The Phantom of the Opera

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.