Jesus Christ Superstar: Live Arena Tour (2012)

Based on the hit Broadway musical, with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice, this film tells the story of the last week of the life of Jesus of Nazareth as a rock opera.

I probably don't need to go into great detail on the plot, I think the story is probably pretty well known by this point.

But allow me this small indulgence. Jesus and his band of followers arrive in Jerusalem to celebrate the feast of Passover. When they get there, a large crowd gathers around Jesus, and eventually the chief priests and teachers of the law hatch a plot to get rid of him once and for all, as they believe he will cause an uprising and overthrow the powers of the day. They arrest him and have him crucified, and his disciples flee.

At least that is the story as we know it from the gospels, and it is the basic plot of the musical. But this retelling is different again, even from the original stage production.

This version has been heavily modernised, with Jesus’ followers gaining traction through their tweets, status updates and YouTube clips. Jesus is not a Messiah here, but an anarchist revolutionary who wants to overthrow the corporate structure of society.

All this is well and good for a modern film, I suppose, but the notion that someone would be crucified for it in the twenty-first century is way too far fetched for my liking.

Everything about the show has been modernised, but the music and lyrics are still exactly the same, still stuck back in the first century.

The cast are good, however. Tim Minchin plays Judas Iscariot, and does so very well. Mary Magdalene, who falls in love with Jesus as in the original production is played by Melanie Chisholm of Spice Girls fame.

Jesus is played by Ben Forster, and while his singing ability is good, he comes across as a feeble pawn, rather than a revolutionary leader and prophet.

Pete Gallagher as the high priest Caiaphas is a particular standout from the cast, and there's just something about that deep bass voice that is perfect for the role.

Kevan Allen's choreography works with the modernisation of the show quite well, and also utilises the space effectively (this filmed version of a stage performance was made at the O2 Arena in London).

Director Laurence Connor has made a relatively enjoyable film here. Just don't expect it to be a verbatim account of the life of Christ, it's a retelling of a retelling, to be more accurate.

Check it out if you get a chance, just in time for Easter.

6 out of 10.

The Phantom of the Opera (2005)

Based on the hit musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, which itself was based on the classic novel by Gaston Leroux, this film is a true visual spectacle.

I won’t go into too much detail on the plot, as the musical has been around for a while, and the novel even longer than that.

Okay, maybe just a little.

Christine Daae (Emmy Rossum) is given the opportunity to perform an aria in the Opera Populaire in Paris, after the company’s leading lady La Carlotta (Minnie Driver) storms out in a huff after an argument with the new managers.

The new managers refuse to acknowledge the presence of the fabled ‘Phantom of the Opera’, and ignore his rule of leaving a private box empty.

The audience – and the new patron Raoul (Patrick Wilson), who was also a childhood friend of Christine – are blown away by Christine’s amazing singing voice, and want to know where she learned to sing.

Christine has been receiving lessons and mentoring from a mystery figure whom she calls the Angel of Music, believing it is the spirit of her late father, who told her she would be visited by an angel of music following his death.

But it is not the Angel of Music at all; it is the Phantom (Gerard Butler), who is infatuated with Christine, and plans to keep her in his underground cavern under the opera house.

That is probably enough plot for now.

The first thing I must say about this film is to comment on the music itself. Of course, the music is by Andrew Lloyd Webber, and it is incredibly well orchestrated if nothing else. I believe that Lloyd Webber does actually orchestrate his own music (this is not as common as you might think; most composers do not orchestrate their own works any more, making one wonder if they can be considered composers at all).

What I am trying to say is that the music in this film is absolutely stunning. Of course, the music of the film is the music of the stage musical, but I think the arrangement in the film is even more impressive somehow.

The second thing that I need to comment on is the production design. Anthony Pratt has done an incredible job here of recreating the Paris of the 1880s. The sets are absolutely stunning, and no expense has been spared in their design or their construction.

Of course, costume designer Alexandra Byrne also deserves a fair amount of credit for the visual spectacle of this film. Every single person on screen (including all background extras) is beautifully clothed, and every costume reveals so much of each character.

The singing abilities of all the cast also deserves a mention here. Gerard Butler is definitely the standout here; the Phantom is not an easy role to play by any means, particularly when it comes to the required vocal range and power of the lungs. Sure, everyone who needs to sing can sing, and some very well, but it is Gerard Butler who absolutely steals the show, in my opinion.

This film is a very faithful adaptation of the stage musical, but with the advantage of being able to visit all the different various locations necessary in a way that isn’t as easy to pull off on stage. In fact, I think I enjoy this film more than I enjoy the stage musical itself.

Director Joel Schumacher (who co-wrote the screenplay with composer Andrew Lloyd Webber) has done an excellent job of bringing this show to the screen, and reinventing it for a whole new audience.

8 out of 10.