Change Your Image
antonyhart
Reviews
The Phantom of the Opera (2004)
Surprisingly Impressive - A feast for you ears!
Having heard on Jonathan Ross that the film was, quote: "Woefully disappointing" I was pleasantly surprised to be extremely impressed. That said, why would anyone ever give credence to JR's opinions regarding films.
While not perfect, the Phantom of the Opera was very successful in my view. To begin with, the casting was for the most part on the mark. The vocal performance were polished, particularly from Emmy Rossum who played Christine superbly. Her voice was exceptional and the real standout of the film. Compared to the mighty Sarah Brightman, she stood her ground very well and I believe the more youthful sound of her voice gives her the edge over Sarah Brightman. Patrick Wilson as Raoul was also good, although clearly not as capable as Emmy Rossum. Gerard Butler acted the Phantom extremely well, but his voice was one of the weak links in the film. That is not to say that he was poor, he was really quite good but his lack of vocal range and inability to overwhelm the more powerful sections of his part let him down. However his performances in the more terse mid-range sections, such as "Point of No Return" were excellent. In all honest he had a great challenge to live up to the likes of Michael Crawford. While not dreadful as some clearly highly ignorant reviewers have labeled him, he was undoubtedly slightly weaker than those around him.
The parts of Firmin and Andre were excellently performed as was Carlotta by Minnie Driver. She in particular was spectacular. The overblowness of her role was hilarious. Even the usually painful Jennifer Ellison was excellent, offering a truly 'sweet and innocent' look perfect for the role of Meg. The cinematography and look of the movie was exceptional and clearly it was a highly sumptuous and ornate group of sets!
The Masquerade sequence - which I found distinctly underwhelling in the theatre - was brought to life on the stage, suddenly taking on a phenomenally impressive air as the choreography department had a chance to flex their dancing prowess. This really was a gem of a set piece. It was on par or beyond the likes of Moulin Rouge in my belief and sent tingles down my spine. I loved it.
In conclusion, I can really recommend Phantom of The Opera, and I would give it 4/5, it certainly surprised me. To those of you who think the singing is dreadful I say this: I sing as the head chorister of a choir that has sung in The Royal Albert Hall, Winchester Cathedral, St Georges Chapel Windsor, Salisbury Cathedral and St Pauls Cathedal and with that comes some knowledge of music, specifically vocal talent. While I appreciate your right to dislike the performances in the movie, to label them dreadful and condemn really rather fine vocal ability (such as Rossum, whoever couldn't see her brilliance is a fool) due to your inability to recognise quality when you hear it, I suggest you shut up and go back to whistling out of tune.
To everyone else I say, go along and be surprised. Its not perfect, but it is certainly very good!
The Darkest Light (1999)
Moving...
I saw the Darkest Light last night at about 1 in the morning. it was the perfect time to watch the film because at a time like that I am generally feeling extremely prepared to watch lesser quality movies. I was flicking through the movie channels when I came upon this film.
What first grabbed my attention was that I recognized the character 'Tom' and I'm glad I stopped flicking as the film turned out to be well acted, and dealt well with complex conceptual ideas which are mixed into the plot with the reality of a family trying to come to terms with their sons cancer.
Catherine the sister of the boy with cancer was in my opinion quite exceptionaly played by Keri Arnold. She was perfect in her role.
the film turned out to be exceptionally moving, and although the plot and screenplay skipped a beat once or twice, I came away from the film, feeling like I had experienced something worthwhile and thought provoking.
Not the most outstanding film but very good and though provoking also.
A Beautiful Mind (2001)
Moving yes....
A Beautiful Mind is to all extents an excellent piece of cinema.
However it is not the sort of film that deserves 4 Academy Awards, in particular for Achievement in Direction and Best Film.
It is my view that the one nomination that the film truly deserved to win for was Best Actor, although Denzel Washington was excellent in Training Day, it was not a role worthy of the award. He has been in the past far more deserving. However that is besides the point I am glad he eventually won. However I believe the events surrounding Russell Crowe is the main reason that he failed to take the award for a second year on the trot, he ladies and gentleman is once again the jewel of the film!
Ron Howard directed admirably, but that again as many who have seen A Beautiful Mind will agree it is a film that could have been directed by a great number of people and is by no means the supremely challenging directing task that Lord of the Rings posed.
By comparison Lord of the Rings is a movie of exquisite quality and the combined efforts of so many, led obviously very ably from the front, by Peter Jackson is far more deserving of an award titled 'Best achievement in Direction'. Frankly LOTR was the most intelligently directed film I have ever, repeat ever seen, and to see it lose its directing Oscar to a film, which though well done was not overtly challenging is in my mind daylight robbery.
A Beautiful Mind's OST written by John Horner is both beautiful, no pun intended, and fairly original. It has all the hallmarks of Horner, but it fits aptly with the emotional wranglings of the film.
In conclusion I would suggest that although an excellent film, it is one which is over-rated in the extreme. See it, rent it I assure you that you will like it, but I feel its success with Awards is unfair at best. The Academy has got to review the titles for their awards, because I am sorry but if they think that the adaption of Sylvia Nasar's book by Akiva Goldsman is an achievement in even the same realm as the adaptation of the undisputed first-instalment of the greatest work of fantasy ever and one of the biggest selling works of fiction of the last century, then they are simply misguided.
I rest my case!
A Beautiful Mind is great, I assure it will move you, but will you walk away chanting, "best film of the year".....?
I think you Will agree No!
Gladiator (2000)
Excessively impressed half a year lately!
Its extremly rare that one watches a movie that grabs your attention so much that over half a year later it is what you consider to be the best film you have seen recently. Gladiator certainly has had this effect on me! Where so many other films which, at the time of viewing I considered to be really stand-out have faded in impact over the march of time, Gladiator soldiers on.
In all departments Gladiator is one of the undeniable best. Its casting is perfect. Russell Crowe as 'Maximus' is a sight to behold. Having read the screenplay, the concept of his battlefield prowess and presence which is allured to is instantly recognisable on the screen. One see's Maximus as a man of honour, integrity, dignity and courage. By contrast Jouqain Phoneix as 'Commudus' epitomises a classic villain. Yet he rises above this and plays his character with such conviction one starts to believe he really exists. I gauge this by the fact that in seeing films in years to come with Phoenix, I will regard him still as not that character but Commudus. Connie Nielsen is also excellent in her role as 'Lucilla'. Richard Harris and the late Oliver Reed also support skillfully.
Cast aside, the two areas that impressed me above all in Gladiator were the score and the visuals. Ridley Scott is truly an awesome director and Hans Zimmer in my opinion beyond even John Williams. The seamless, and I do mean seamless, transitions between CGI and conventional film is a sight to behold. As I watched the film on the big screen, the sight of Rome and the Colleseum was awe-inspiring. It is extraordinarily immersive. Zimmers score with vocals by Lisa Gerrard is close to perfect amd easily his most accomplished yet. It is stirring at the right moments and sensetive when the mood dictates it. EVERYONE SHOULD OWN A COPY OF THE SCORE!!!
If one had to pick a weak point, I would have to opt for the script, which although brilliant was probably the least polished of the componets. However what really makes Gladiator stand head and shoulders above the rest is the manner in which it is epic, enthralling and exciting. It's a Hollywood blockbuster that manages to succesfully negotiate all the pitfalls that that conventionally entails. I highly recommend it!