newmoonstar | "Phantom of the Opera"

Well, I finally saw The Phantom of the Opera three nights ago, and I'm still humming "All I Ask of You". Good lord that was a good movie! I was smiling like a goon the whole way through because I was just so delighted at seeing a movie that was... well... pretty! The masquerade scene was what I was really waiting for, and it was my favorite, and the whole time I was just thinking: "Look! They're singing and dancing and there's pretty costumes and rose petals falling out of the sky and it's just happy and pretty!" Even though Phantom is supposed to be dark, I never think of it that way, especially with Gerard Butler playing the Phantom, since he's so gorgeous and sexy that one can't really take him seriously as a menacing figure. For once I have to agree with Ebert & Roeper, that he's more like the GQ stud of the opera than terrifying phantom; with him as the phantom, the Opera Poplulaire could have used him in their advertising:"Friday is ladies night! Come to our opera and our hot phantom might apppear and give you his phone number!"

That being said, and even though Gerard Butler doesn't really have as much singing talent as the role needs, he didn't bother me. And at least they had Emmy Rossum, a real singer, instead of some big star who couldn't carry the role on broadway to save their lives. But I suppose I'm more inclined to be tolerant of questionable casting in Phantom than, say, Chicago or Moulin Rouge, because I like it better than either of those two. It's more of an old-fashioned musical, like the ones I grew up loving. It's exhuberant and romantic, and I'm such a sucker for that. I guess I'm just old fashioned at heart!

So now I'll have to try to compose myself and stop myself from going around singing the entire soundtrack 24/7, before I get funny looks at the library! ;-D