MovieChat Forums > Into the Woods (2014) Discussion > Good Actors - Songs Are the Problem

Good Actors - Songs Are the Problem

posted 10 years ago by prodbabies
30 replies | jump to latest

As a movie lover, I can appreciate the effort to do something different here. Combining many fairy tales into one story, was done nicely. The actors do a fine job and it has its entertainment value. So story, directing and performances are not the problem. That said, some of the songs are nearly painful to watch. The songs leave much to be desired. I watch the movie thinking, if they had better songs, they may have had something special here....but they didn't, and so its not.

[–] BestOfAllPossible 10 years ago

30 years of success... must have been a fluke.

[–] cathcart78 9 years ago

Well stated Best, well stated.

[–] pannicatack 10 years ago

What's wrong with the songs? Can you point to problems with the lyrics or the musical composition?

[–] hrhhrh 9 years ago

"Sprechstimme" went out in the 30s.

[–] theunopeneddoor-697-442391 10 years ago

The songs are the best works of the greatest musician alive. You're insane.

Joseph Chastainme
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Marks-the-series/806493646056177

[–] Bobtheawesome 10 years ago

Well everyone's entitled to their own opinions, but this movie is in fact based on a massively popular and critically acclaimed stage musical with songs composed by one of the most well received, and innovative artists in the genre, it's music which you describe as "painful to watch" (hear?) won the tony award for best score, and has been very well regarded by almost all critics.

So you're entitled to your own opinion, but you should probably know what you're criticizing here.

[–] evilgnik 10 years ago

Yes we we get this was popular with some people but that doesn't mean everyone has to like it.

[–] aaahmemories 10 years ago

that doesn't mean everyone has to like it

Nor does it mean those who do have to treat fools like you, who don't, with anything but the contempt you so richly deserve. Now go back to watching Transformers and leave the adults to talk. There's a good village idiot.



Religion is like a rocking chair -- a lot of work to get nowhere.

[–] evilgnik 10 years ago

I didn't like transformers either which shows how much you know. :)

[–] aaahmemories 10 years ago

I didn't like transformers either

Yeah, right. And you still have that bridge in Brooklyn for sale. Now go back to playing in traffic.



Religion is like a rocking chair -- a lot of work to get nowhere.

[–] pannicatack 10 years ago

Is acting like a douchebag the only way you're capable of getting your dopamine fix?

[–] aaahmemories 10 years ago

No, it's reading posts by douchebags like you.



Religion is like a rocking chair -- a lot of work to get nowhere.

[–] vnelly 10 years ago

I agree. The movie is similar to an opera where the story line is sung instead of spoken but as a musical there should be some songs that you could sing out of context of the movie and they would be beautiful songs. But there is nothing like that in this movie.

[–] rattleNwoolypenguin 10 years ago

Children Will Listen
No One is Alone

These have been musical theatre standards for 30 years from this musical. Youtube both of those and EVERYONE has sang them.

[–] booya83 10 years ago

Here's the big undeniable difference Ben Affleck would never be sought or even considered for a opera.

[–] BestOfAllPossible 10 years ago

The difference between Into the Woods and opera is that operas are completely sung. Into the Woods has plenty of dialogue interspersed between individual songs (songs which have been sung out of context for years now) which make up the score.

[–] pannicatack 10 years ago

As someone who's studied and performed in opera... you're kinda both wrong.

[–] booya83 10 years ago

Not sure if you were including my post, but if you were is there a huge calling for main line actors who can't sing in opera? If you think there is those opera's are playing only in your head.

[–] pannicatack 10 years ago

I wasn't including you in my post, but to answer your question: no. The only case in which you'd be okay with someone who wasn't the best singer would be for, say, one of the George Grossmith roles (Major-General Stanley, Ko-Ko, Sir Joseph Porter, Jack Point, etc) in a Gilbert and Sullivan show.

Musicals are different, and it depends entirely on the kind of show, the role, and the musical demands of the two. For example, Sam Levene, the actor who originally played Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls, was tone-deaf. This isn't so much of a problem, because the role has very little singing. In something like Les Miserables or Phantom of the Opera, however, singing ability is very important. But in most shows it averages out to "actors who can sing" being preferable to "singers who can act." That's the term Sondheim once used during an interview about Assassins.

[–] booya83 10 years ago

Than I'm truly sorry for the confusion.

You do find maybe not the most talented singers in some roles but most of the time you do get some really awe inspiring voices to sing the major songs in a musical. Meryl Streep maybe one of the most talented actresses ever but she's no singer.

Frankly I would think a musical could have at the very minimum one classically trained singer in a main role. Tracey Ullman was the closest and she had a very small role. I guess it's all opinion but I want to see real singers sing real actors act and real dancers dance for at least some of a show.

[–] pannicatack 10 years ago

Most of the people who were cast in this movie had musical theatre experience. Huttlestone was in Les Miserables, Kendrick has been in other movie musicals (and appears to be classically trained), and Crawford has sung on Broadway. The only people who didn't really have a lot of musical experience were Johnny Depp (and even he's done Sondheim before), Chris Pine (who turned out to be just fine for singing the part), Blunt (who also did fine), and Corden (who doesn't really have a whole lot of singing in the movie anyway)

Musicals nowadays just tend to be cast with the actor, rather than the singer, in mind nowadays, particularly when it comes to film adaptations.

[–] laurence01 9 years ago

As someone who's studied and performed in opera... you're kinda both wrong.

I agree. Carmen is a prime example of an Opera with lots of dialogue.

Let Zygons Be Zygons.

[–] aaahmemories 10 years ago

there is nothing like that in this movie

Obviously, you are completely wrong.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEGS5xoSX14

Religion is like a rocking chair -- a lot of work to get nowhere.

[–] aaahmemories 10 years ago

Oh. In case you needed a little more evidence about how wrong you are.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQkLoirnNYw

Religion is like a rocking chair -- a lot of work to get nowhere.

[–] JRodFilms 10 years ago

i would say cinderellas song about the shoe stuck in goo was the most painful.

[–] rattleNwoolypenguin 10 years ago

Why don't people realize some of these songs in this musical aren't meant to be "songs" in a traditional sense but musical soliloquies. It's a patter, a musical representation of the character's neurotic nature. It's brilliant and gives a gravity and intelligence to Cinderella.

[–] Mhjm6 10 years ago

Good songs, your attitude is the problem. Welcome to ignore.

[–] Taco_Lips 9 years ago

Yeah I just got so irritated with the music and songs! It would have been good overall if it weren't for the incessant overtures.

If they had actually explored each fairy tale and what the characters got upto like Cinders at the ball or Jack up the beanstalk. But nope - we got more and more singing about things that didn't even further the plot.

If you're going to have so many songs at least have them explain the character or further the plot. Everything they sang about were things we could already surmise, and didn't need sung to us.

Also it seems you can't quite tell if it's supposed to be taken as humorous; almost satire - or dead pan serious.

Riddle wrapped inside an enigma, wrapped inside a taco.