He lurks in the halls of the opera house, hiding his face with a half white mask. No one knows who he is, or exactly what he wants from the people in the opera house. He is a mysterious man, leading others to question his anonymity. The story continues in the The Phantom of the Opera, a movie created by Andrew Lloyd Webber in 2004, based on the novel by Gaston Leroux. Enjoyed by many, the music is astonishing, as well as the actors and plot. The movie brings me to tears and I am touched every time I watch it, so bring a box of Kleenex.

"The Phantom of the Opera" encompasses many genres; thriller, drama, musical, and romance film. The movie takes place in the Paris Opera House in France in the early 1880s. Erik Destler (the Phantom), lives in the catacombs beneath the opera house, and hides his physical appearance, which people are horrified by,  from public. He falls in love with a young soprano in the opera house named Christine Daae. He fears that Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny is getting between their affair and holds a strong hatred towards him. He feels that he then must attract Christine in any way possible, and kidnaps her. He keeps her locked up in his lair, giving Christine vocal lessons. When Christine returns to the opera house, she is bombarded with questions about who she was with, but she does not know exactly who the man behind the mask is.

The Phantom, which is the main character, was played by Gerard Butler. As I was watching, Gerard seemed to be very moved into the role of the Phantom, portraying the character well. Although he did not have the best voice as he sang, his facial expressions and the enthusiasm he added was quite 'phantastic'. Emmy Rossum, who played the role of Christine Daae, was only sixteen years old at the time. The notes she sang were lowered for her to hit the high notes during songs, still, the way she portrayed the character of Christine was miraculous. Patrick Wilson's role as Viscount Raoul de Chagny was phenomenal. Not only was his singing outstanding, but the most dramatic scenes that he acted out were excellent.

"The Phantom of the Opera" won a Saturn Award, a Best Cinematography Award, a Critics Choice Award, an NBR award, an SDFCS award, and more. I feel that The Phantom of the Opera greatly deserves these accolades; this movie is my by far my favorite. The actors were chosen wisely, and the music was sublime.

I felt that the Phantom of the Opera was sure “inside my mind” as I was watching this movie. The acting was astounding, the music was heart melting, and the story that Gaston Leroux originally wrote was brought to life in a new and brilliant way. Prepare your tissues, grab a pillow and some popcorn, and empty a space in your heart for “The Phantom of the Opera,” because its beauty will soak into you as soon as you press play.