Angel Has Fallen (2019)

The third instalment in this series, after Olympus Has Fallen and London Has Fallen, this film sees us back in the United States, with Secret Service agent Mike Banning (Gerard Butler) on the run for his life.

When Mike is framed for an assassination attempt on US President Trumbull (Morgan Freeman) - an attack which left several of his colleagues dead - he flees into the countryside, hoping to not only preserve his life and the lives of those he loves but also clear his name and bring the true perpetrators to justice.

His wife Leah (Piper Perabo) and young daughter find themselves caught up in the whole messy situation as well, and become house-bound as the FBI - led by Agent Thompson (Jada Pickett Smith) - and the nation’s press are on their doorstep and watching their every move.

President Trumbull (Morgan Freeman).

And Mike’s former colleague and close friend Wade Jennings (Danny Huston) may be more involved than Mike initially suspects.

As the President lies in a coma, control of the government falls to Vice President Kirby (Tim Blake Nelson), who sets in motion a plan to go to war with Russia, who it seems has taken credit for the attack.

If you have seen either of the other films in the series, there are a few things you will know already. Firstly, there are plenty of twists and turns in the plot, and absolutely no one is who or what they may seem. And secondly, the body count is going to be incredibly high. And this film delivers on both counts.

Mike Banning (Gerard Butler).

The screenplay, by Robert Mark Kamen and Matt Cook & director Ric Roman Waugh, is very well written, with the aforementioned plot twists keeping the audience on the edge of their seat from beginning to end. The characters are all clearly defined and delineated, with plenty of conflicts - both internal and external - to round them out and keep things interesting.

David Buckley’s score feels a touch heavy-handed at times, but this could be due to tropes of the genre. The music is still well-suited to the level of action, and the numerous rises in intensity. Maybe I was just a little too close to one of the speakers in the cinema, as it did seem louder than I might have liked, so this is not a criticism of the composition itself. Perhaps it is even down to the sound mix; who knows?

The cinematography - courtesy of Jules O'Loughlin - is fantastic, with large sections of the film taking place in almost total darkness. The fast, quick edits and cuts again add to the tension. This film is most definitely a thriller, and the rapid changes of camera angle and framing not only indicate, but support, this.

FBI Agent Thompson (Jada Pickett Smith).

The performances of the cast are nothing spectacular in a dramatic sense, but as the film is a thriller, this isn’t as big an issue as you might think. The cast are adequate, but not exceptional. There is a great appearance by actor Nick Nolte - I won’t go into too much detail on that, though; I’ll let you see it for yourself - in the second half of the film, and his character seems like it would have been a lot of fun to play.

Director Ric Roman Waugh has made a perfectly adequate, fast-paced thriller here that more than lives up to the two previous films following these characters. If you enjoyed either of the other films, I would definitely recommend you watch this one. If you haven’t seen the other two films, you would still be able to follow this one, as it can stand well on its own, but you might miss some of the references and in-jokes.

8 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.