Finally saw Phantom of the Opera...

[darth_stitch]

Gerard Butler can't sing for shit.

There, I've said it. I'm not a RABID "MICHAEL CRAWFORD MUST PLAY PHANTOM OR NOTHING" fan, all right? I fell in love with the man's voice when I first brought home those precious Andrew Lloyd Webber Phantom of the Opera OST casettes but hey, between that time and now, there must've been like several Phantoms who've taken the title role on the Broadway stage and blown audiences away with their acting and singing ability.

Why oh why couldn't the Phantom moviemakers have picked one of THOSE instead?

The first Phantom of the Opera movie I ever saw was the miniseries they aired on television featuring Burt Lancaster as the Phantom's father. Er. Never mind. He's not important. What's important is the guy playing the Phantom of the Opera and he turned in a BRILLIANT performance. I was literally bawling my eyes out during the last 30-40 minutes of this miniseries as he and Christine made their farewells and expressed their unspoken love through song.

I could not forget that sequence of events - Erik, the Phantom, lying ill deep in his lair beneath the opera house, waiting to die, finally hears the sweet voice of his Christine singing to him one last time. He makes his way up, to the box that's always been reserved for him and he's listening to her perform onstage, in the shadows, as he's always done.

But now, he can't help himself - he's inexorably drawn from the shadows, into the light - because Christine isn't singing her love for the insipid tenor on stage, she's singing to him and he MUST answer her.

And so he does, revealing this achingly beautiful voice that leaves the audience gasping in wonder.

And I was left in tears. I was still crying even after the miniseries was over and the Phantom finally died in his Christine's arms.

I've never done that for ANY other movie, except for Lord of the Rings.

So, you lot can figure out that I was looking forward to the Andrew Lloyd Webber movie. Having never seen the Broadway musical - I've only seen the Ken Follet version, which is different - I thought I was finally going to see what I've been listening to for all these years.

Sigh. I'll say it again - GERARD BUTLER CAN'T SING FOR SHIT.

Butler's got experience playing mysterious broody bad guys - I had fun watching him in that Dracula movie, even if I had some serious WTFH?! moments with the story. So, he's got SOME kind of presence as Phantom and definitely, he is TEH PRETTEH-iest Phantom I've ever seen (although, hell, isn't the Phantom supposed to be NOT TEH PRETTEH?!). And Joel Schumacher pretty much shoves the subtext of Christine actually wanting the Phantom instead of poor ickle Raoul right in our faces.

I can't blame her for wanting to snog Gerard B's Phantom twice which was the only point in the movie that made me scream "YES!! HELL YEAH!!"

Otherwise, I was cringing at their duets and mentally substituting Michael Crawford's voice during the whole movie. Gerard B's got the moves but he doesn't have that ONE ESSENTIAL THING that makes a musical Phantom. He can't sing and it's PAINFUL to hear. I knew this movie was in trouble when Raoul could sing BETTER than the Phantom.

I could've lived with the voices of EVERYONE in the cast, except for the Phantom's - and this is what essentially killed the movie for me. It's The Phantom of the Opera for crying out loud. It's HIS movie - why couldn't they have picked somebody who could sing? Or barring that, I could've lived with someone dubbing Gerard's singing voice.

One of the important attributes of the Phantom as a character and certainly one of the major parts that constitute his mystery and sexual allure, is his voice. The original novel alone states that the Phantom has a beautiful speaking AND singing voice, his one beauty, the one thing that could lure a high-strung, emotionally unstable, naive heroine into believing in her Angel of Music. Susan Kay's gorgeous rewrite of Phantom takes it to the next level - there's something inherently sensual about that Voice, which is something that even Phantom's MOTHER notices and THAT, apart from her revulsion at his appearance, is one of the MAJOR reasons she's so terrified of her own son.

The film tries to capture that essence, that brilliant line of subtext, but fails miserably simply because their lead guy can't sing. The only excuse I can find for Christine wanting to snog him twice (and quite probably forever, but the script calls for her to leave with Raoul, alas!) is that Gerard Butler is Teh Pretteh and that's kind of ironic, considering who the character is.
It's like looking at a pretty Snape with a perfect nose and nice non-greasy hair and god knows that ain't our Snapercup. Heh. At least they had the sense to cast ALAN RICKMAN in the role, even if he is too old for the part. He's absolutely delicious to look at and most importantly, he's got Snape's voice and presence down pat. He OWNS that role and that's why I can happily sit through another HBO run of Chamber of Secrets, if only to watch Alan's Snape trounce Kenneth's Lockhart once again. :P

As for the Phantom movie, this is a crying shame because there's millions of people out here, like me, who have never gotten the chance to see the Broadway musical but will now have to make do with a mediocre Phantom in a mediocre movie.

Sigh.

Comments

[mieronna.livejournal.com]

Whoa - you speak my mind! I'm a heavy Phantom addict (it's a loong story ;)) And I all but went up the walls when I heard of the movie. But when I saw it, I was really disappointed. I don't know about Butler's voice because I've seen only the German version - but there the phantom's voice wasn't any good either. Did I say any good? Hell, it's was just wrong. For me anyway. Might be because I only know the recording with Michael Crawford. Or perhaps because I don't like the German texts - can you believe they translated Music with muse? *shudders* I know why I only listen to the original musicals ever.
Anyway - this movie had absolutely nothing in it apart from beautiful costumes. Right - sometimes I actually do watch movies because of the costumes... but the singing really destroyed this one for me.
So you see - I do sympathise with you :)
Oh by the way - have I already said hello? I think not. Hello there *waves*

[darth-stitch.livejournal.com]

Hail to thee, fellow Phantom addict! :P *waves back*

Don't bother with even tracking down the English version of the movie - Gerard Butler CAN'T sing either way and that's a crying shame, it is.

And you're right, the movie is simply "eye candy" and the costumes are Teh Pretteh as well but that is about it.

I actually really symphatize with the rabid Crawford fans - if only because the movie Phantom is not even a pale shadow of the original guy. I hear from the grapevine that Jeremy Irons will be playing the Phantom in a new non-Lloyd Webber movie. Let's hope he does better. *blinks* Does Jeremy Irons SING, by the way? :P

[balbane.livejournal.com]

Yes, he sang as Scar in the Lion King

[mieronna.livejournal.com]

Cannot figure how one can be not addicted to the Phantom - with books like the one Susan Kay wrote :) Can you imagine that a friend of mine called me at some odd time weeping bitterly just to tell me she finished the book? And she's been going on about how sad it was weeks after it.

I certainly hope he does better, though I don't know about whether he sings or not. Is this movie going to be based on the musical or just the story?

[darth-stitch.livejournal.com]

*grins* I rather doubt that this movie will be based on the musical - given that it's just had its run at the theaters. So it's most likely a new take or remake of the original story.

Although I really wish SOMEONE would get the rights (or whatever one is supposed to do with such things) to do Susan Kay's book as a miniseries at least. Now THERE's a beautiful retelling of Phantom that needs the touch of a Peter Jackson, for example, to be brought to the screen.

Just please leave your Frederick Forsythe retelling in the bargain books bin. :P That was a HUGE disappointment, as far as I was concerned - about as bad as the current movie Phantom is. XD

[mieronna.livejournal.com]

Well - I really hope it will be any good. But then - if you like something very much almost anything that isn't near amazing and unique is likely to be a disappointment.

Oh yes, I agree with you on that one, though I wouldn't like it to be miniseries - I doubt I would get to see them if they were produced in the USA. A Peter Jackson would be great - but then again, a Jackson without Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens would be even better - if I think about all the things they discussed changing in LotR... *shudders*

Forythe? What's... Oh, it's this strange Phantom of Manhattan thing, isn't it? I haven't read this one - the story sounded so very far fetched. I have read the original book by Gaston Leroux, though.

[byandby.livejournal.com]

That is honestly why I refuse to watch the movie. I have the original soundtrack with Michael Crawford and have seen the touring Broadway show. It was fantastic. The movie looks very pretty and Raoul does look nice, but it from what I've heard, that's all the movie is. Pretty. However, when it comes out on DVD, I may watch it.

[darth-stitch.livejournal.com]

Piece of advice - do NOT buy the DVD. Rent it, borrow it - whatever. Frankly, it's a waste of money to own the thing. Actually, if you've SEEN the musical (you lucky, lucky soul!) - don't even bother seeing it. You'll just be seriously disappointed.

I was cringing during the entire Phantom of the Opera/Music of the Night sequence and I was mentally yelling "YOU CAN'T SING YOU POOR SCHMUCK!!" at that moment when the "Phantom" was "singing" the All I Ask of You reprise.

Heh. But there's only one thing that saves this movie - it's far more watchable than the GODAWFUL Dario d'Argento Phantom, which had Julian Sands' Phantom screwing around with rats (WTFH?! EW!) aaaaaaaaannnnnd having some seriously porn-worthy scenes with the Christine Daae of that sorry excuse for a movie. XD

[platoapproved.livejournal.com]

A big, loud, racuous to everything you said. Michael Crawford's voice, I think, was successful as a Phantom for this reason alone: it's so ethereal. So creepy. He has a very high voice, wheras Butler sounded like a bad, growly German punk-metal singer.

I really did perfer movie!Christine to Sarah Brightman, because Sarah Brightman's always sounded too old to be Christine, in my mind. I liked the cinematography, and editing, and all that, but BUTLER KILLED IT.

I actually found his physical "attractiveness" (this in quotes because I don't find him attractive at all, but my tastes run a little more along the female persuasion) wrong for the Phantom. I mean, that's not exactly a part of the character, is it?

[darth-stitch.livejournal.com]

I love Sarah Brightman's voice although yeah, she's far too old now to play a sweet ingenue.

The thing with Butler is that he either whispered the songs or shouted it - he just really can't sing. And it's annoying because part of the reason Christine falls for her "Angel of Music" is because he's got this unearthly beautiful voice.

I mean, come on - if Baz Luhrman could give us Moulin Rouge and a singing Nicole Kidman and Ewan Macgregor, we should have at least gotten better than this really bad Phantom movie. *sighs*

[platoapproved.livejournal.com]

"I love Sarah Brightman's voice although yeah, she's far too old now to play a sweet ingenue."

Yes, and it shows up particularly in the song "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again". Which, by the way, was beautifully filmed. That's the thing - I went to see Phantom thrice, but not in the way I had expected to. Before it came out, I thought I would see it many times as a rabid Phantom fan. Instead, I kept coming back simply as an awed film student practically drooling over the sets and the cinematography.

"The thing with Butler is that he either whispered the songs or shouted it - he just really can't sing."

I totally agree - and he also didn't whisper WELL enough. "Stranger Than You Dreamt It" has always tugged my heartstrings when M.C. sang it, but with G.B. I found myself having no sympathy for the Phantom.

And on a side note, am I the only one who thinks that Michael Crawford's high-pitched, evil Phantom!laugh must be what Voldemort sounds like?

"And it's annoying because part of the reason Christine falls for her "Angel of Music" is because he's got this unearthly beautiful voice."

EXACTLY! While Rossum did a good job of conveying Christine's trance-like state induced by the Phantom's singing, it wasn't plausible with Butler's singing.

[cantrix.livejournal.com]

*shrugs* Well, I seem to be fairly addicted by the music at this point... mind you, this could very well be because I like singing along to it (although not when anyone's listening! LOL), and thus why 'Angel of Music' has to be about my favourite song. Have a new appreciation for 'Masquerade' that I never got from playing the songs myself on the piano too.

Of course, the soundtrack that I'd really been looking for was the original ALW one, but no-one seemed to be selling that, so I got the movie one instead. Must remember to check again in Wellington once I go back to Uni next week. ^_^

I bet you can guess what I'm listening to now! Glad I am that I also managed to put the ALW premiere collection on my 'puter before Mum lost the CD! *rolls eyes* Silly mummy-person!

[darth-stitch.livejournal.com]

I'm looking for the original Broadway soundtrack myself. I'd rather listen to that than the movie version. Believe me, you can understand the bewailing of the rabid Michael Crawford fans once you hear THAT voice crooning "Music of the Night."

[platoapproved.livejournal.com]

Believe me, you can understand the bewailing of the rabid Michael Crawford fans once you hear THAT voice crooning "Music of the Night."

Oh, yes. That much is for sure. I almost cried when I was in the theatre, listening to Butler just mutilate Music of the Night, which has always been my favourite song out of the whole musical.

Eh ... I have a copy of the original Broadway CD, if you want I could upload the tracks to YouSendIt and get them to you, if you are having a lot of trouble finding a copy. Or if you've AIM, I could do a filetransfer. ::shrugs::

[darth-stitch.livejournal.com]

OMG!!!! Oh, please, please, please - I would really appreciate it if you could send them to me via You Send It. Copies of the original Broadway CD here have all but disappeared. *cries*

My email is darth_stitch @ yahoo.com

THANK YOU!!!!!!

[platoapproved.livejournal.com]

I shall load them up in the morning (which is late evening for you, I think). And it's no trouble. ^___^

[cantrix.livejournal.com]

GAH! I found the CD today... but it costs $50 DAMNIT! *sulks* Will just have to try the Warehouse again, in the hopes that they'll eventually get it in, as they usually sell stuff cheaper.

*pouts* Sometimes, I really hate the CD stores!

[murasaki99.livejournal.com]

Oh, this is really too bad. Why didn't they dub the actor's voice? There's no shame in that - lots of famous musicals have done it, and for good reason. There is often a mismatch between the person who can act and play the physical role and the demands of a singing part. Is the actor that famous that he could demand to sing the part? Is he known for singing to start with? I'm not familiar with Gerard Butler at all.

Morrie is offering to go and express his displeasure to the producers for you, if you want. And given who he is, that's a scary thought.

Morrie: Hey, I still have my Dark Sider membership paid up! It oughtta be good for *something* now and then.

[undomielregina]

It's all ALW's fault. He wouldn't let them dub GB. Fool.

[murasaki99.livejournal.com]

Argh. Why?? That's so stupid. Stitch isn't the first one to notice the dreadful mismatch between the acting and the music. A musical... lives or dies on the music. Otherwise make a straight drama and not a musical. <_<

[undomielregina]

Bloody fool had only sung Punk previously. And the COMPOSER killed it by refusing to dub him. Fool.

Although I must admit, I eventually decided he was trying for a different KIND of Phantom…�physically seductive!Phantom instead of cerebrally seductive!Phantom. Butler's Phantom was all about Christine herself. The stage version is all about her voice.

I still liked some of the changes, though. The guitar is PotO is lovely, for example. In fact, the only thing really wrong is his VOICE…�and I did like it at points. In fact, at this point, I only cringe at his first song bit and in Music of the Night�…utterly dreadful.

[darth-stitch.livejournal.com]

Morrie, I will love you all the more if you could go Dark Side on the idiots that made the bloody movie and DIDN'T at least get some GREAT singer to dub bloody Gerard Butler's godawful voice, if they were so keen to have some "hawt" dude strut his stuff as Phantom.

*adores the Great Musical Morrie*

Hell, you could probably do a bang-up job of doing the Phantom movie yourself! :D

[murasaki99.livejournal.com]

Hell, you could probably do a bang-up job of doing the Phantom movie yourself! :D

Morrie: *Looks surprised and pleased* J'think? I once sang the Great Song with a little help from my friends. I'm out of practice though. But for Christine I could always get back in tune.

Feanor: Don't encourage him!

Morrie: Hey my voice ain't *that* bad!

Feanor: He sings 'Over the Rainbow' in the shower. In three-part harmony. It's scary.

Morrie: *smug*

[darth-stitch.livejournal.com]

SEE?! I knew you could be a great Phantom, Morrie! You've already got that Dark, Imperial, Powerful, Broody thing going!

*cheers Morrie on*

[undomielregina]

I hate to admit it, but his voice has grown on me. A lot. Plus, there's Point of No Return, which is even more sensual than the Cell Block Tango in Chicago. And I didn't think that was possible. Seriously, I found the fact that Christine so clearly doesn't want Raoul AT ALL hilarious. I've always disliked the character and this was just…yes. ALW is rarely subtle in general, although the film is nice and subtexty with Raoul's understanding of things.

Having seen both Broadway and the film, I infinitely prefer the stage version. On the other hand, ther is enough that is good about the movie to leave me satisfied. And I must admit that some of GB's growled lines were enjoyably well done - especially right after Christine rips his mask off.

After multiple viewings, I now prefer GB's voice to Raoul's…slightly.

The one thing this film did perfectly - other than the sets - was the casting for Christine. Has anyone else ever found Brightman's voice a little mature for the role? I liked the slightly more youthful tone of Rossum.

Last, but hardly least, I didn't see blatant slashy subtext - except maybe between Christine and Meg. Given that the director is the man who did the last two Batman movies, I think this is cause for rejoicing.



Sorry for highacking your lj to express my own views, thought I'd offer my take on things for the sake of debate.

[darth-stitch.livejournal.com]

With the way this idiot movie already went, I would've respected Joel S. more if he let Christine run off with the Phantom, instead of Raoul, given that he's prettified him enough already! Hee.