What Movie Did You Just Watch

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

The thing about making musicals into movies is that they seem to want to put big stars in the lead roles rather than legit singers, which has led to subpar results like Sweeny Todd and Phantom of the Opera.

I liked Sweeney Todd. The singing in that matched up to the tone of the characters, and the movie actually took advantage of the fact that it was a movie and used terrific art design to make the settings feel believable in terms of selling this world's version of London. Sweeney Todd did its job as a movie adaptation of a musical just fine.

The ones that suck are the ones that don't take advantage of the things that can be accomplished with cinema and lazily adapt the play into movie format. Chicago did this by having such bland and uninspired settings that you could see in a regular play, anyways, except with better singers and dancers. Nothing in that movie felt like something that I could only see in the movies, whereas something like Sweeney Todd felt, at the very least, specifically tuned to work as a film.

[Spark Of Spirit]

Yeah, I would actually see more musicals if they weren't intentionally camp and nodding to the audience (Hairspray) or cookie cutter musicals that have been done a million times (Chicago)... You know, a legitimate outright and original musical.

[talonmalon333]

I liked Sweeney Todd. The singing in that matched up to the tone of the characters, and the movie actually took advantage of the fact that it was a movie and used terrific art design to make the settings feel believable in terms of selling this world's version of London. Sweeney Todd did its job as a movie adaptation of a musical just fine.

The ones that suck are the ones that don't take advantage of the things that can be accomplished with cinema and lazily adapt the play into movie format. Chicago did this by having such bland and uninspired settings that you could see in a regular play, anyways, except with better singers and dancers. Nothing in that movie felt like something that I could only see in the movies, whereas something like Sweeney Todd felt, at the very least, specifically tuned to work as a film.

I probably shouldn't have called Sweeny Todd bad. I do think that Depp and Helena Carter's voices are kind of average, and it cut some of my favorite songs from the musical. But the main reason I'm not a fan of the movie is a big subjective thing. The original Broadway musical is very much a black comedy. Helena Carter's part, for example, was played by Angela Lansbury, who is just booming with energy. Another example is a cut song sung by the characters Johanna and Anthony (the young couple, as you may remember) which is just crazy in such a funny way. Tim Burton basically made it far more serious, which is fine, and the movie does do a fair job at that. It just wasn't as entertaining for me. But I'll take back calling it bad... And yes, tonight I'm on a role with saying things and then taking them back right away.

[Avaitor]

Sweeney Todd may technically be a bad adaptation, but I do like it a lot for one. Burton's direction actually fit the story and tone quite well, and while their vocals left a bit to be desired for, Depp and Carter's acting was spot-on.

Really though, aside from some animated films, I can't think of the last original non-jukebox musical made for film. And that just saddens me.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Personally I liked the dark tone of the movie. It may be more serious than the play, but as a stand-alone film it works fine.

[talonmalon333]

Phantom of the Opera is the worst offender. Unlike Sweeny Todd which does work as its own thing, Phantom is just a bad adaptation and nothing more. I just don't know how they thought it would be a good idea to take one of the biggest male singing roles in musical theater, and give it to a guy who doesn't sing, Gerard Butler, and is frankly a pretty bad singer anyway. That, and there's little chemistry between him and Christine, some of the directing decisions are just poor, and all of this makes the movie just boring sometimes. Then again, you really shouldn't expect much better from the guy who directed Batman & Robin.

[Avaitor]

Anyway, the best movie musicals are-

Mary Poppins
Singin' in the Rain
An American in Paris
Meet Me in St. Louis
Easter Parade
Top Hat
Funny Face
Any Marx Bros movie (cheating here, but whatever)

[Avaitor]

Welp, Argo and Les Mis for sure aren't winning the Oscar, since they took home the Golden Globes tonight.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

I just saw Argo earlier this afternoon with my dad. It was great. The pacing was perfect and the movie did a great job of ratcheting up the tension until the very end, even if you already knew how everything would end based on history.

I'd say that this is just as worthy of a contender for Best Picture as Django Unchained, but of course neither of them are going to win it, with the Academy being biased against Tarantino movies (they probably only nominated it just so that they wouldn't get a lot of heat from the critics) and as Avaitor already said, the fact that Argo got it for the Golden Globes significantly reduces its chances of winning the Oscar for Best Picture as well.

I'd say that the Best Picture award will be a toss-up between Lincoln and Zero Dark Thirty.

[Avaitor]

Silver Linings Playbook has a surprisingly high chance of winning as well. It's no one's favorite film of the year, but still has a solid enough reception among those whose opinions matter for the award, and the Academy likes the occasional rom-com. Not to mention unlike Ben Affleck and Bigelow, David O. Russell is nominated for Best Director, and Jennifer Lawrence is a total shoe-in for Best Actress.

Plus it won its Critics Choice Award, which is pretty much dedicated to guessing the Oscar winners. And Argo was the other winner that night, which as know isn't going to happen now.

[talonmalon333]

So I just got back from seeing Les Mis. And I very much enjoyed it. Definitely one of the better movie adaptations of a musical. I struggled a bit to not quietly sing along to every single song. They were all performed well and I can't think of any casting that I actually didn't like. I'm sure they casted Hugh Jackman because he's a known name, I went in knowing that. But I thought he did well. Now, the best was Anne Hathaway, with very little contest. Especially her big solo, "I Dreamed a Dream". You could hear a pin drop in the audience from the start to the finish of that song.

Inevitably, people will compare it with the musical it's based on. And honestly, the movie can't help but be shit in comparison. The original musical is one of the greatest pieces of entertainment... ever, in anything. But for what it is, the movie is good. Give it a break, critics. I was sold on it.

Also, the Bishop was played by Colm Wilkinson, the original stage Jean Valjean, and still by far the best person ever to play that part.

[Dr. Insomniac]

So Avaitor, why don't you like Les Mis? Watching a bit of an adaptation right now on YouTube, and it has quite a charm.

[Avaitor]

I just don't like 80's musicals, or Victor Hugo in general, Disney's take on Hunchback aside. It's better than Phantom, but I don't get the big deal behind Les Mis.

[Karamazova]

I actually really liked the Les Mis movie. It wasn't a perfect adaption, but the stage show is flawed, anyway. I think it works because it manages to caputure the essence of the stage show: the way the show manages to capture the essence of Hugo's original novel. And a some of the film's flaws come from the original show, but they seem magnified on the big screen. My biggest complaint would be Crowe though. He seemed to struggle to emote and sing at the same time.


And as far as Sweeney Todd goes, it's probably one of the worst stage-to-screen adaptions, in my opinion. Not only is the singing subpart, but the cut the score almost in half.

[Foggle]

You know, I didn't really like True Romance much the first time I watched it some 4-5 years ago, but after seeing it again, I'd say it's become one of my favorites.