ailiaq

If I could have given negative stars, I would have. WHY, Mr. Lambert, did you choose to do this?!? Please, fire your agent.

I won't bother detailing any of the story line, because I fear that some poor soul might decide it was worth watching. Suffice to say that a high school creative fiction writing class could have come up with a better story. The AV club could have made a better attempt at filming it, in fact.

There should be a law against movies this bad. Or, at least stiff penalties for having the gall to call this "entertainment."

The acting was HORRIBLE. The plot was AWFUL. There was NOTHING redeemable about this waste of time at all.

I think I'd rather have a root canal. Or chew glass.

...I morph into a weeping idiot. DISCLAIMER: I have never seen the stage production, so I can't compare the two, but I can applaud it for its pure lushness of music and vivid setting. This movie NEVER fails to transport me outside of myself. I have heard the stage production recordings (the stage show opened when I was a senior in high school and I had several good friends who were self-described "Phanatics".) The movie version has a full orchestra behind it, and this lends it a richness that is a bit lacking from the stage production recordings I have heard. As for Gerard Butler's singing, I can only say that his "rock and roll" type voice is perfect for conveying the Phantom's soul-tearing loneliness, which is, of course, half of what makes him so appealing. I don't think I've ever been as moved by music as consistently as with the soundtrack to this movie. I watched this for the first time by myself, which is a terribly good thing, given I blubbered for a solid hour after this. (Ladies, if you want a good cathartic cry, rent this one!!) The combination of the set, costumes, storyline, and settings, are all "overdone". They assault the senses and leave the viewer unable to remain detached. This is a wonderful thing, in my view, as it allows the viewer to immerse themselves. I'm planning a special trip to London for the sole purpose of seeing this show. I live in the US, so you can gauge my fascination with this.

I will say one other thing: "All I Ask of You" is quite possibly one of the most romantic, enchanting songs I have ever had the pleasure to hear.

Okay, I've seen enough Hallmark movies to know that they are formulaic and sappy. That's OK, in very small doses. At times they can be as sugary sweet as the cards they make. (And don't even get me started on the commercials in between. Yikes! Anyone here a dentist?) This movie, though was insanely slow and I knew right from the beginning what the end was going to be. The characters were transparent and the dialog was pure tripe. The only upside to this movie....zzzzzzzzzz...Whoa! Dozed off there a bit, sorry! Well, if you are an insomniac, this is one to watch. I normally like Eion Bailey, but I'm afraid he couldn't save it. That is all.