A Masked Man and a Woman Who Should Be...

That's Gerard Butler and Minnie Driver in the new movie adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera. Butler's voice should give Michael Crawford's ego an unneeded boost, and Driver is frankly terrible. But, all told, I'd give the flick an A-. Given the basis, which is a mediocre musical adapted from a somewhat cheesy gothic horror story, one oughtn't expect much in the way of drama and emotionally moving plot development. Still, the visuals are spectacular, and a lot of the cinematography is neatly dazzling, reminiscent of the theater era portrayed in the story. Warning: it's a long one, and seems longer than it really is, so go easy on the popcorn and soda and be sure to pregame in the lav.