Arts

Phantom of the Opera

Beware: Spoilers may be in the review

A long time fan of Andrew Lloyd Webber's legendary musical Phantom Of The Opera (must have seen it 15+ times since the mid-1980's), I have to say it was a treat to finally see this up on the big screen. Over the years, I  have looked forward to a phantom movie just as I look forward to someday getting a XWP movie.

I was afraid I might be disappointed because sometimes stories which play wonderfully on stage don't do well on the big screen and vice versa, but I have to say that I enjoyed the film and came out crying at the end just as I always do with the musical. My biggest fear regarding a movie version of Phantom was that they would use well-known or gorgeous actors instead of people who could sing, thereby ruining the extraordinary music, but I have to say that they did a good job finding actors who are gorgeous, can act and can sing.

      Gerard Butler makes for a very sexy phantom and his singing is impressive. I don't know if they enhanced his voice for the film but if they didn't the guy could definitely do Broadway. Same for Emmy Rossum as Christine - great voice, very pretty, with a youth and sense of innocence that probably makes her more suited for the role than many of the actresses who have played Christine on stage.

      Patrick Wilson who plays Raoul is also fine in the part with a strong voice though he has this 'pretty boy' look that makes me roll my eyes at the idea that Christine would pick him over the dark, sexy Gerard - slight facial disfigurement notwithstanding.

Director Joel Schumaker and Webber who served as the film's producer does a nice job of translating the musical to film. All the key scenes are there along with the memorable props - the music box with the monkey on top, the spectacular chandelier, the human-powered elephant for the Hannibal sequence, the masquerade ball, the boat trip along the underground tunnels, Christine's beautiful solo at her father's tomb, the declaration of love on the roof top of the Paris opera house, the sensual exchange between the Phantom and Christine during the performance of Don Juan and the ensuing unveiling.

The filmmakers added scenes to flesh out the story and connect those key scenes from the musical. Most notably, they expand on the backgrounds of both the Phantom and Christine by including scenes from their childhood, which explain how they came to be at the opera house. I particularly liked what they did with Madame Giry, played by Miranda Richardson. In the musical she is a very serious, stoic figure who knows about the Phantom and seems to have some contact with him but also fears him. In the movie her character is revealed as a young girl who helped the Phantom as a boy escape from his jailers. She is sympathetic to the Phantom and seems almost to care for him as an older sister of sorts.

Now, having said that I did like the film I must also note that it does not capture the full drama and spectacle of the musical. Webber originally wrote this musical for the stage and it is there that it really achieves greatness. The film is good and in my opinion will be a treat to most fans of the musical but it can't compare to the real thing. If any of you have never seen the musical and enjoy the movie I would highly recommend you catch the musical if you ever can. The music and the songs on the big screen are nice - in a live performance in a theatre -  they'll leave you breathless.

Couple of things I did not like about the film or thought they should have done differently - in the cemetery scene when Christine goes to visit her dad's grave they include a sword fight between the Phantom and Raoul in which the Phantom loses. I haven't seen the musical in a few years so I may be wrong about this, but I don't remember a sword fight between these two characters. I do remember a confrontation at the cemetery in which the Phantom starts throwing these flaming balls at Raoul and Raoul then rushes off with Christine.

   I think they wanted to make Raoul seem more heroic in the movie so they have him riding his horse to the cemetery and then having it out with the Phantom. The Phantom ends up at the end of Raoul's blade, but Raoul lets him go. Then, the very next scene is Raoul at the Opera House a few days later directing the police and other men on a plan to capture and kill the Phantom. Well, if he wanted the guy killed or captured why didn't he just do this at the cemetery? I think it would have played out much better if the Phantom had disappeared in the middle of the duel or at the end of it with one of his illusions.

Also, in the climactic moment when Raoul rushes to the Phantom's lair to save Christine, the Phantom ends up capturing him with a rope around his neck. In the musical it plays out as a trap the Phantom had set. In the movie they have the Phantom sort of shoving Raoul back against a steel gate and then tying him up there. Hard to believe, Raoul would just stand there not struggling all that much while the Phantom ties his hands and puts a rope around his neck. Raoul then sort of hangs from the steel gate looking as if he is purposely holding his hands inside the ropes rather than these actually restraining him.

Overall not a great film but a good adaptation of a truly splendid stage musical. Hardcore Phantom fans should enjoy it, as should those who like mushy romances.

- Review by Lunacy,
courtesy Whoosh!

First mini film festival!

A Festival of Short Films by Young Sri Lanka Filmmakers will be screened at the BMICH Cinema Hall today, from 3.30 -  6.30 pm.

The Asian Film Centre and the Tulana Media Unit are presenting these films, in order to highlight the work of some of their talented young filmmakes and to help create a viable culture of short filmmaking in this country, which they feel is an essential first step towards rejuvenating Sri Lankan cinema. Unfortunately, due to financial and other constraints, only  a dozen or so films can be shown. There are many more young filmmakers in Sri Lanka who have made short films and are desperate to screen them to the public.

The AFC and the TMU hope that with the help of public and / or private sector sponsorship, a festival of this nature will gain a prominent place in Sri Lankan cinema's calendar of regular events. They feel this is an important way to encourage a serious creative engagement with the cinema among young people.

Some of these films were made by students who attended some of the theoretical and practical training courses and workshops in filmmaking conducted at various times by Prasanna Vithanage,  Studio Artisans in Maharagama and in other parts of  the country, and by Robert Crusz (Tulana). Some films were made by students who were completing their undergraduate studies in Mass Communications and Sociology at the Kelaniya, and Sri Jayawardnepura Universities. The rest are by young filmmakers who have been working in, or involved with, the local film and television industry in various capacities, or those who are earning a living in unrelated fields, but have their hearts set on being professional filmmakers. 

1. We Love Football - Aruna Lokuliyana (03.06 min)

2. The 6th Bullet - Nilanka Alexander (09.00 min)

4. Flower & Star - Ashoka Weerasinghe (10.00 min)

3. Within 65610 Km2 - Thanuja Srinarayana (10.00 min)

5. Jane - Suranga Ranawaka (11.00 min)

6. Those Who Thirst - A joint directorial effort by Mass Communications  degree       Undergraduates of the University of Kelaniya (11.00 min)

7. Existence - Indrajith Mahawaduge (15.00 min)

8. Colour Dreams - Thilina Alahakoon (15.00 min)

9. After That He Fell Asleep - Chinthana Dharmadasa (16.00 min)

10. It Isn't The End - Jeewanthi Kodituwakku (8.00 min)

11. Diyawaka - Kumudu Nishantha Perera (20.00 min)

12. Moonlight On A Moonless Night - Saman Rajapaksha (25.00 min)

13. On The Time - Lilantha Deshapriya (25.00 min)

Swarna javanika

Swarna Javanika - a presentation of selected scenes from the spectrum of creations by famous theatre artiste, poet and writer, Henry Jayasena will be staged on June 30, at 3 p.m. and 6.45 p.m. at the Elphinstone Theatre in Maradana.

Selected scenes from Hunuwataye Kathawa, Kuveni, Apata Puthe Magak Nethay, Jangle, Thavath Udesanak and others will be included in this presentation for which the music will be by Nalin Alwis.

Seethala Sanda Eliye 

A CD titled Seethala Sanda Eliye was recently released by singer Raj Seneviratne. It promises to be an extremely entertaining experience for music lovers, with compositions by Rohana Weerasinghe and Mahinda Bandara and lyrics by Bandula Nanayakkarawasam, Chandradasa Fernando, Kumara Godage, Ajantha Ranasingha, Hector Wijesiri and Hemasiri Halpita. Raj teams up with Sunil of Gypsies fame, Mariazelle and Ashanthi for various songs.

A musical cooperation

In an unusual setting, the well known Swiss harmonica player Roland van Straaten  per formed his concert, jointly with the Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka in Colombo. The musician and composer from Switzerland ranks among the world's best harmonica players, and was invited to Sri Lanka under the patronage of the Embassy of Switzerland. The concert, took place at Elphinstone Theatre on Friday, June 17.  It was an exciting new approach to musical co-operation across borders.

The Concerto No. 1 for harmonica and orchestra, composed by the soloist himself, and performed for the first time with the Zurich Symphony Orchestra last February, has been welcomed by the Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka as a challenge; the musicians usually geared to classical music in the strict sense, have taken up the co-operation with van Straaten enthusiastically. The rehearsals, which are now in progress, show that the orchestra is eager for this new experience in 'crossover music', as it is called. The Concerto No. 1 (since it is the first ever composition for harmonica and orchestra) has a blowsy touch, but a symphonic feel, and will indeed excite the lovers of classical and contemporary world music alike.

In the second part of the evening, the Swiss artiste demonstrated his musical talent in a solo performance. Van Straaten has developed new playing techniques and experimented on variations of the modest harmonica, to free himself from its more limited, conventional sounds and styles. The 'blues' was the starting point for Straaten's love of harmonica playing, from where he carried it, inspired by influences from the Indian raga to the Argentinean tango, to a new level of world music.

AIS annual art exhibition

Art Attack' was held at the Lionel Wendt  Art Gallery on  June  6,7, and 8. This picture shows  Head, Junior School, Dushyanthi Parakrama (centre) showing some of the paintings to Chief Guests Luxshman Nadarajah (photographer) and Nelun Harasgama (artist).

The exhibits of art and craft by students from Primary I right up to O'Level were creative, colourful and thought provoking.

Camerata to perform Gloria

Next Sunday, June 26, Camerata Musica Chamber Choir will be performing Antonio Vivaldi's famous Gloria with orchestra and soloists, and will celebrate the 500th anniversary of the great English composer Thomas Tallis, with a tapestry of some of his most beautiful motets and anthems.

Written around 1715 in Venice, the Gloria has the colour and sparkle of that great city. It is by turn exuberant and operatic, or reflective and grandly majestic, and is probably Vivaldi's best loved work after the Four Seasons.

Unusually, all the solo voices are female as it was written for a girls' orphanage in Venice where Vivaldi was music-master. Anagi Perera, Amandi Ekanayake and Kumudini David who are members of Camerata Musica will sing the solos. Within the chamber orchestra, solo parts will be played by Hasitha Pathirana - oboe, Navin Fernando - trumpet, Tamara Holsinger - cello, and Ramya de Livera Perera - organ and harpsichord.

Thomas Tallis is best known for his magnificent 40 part Spem in Alium, one of the greatest choral masterpieces of all time. Given their more limited numbers, Camerata have chosen to celebrate his 500th anniversary and to demonstrate the variety and beauty of Tallis's music through 10 English anthems and Latin motets, some of which may surprise the audience with their familiarity.

Led by their Director of Music, Adam Smyth, the Camerata have chosen St. Paul's Church, Kynsey Road for the concert since its vaulted, stone spaces will allow the soaring soprano lines and multiple melodies of Tallis's music to be heard at their most inspirational.

The concert begins at 7pm and admission is by programme which may be purchased at the Lionel Wendt or at the Church door from 6 pm.