly a masterpiece of period artistry. Every shot is beautiful.

It's the music that really kills Phantom - after Angel of Music, The Mirror and The Phantom of the Opera, you've pretty much heard it all, and all the later songs feel like slower, less exciting variations on songs you've already heard. Also, Webber's involvment was no doubt the reason for several lines being sung, which not only do I hate, but also they would have sounded much better spoken normally.


t is both a blessing and a curse that Phantom has no big star to sell itself with. On the one hand, there's no unessecary changing of the plot or characters to make the star seem more likeable, but the actors we're given are nothing special. Emmy Rossum is pretty (although she's unnaturely thin) but her usual charisma is not on display here. She has the same look on her face through the whole thing. Butler is better, but doesn't quite pull off the Phantom's dangerous aura. They both have fine singing voices (presuming that's always them singing, which it might not be). I have no idea what the big deal is over Minnie Driver, who had no more than four scenes and wasn't funny in any of them.

At 2 hours and 23 minutes, Phantom is way too long, and its length is completely unnesessary - several scenes could have been shortened or cut out completely. There is a resonably satisfying ending waiting for you at the end of it all, but why bother? There is so much to hate about this film, I can't even remember half of the things I disliked. Sad but true - Phantom is a disappointment, however good it might look.

**1/2 out of 5.