The Phantom of the Opera

Joel Schumacher has a patchy film history and one that makes it quite hard to form an opinion on. On one hand he has created brilliant films such as Falling Down and the underrated Phonebooth, but however he did ruin the Batman films. However one thing he always manages it style and as so was a good choice for this film. The film drips with lavish design right from the breathtaking opening that perfectly introduces you to the tale. If you aren't caught up in the melodramatic opening then you may as well stop watching as this film is not for you. Subtlety and character development are pushed to the background as the characters lay it all out in well designed musical numbers. The cast is good, Rossen in particular shines in the lead role, she lacks presence at first but sings wonderfully. The Phantom is nowhere near evil or menacing enough, he does well at the end but fails to convey the true sadness of the character that lay at the heart of the novel. The sets and costumes are stunning and Schumacher's utilises many cinematic techniques keeping the camera moving and looking for inventive shots at all times. However the film drags, especially in the middle and at over 2hours 15mins is far too long for the story it is trying to tell and some of the (usually excellent) musical numbers could easily have been cut or at least trimmed. However overall this is a good adaptation of the stage play that doesn't really add much to the picture but uses the format well to deliver just what fans would have been looking for. Don't come looking for depth but for an entertaining visual treat with some great songs you could do a lot worse. A lavish adaptation of the successful musical that recreates some of the atmosphere well, but is hindered by being overlong and home to some soap opera acting.