Notre Dame de Paris (1998)

People are voting emotionally.

best movie i've ever seen.

It is not deep, but it is fun to watch. It does have a bit more of an edge to it than other similar films.

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

Richard Cocciante and Luc Plamondon's comedy musicale is one of the finest world musicals I have seen. The thing about foreign musicals is they do not carry subtext and thought provoking material in the songs, but within the staging and visuals. Don't expect Stephen Sondheim. The great thing about these types of musicals is that you can think about what's going on while you watch it, and just enjoy the music on CD. The performers are fantastic. I've long been a fan of each of them, Julie Zenatti being one of my favorite solo artists. Garou OWNS the role of Quasimodo, and the rest of the cast is pitch perfect as well. All of the songs are melodic and romantic, and the french language is the icing on the cake. The story is much more accurate than the Disney version, and includes one of the most gorgeous songs ever written, "Belle."

The voices alone prove just why this musical was such a success in Europe and Asia. All of the cast have been decorated with various musical honours in and out of live theatre in Quebec (with the exception of Helene Segara, a native French pop singer, and Garou, a newcomer to the live entertainment circle). Their strong musical backgrounds made this show absolutely irresistible.Garou's performance as Quasimodo could not have been more perfect as his rough voice accurately portrays the heartbreaking sadness of the character. Helene Segara is sweet without being distasteful (one of the only Esmeraldas who does not plaster herself all over Phoebus right from the get-go), and is powerful with her voice when she needs to be while retaining a lighter sound when required. Daniel Lavoie's voice fits Frollo perfectly, but his songs seem lacking when compared to others. Patric Fiori and Julie Zenatti are wonderful when they sing together as Phoebus and Fleur-de-Lys, but both are equally strong in their individual roles. Luck Mervil's Clopin is strong as the leader of the Gypsies, though his notes are mercurial and quite unpredictable at times. And lastly, Bruno Pelletier narrates and threads the entire story as Gringoire, his voice ever so brilliantly bringing out the mood of each scene. The acting, on the most part, is very well done. Considering that most of these actors have done some kind of theatre in the past, there are very few exceptions, mostly to do with dancers and the lack of interaction between the characters.The style of presentation is really very refreshing, and it doesn't seem to matter that these actors no longer sing to each other but to the audience through very obvious head-mics. There are some small concerns with the pre-recorded tracks and chorus, but this little cheat is forgiven in view of the awesome live performances by the cast. This kind of presentation along with the dancers who often become an extension of the set makes this musical seem more like a pop/rock concert, perhaps more appealing to a younger audience. The choreography is very expressive, and the dancers set the perfect rhythm and feeling for each piece of music performed. The acrobatics, however impressive, never upstage the performers, striking an even balance. The dark, cold and rather barren feeling of the empty stage evokes a sense of modernism, and enhances the tragedy within the story.Plamondon's libretto strengthens Cocciante's music, though both are obviously very able in each of their own discipline. The plot stays true to the book and omitted only things unnecessary in this particular depiction of the story. The English subtitles are accurate enough for one to appreciate the lyrics, and several of the songs do translate well into English. But when available, the original French language audio track is the best to listen to in order to appreciate how the music carries the lyrics, even if the audience isn't fluent in French.If there is anything left to be desired, it is actual editing of the made for TV/DVD version. For the most part it does its job well. Besides giving a clear view of what the actors are doing individually and what the dancers are doing, the editors added some cropped closeups within a distance shot to give the feeling of the entire stage. However there are some very, very clichéd stills inserted in attempts to emphasize certain things (such as the insert of Phoebus' face at the end of Beau Comme le Soleil, depicting Fiori straining for a note). That being said, one can at least be appreciative of being able to see what the actors look like.Overall, a wonderful musical/performance that delivers an enjoyable experience, and a very successful attempt at an innovative presentation. It is absolutely a worthwhile musical to spend some time appreciating.

There are no words to describe when watching this movie, it's like a breath of fresh air. Whether you are fluent in french or not you will come to appreciate this movie instantly. It is a classic story of boy loves girl who loves someone else. If anyone has captured a classic it is Victor Hugo.A great deal of people contributed to the beautiful theatrics in this production and although everyone sang beautifully three people stood out in my mind. Bruno Pelletier who played Gringoire, Garou who played Quasimodo, and last but not least Hélène Ségara who played Esmeralda. Bruno Pelletier's voice was so pure, so pure in fact that I never would have guessed he was singing live. I liked Garou's voice in particular because it was like a modernized rock voice meshed with classical ballads. Hélène's voice was just amazing, her range was endless. The sound of their voices were so good that it literally brought tears to my eyes.I strongly recommend this movie to everyone and I give it a ten out of ten simply for the fact that though in french it portrays the universal language of love, which is translated very clearly.

Conventional wisdom has it that the French don't like musicals. Not true at all, as the success of this show demonstrates. Plamondon and Cocciante have concocted a masterpiece that perfectly captures all the important parts of Hugo's novel, and magnificently transports the whole thing to the stage. The handful of young unknowns who star in this production on the video tape (most of them from Quebec) are almost overwhelming in their talent as singers, dancers, and dramatic performers. Bruno Pelletier shines as the anguished, tortured priest. Hélène Ségara (the only French star in the cast) totally captures our hearts as the doomed Esméralda, and Garou (the name means "Werewolf" in French!) demands and receives all our sympathy as the hapless Quasimodo. Incredibly powerful supporting performances by Patrick Fiori as Phoebus, Julie Zenatti as Fleur-de-lys and Luc Merville as Clopin round out a cast that can do no wrong.Imagine Riverdance on steroids, "West Side Story" meets "Cirque de Soleil", or a Paris riot set to music, and you have an idea of the scope of this incredible show. The choreography is the most energetic, not to say frenetic, I have ever seen, and the most imaginative. It's hard to decide, at times, if we are watching a dance or a gymnastics exhibition.If you can't get to Las Vegas, Montreal or Paris to see the show live on stage, this is the next best thing. For me it totally eclipsed every rock opera and musical which preceded it, to become the definitive musical of the 20th century. And I believe it will be at least another generation before anyone can come up with a way to surpass it.