Long believed to be a legend, but as the movie-going audience can see (and as our Parisian opera lovers will soon learn), is very much a reality. But Christine’s voice also catches someone else’s ear – and heart – that of the Phantom. With a voice beyond compare, the house’s owners, Firmin and Andre are bewitched with Christine and anxiously proceed with the production, albeit without their big name draw.
Diva Carlotta, star of every production, believing herself too important, too big, for the leading role in the upcoming production, declines the leads, leaving the door open for an unknown 16 year old named Christine. Keying in on a breathtakingly beautiful chandelier and cymbal-playing monkey music box, we are suddenly transported to the late 1800’s when the Opera House was in its glory. Set in 1919 Paris, our story opens at an auction being held at the now dilapidated Opera House. Visually impressive, at times to the point of mesmerizing and emotionally stimulating, the film touches the heart and soul…and once again reaffirms Hollywood’s (and the public’s) love of the movie musical. Since first hearing of the project a few years ago, I have anxiously awaited this latest interpretation of Gaston Leroux’s novel and big-screen adaptation of the Andrew Lloyd Webber stage musical and after seeing Joel Schumacher’s vision and interpretation of Sir Andrew’s magnificent work, there is only one thing to say – good things do come to those who wait.
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