Last night, Beck, Sio and I went to see the new film Phantom of the Opera on the huge screen at the new Wehrenburg Galaxy multiplex. Beck had taken me to see it on the stage at the Fox a few years ago, a production I really enjoyed. I was quite curious how the film would compare.

I’ve got to say, I was blown away.

The film stayed sooooo close to the original play, embracing the dark feel of the stage production, while still adding just a skosh of detail that was not evident on the stage. I was very impressed with the vocals, and was sucked into this film that was a little more than two hours long. A very quick two hours, it seemed to me. I wouldn’t at all be surprised to see this film get some Oscar nominations.

Not knowing who was in the film, I was surprised to see Minnie Driver (whom Beck recognized) and Miranda Richardson (whom I recognized). There presence in the film was strong, but the fact that they were there has really been downplayed, in favor of the younger leading role actors. A nice class touch.

Even Sio loved it. She had asked to go see it — I still don’t know why — but she was on the edge of her seat throughout the whole thing, and really seemed to be engrossed. Perhaps, with her about to turn eleven, the appeal of a romantic film is starting to grow with her.

Anyway, I loved it, and will be adding it to my DVD library once it’s available!