The phantom of the opera

Year of release : 2004

Run time : 2h21m

Genre : Musical / Romance

Cast : Gerard Butler, Emmy Rossum, Patrick Wilson, Miranda Richardson, Minnie Driver, Ciaran Hinds

Director : Joel Schumacher

The movie is based on Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical of the same name (who also produced and co-wrote the movie), adapted from the 1910 novel of the same name by Gaston Leroux .

In Paris, 1919, Raul and I think, Meg Giry, revisit the old opera house for an auction. When they reach the auction of the chandelier, as it’s lifted, the opera house comes back to life, and we see it in all its splendour, as it was, back in 1870.

We are presented with the new owners of the Opera Populaire who are in the scrap metal business.The two introduce their patron, viscount of Chagny.

Christine, who is one of the performers, recognizes in the viscount, her childhood sweetheart, Raoul, from when she used to live in the house by the sea, when her father was alive.

Carlotta, the lead opera singer, who is a diva, refuses to perform in Hannibal as her costume isn’t ready. When she is convinced to do it, a piece of the set design falls on top of her as she sings, and she quits, as she says she’s been messed with for the past 3 years and no one would do anything about it ,as they’re afraid of the Phantom residing at the opera.

Madame Giry, the ballet mistress, got the Phantom’s letter, and reads he wants Christine to play instead of the lead opera singer, for them to leave box 5 empty for his use, and a salary, as he used to be paid 20.000 Francs a month.

Madame Giry suggests Christine, and she ends up singing on opening night.

Christine is a hit with the audience, and Raoul recognizes her. Talking to her in her chambers, he asks her out to dinner, and she tells him her mentor doesn’t allow her to do such things. Raoul disregards her worries, and as he leaves the Phantom locks her door.

Before that, Christine confides in Meg (madame Giry’s daughter who looks like her mother), she thinks her father’s ghost is the one coaching her and watching over her, as as he laid dying, he told her he’d send her an angel of music.

The Phantom appears to Christine, as she thinks him an angel, and takes her to the catacombs he resides in. He sings to her, as he wants her to be his, and when she sees an image of her in a wedding dress she collapses.

At the opera, people are looking for Christine, and the Phantom takes her back, after she removes his mask and he freaks out.

Everybody at the opera received a letter from the Phantom, including Carlotta, the former opera singer, warning her not to take Christine’s part or something bad will happen to her.

One of the letters says Christine should play the lead in “Il muto” instead of Carlotta, with Carlotta to play the mute, but the owners refuse, and cast Carlotta as the lead, doing the exact opposite of what the Phantom asked.

The Phantom doesn’t appreciate they don’t obey his requests, and also for not keeping box 5 empty.

The Phantom hears Carlotta insulting Christine, and he replaces her throat spray making her sing out of tune.

One of the men working at the opera sees him and follows him, and the Phantom k1lls him, letting him fall and hang on stage.

Christine takes Raoul, afraid of the Phantom, and tells him about him, but he doesn’t believe her. Raoul confesses his love for her, and the two kiss, as Christine feels the same, and the Phantom witnesses all this.

Months later, at the New Year’s masked ball, Raoul proposes to Christine, and she asks for a secret engagement, as the Phantom is jealous.

The Phantom makes an appearance at the masked ball bringing a new opera he wrote with him, “Don Juan triumphant”. He preaches to everyone, including Christine, and seeing the engagement ring around her neckline he rips it off telling her she belongs to him.

He pulls a disappearing act, doing a magic trick, and Raoul goes after him, but he’s rescued by madame Giry.

When pressed about it, madame Giry tells Raoul the Phantom used to be a kid seen as a freak at the circus where he was beaten for having half of his face disfigured, and people would pay to see it.She rescued him, bringing him to the opera house, and since then, he’s been living in the catacombs, writing music, being an architect and designer, even magician, madame Giry seeing him as a genius.

I personally enjoyed the movie, although I don’t like musicals! I actually liked the songs and the actors’ voices. The only one who didn’t sing was Minnie Driver who’s character was a well versed soprano, and a real soprano voice was used. But Minnie can sing too, and you can hear her singing the end credits song.

I loved the world they created, the set design, everything was so beautiful, the buildings,the interior design with caryatids and atlases, the costumes, the hair. The catacombs the phantom lived in were in a world of their own, with caryatids and atlases, water with mist..it looked like he had the whole underground to himself and it reminded me of the Greek mythology underworld.

The movie is breathtaking, it’s a feast for the eyes and ears.

The present is on black and white, the old, in vivid colors.

One thing I didn’t like, they give Patrick Wilson the ugliest wig and side burns, and he is an attractive man, but not in this movie .

I loved the soundtrack.

The acting was good. Minnie Driver was flamboyant and ridiculous, I loved her, while Gerard Butler was charming, elegant and mysterious.

The visual effects, make-up and prosthetics (the Phantom’s face) were good. I loved how everything comes back to life in the beginning of the movie when the leads visit the old opera house.

The movie holds a 32 tomatometer against a 84 popcorn meter on Rotten Tomatoes, and a 40 metascore with a 6.5 user score on Metacritic.

Cinema Score audiences graded the movie an A.

The movie grossed almost 155 million dollars at the box office, against a budget of around 80 million dollars.

The movie has been in the making since 1989!

John Travolta, Hugh Jackman and Antonio Banderas were considered to play the Phantom.

Katie Holmes and Anne Hathaway were considered to play Christine.

The movie was nominated for many awards, including for 3 Oscars, 3 Golden Globes including one for Best Musical or Comedy - Motion Picture, 3 Saturn Awards, and 11 Satellite Awards.

You can watch the movie on the Ok.Ru platform,in English with Spanish subtitles.

Rating : Worth a watch !