Minnie Driver [Carlotta]

[The Phantom]

Discuss the actor who portrays the saucy, italian soprano Carlotta Guidicelli in the new Phantom of the Opera movie. I thought she did well, but it was a shame that she couldn't do her own singing. It wasn't her choice if I remember right... she just couldn't hit the high notes that were required of Carlotta's part. :(

[Countess Cain]

I believe she did a pretty good job. I wish she could have done her own singing as well, though.

In this role, she looks a lot like the Carlotta in the 1943 version of PotO.

And as a random thing...

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/browse/-/14110461/qid=1123273114/sr=53-1/ref=tr_207351/002-4883561-4232827

[toxic fruit]

I think she did well...she didn't even have much acting to do so I don't have much to say about her. But one thing I could tell is that she's a very good lip-syncher. Everyone else had a couple off-moments but I could never tell with her. :)

[cinty]

Ahh!! I absolutely loved Minnie as Carlotta!! I thought she was absolutely fantastic. She gave me so many laughs, and the way she was refusing the gifts in Prima Donna nearly had me in fits. I loved her accent. Minnie has been a favourite of mine for years and seeing her in this was just even better. She really put on the spoilt brat act perfectly. Even though she didn't sing her role I still loved her. I didn't care about that. The woman who did sing her role was marvellous I must say.
But anyway. Minnie was a great choice!

[Luciana]

She was really good. Overdramatic, arrogant and egotistical. I loved her, she was one of my favorite actresses in the movie. Minnie was proabably one of the best choices for that movie. She has a great voice anyway, and she was with the music well, and her body language was good.

She was just amazing over =all.

[Eriks_Angel]

Minnie Driver was fantastic. She was over-the-top, totally hilarious, and her fits were typical of a Prima Donna (my friend and I always say to each other "I 'ate my 'at" lol). She did not want to sing, as she admits that she has no classical training and the part of Carlotta would have required her to sing bel canto opera.

[The_Persian]

I think she did a really good job, but it's a shame that she couldn't sing the part.
The only thing is, is Carlotta supposed to be overweight? Minnie is tiny!
Also Steve, isn't she Spanish?

[Luciana]

I do think she was supposed to be overweight, but I just get that information from random fan-fics I've read. I loved the way she acted during 'Prima Donna'. It'd seem like so much fun to try something like that... throwing a fit and getting to yell at people, and yet still getting the part.

[Angel_Of_Music0_G]

I think Minnie Driver did a wonderful job and she is a good lip scyncher!

[Ms Christine Daae]

She was great physically and personna-wise in the role- perhaps the BEST ever... I only wish she could have been able to actually sing the entire role. :cg1:

[IamErik771]

I really liked Minnie's portrayal. I love her ranting in Italian, and her completely over-the-top acting. :D I also liked how she broke the stereotype of the stage version. The stage show often casts overweight, middle-aged actresses in the role, so that creates a bit of a stereotype in that all those who started out as singers (Carlotta and Piangi) are fat, while those who started out as dancers (Christine and Meg) are more svelte. After all, so many people have this mental picture of fat ladies in Viking outfits whenever they think of opera. Kudos to the film for attempting to change that! :)

[Ange de Musique]

I LOVE Minnie Driver's portrayal of Carlotta. She offers some much needed comic relief in the whole thing. Her acting was just amazing. She did an incredible job.

I too regret she couldn't sing her own parts, especially after hearing her sing Learn to Be Lonely. Shame, shame, shame! :D

Laura

[Ingenuous Soprano]

Minnie was great as Carlotta! Best piece of casting in the whole thing... at all in my opinion.

The crazy mood-swings, the accent was great, the bits she add-libbed, she was great in the role.

And she did a great job of acting like she was singing herself. It makes me think she listened to Margaret Preece a lot and payed attention.

[marissamayhem]

Minnie was great as Carlotta! Best piece of casting in the whole thing... at all in my opinion.

The crazy mood-swings, the accent was great, the bits she add-libbed, she was great in the role.

And she did a great job of acting like she was singing herself. It makes me think she listened to Margaret Preece a lot and payed attention.

That is what I loved about Minnie Driver. When I first saw POTO, I really thought it was her voice. I had no idea that she was add-libbing. She was so amazing. It shows how much dedication she shows to make sure her mouth looked correctly with the music. Other Phantom movies have actors add-libbing but you can tell that they are. It's like they just memorized the words and showed up on set. You can tell that Minnie worked hard at knowing her lines AND making sure it looked real.

[angelgirl]

Minnie in this movie is hilarious! I never knew being a spoiled brat and throwing tantrums could be so funny, but she makes it better. I love the way she sings "Learn To Be Lonely" over the credits.
All in all, fantastic.
A.G.

[xXphantomaddictedXx]

I never realized how amazing Minnie's portrayal of Carlotta was until this morning, when I watched part of the 2004 movie. This is probably because I was too busy picking Gerard Butler apart, but that's another story. However, I think Minnie should be cast in a stage production of POTO with someone else as her understudy. I think she could bring a lot of humor to the stage production she was in, and (like someone else already said) break the stereotype of the 'stage' Carlotta. For this to happen, though, she would have to get some voice lessons. I think we can expect wonderful things from her should she ever be cast in a stage production of POTO somewhere.

[masquerading rose]

Acting wise, she was an amazing Carlotta. She kept her accent and character all throughout the whole thing which was quite amazing. She is a talented actress. However, her singing isn't where it should be if she were to play any operatic stage role. In case you didn't know, the credit song "Learn to be lonely" was sung by Minnie. And if you pay very close attention when Carlotta is singing, she is actually lip-syncing to Margaret Pierce's voice. But I do agree with the acting. Quite hilarious, and quite good. Brava and kudos to her acting.

[Hidden Away]

I love it when it was just a completely serious scene, but I was still laughing a little because of her wonderful facial expression. I loved her accent...and ummmm, gosh...I loved her more than the original. Well I think doing her actual sing...if she can't reach it, she can't reach it, but I wish she started to expand her range, so she could have sang a few of the songs....But she did great!

[Phantom's Love From Afar]

I didn't know Minnie Driver wasn't singing until I looked at IMDB and saw on her IMDB page that only "Learn to be Lonely" was listed. I have to say, I am quite impressed with her lip-syncing abilities. Also she is an amazing actress in the film. Like many others of you have stated, she added a comic relief to the movie and I enjoyed watching her in this role.

[Hidden Away]

I love how you can be fooled by thinking that it's really her voice. I didn't realize it until the 3rd time I watched the end credits. I then later, a few months later, found out that she had sung Learn to be Lonely. I seriously thought that it was Rossum that sang the song. I tell you they sure had me fooled.
Minnie is just a great Carlotta, she embodies Carlotta as the diva she truly is!