City of Masks

When Christian (Charlie Goddard) is chosen for a part in a play called City of Masks (also the title of the film) and realizes his dream of being cast in a show in the West End, his delight turns to terror as he is subjected to ghostly voices in the theater. This theater is rumored to be haunted, but the director, Victor (Deano Bugatti Mitchiso) insists there are no ghosts. 

During rehearsals Christian is mentored by an unseen woman’s voice. This is Eve (Amanda Jiang), a gifted composer hidden behind a mask, and also away from anyone’s sight in the building. She covers half of her face to hide a disfigurement. Christian finds her at a piano while walking backstage, but she disappears as quickly as she came. He is not sure if she is real or a ghostly apparition.

Years before this play Victor had trapped Eve in a fire at the theater when the attention on her was stealing his spotlight. He took her songs and locked her in a burning room.  Eve chooses Christian as her own protégé, sharing her songs with him, coaching him on his performance, and setting him up as a means of exacting her vengeance on Victor. But she also acts in extreme fits of jealous rage when she sees Christian with female cast members like Lena (Shayli Reagan).  

“… delight turns to terror as he is subjected to ghostly voices in the theater. “

Eve begins bedeviling Victor, and other cast members start to suspect she is still around and sequestered in the theater. As rehearsals go on, the players begin to see the cracks in Victor’s mind, and his psychopathy. They wonder if he has skeletons in his closet. As the bond between Christian and Eve grows, she shows him her face. The production hurtles toward the climax as rumors of a ghost in the theater begin to spread. In the swirl of growing suspicion, a reporter named Maya (Madalina Bellariu Ion) shows up to explore the history of the theater, and to get at the truth of the fire and what happened after. Opening night comes, and all secrets must be revealed.

If the plot sounds familiar, it should. City of Masks is a re-imagining of The Phantom of the Opera. Director Andrea M. Catinella and writer Enrico Tessarin present a surprising new take on the text in which the Phantom is a woman, and the young actor protégé is male. The film also reflects glimmers of Frankenstein as Victor claims to have “created” the stars of the show. 

Despite the limited budget, Catinella delivers a fresh, compelling version of this story.  The theater is beautiful, and filmed to show off the gorgeous interior. Performances are solid, the songs are good, and the audience will delight in the swap of roles. We can all revel, once again, in the music of the night.

Learn more at the official City of Masks website.