Like Chicago (2002), Into The Woods was directed by Rob Marshall, nominated for Golden Globe Best Comedy or Musical, Best Actress, and Best Supporting Actress. Into The Woods also shares the same distinction as a musical with last year's Les Miserable (2012) in the Golden Globes Best Comedy or Musical and Best Supporting Actress but unlike Les Miserable with its use of actual actors' live singing as part of the production whereas Into The Woods uses the more traditional voice over for the actors' singing parts. The controversial use of voice overs in Into The Woods is much more pronounced and highlights the problem with its use in musicals. One of the potential strengths of Into The Woods is the Broadway Musical experience portrayed on the big screen with its powerful lyrics and melodies that are almost seamlessly interwoven throughout the film. It's not a far stretch to imagine this movie as being depicted on an amazing fantastical huge, continuous magical Broadway stage enhanced by special effects that offer a realism with its digital quality. Unfortunately, a major problem with this cinematic version is in the singing presentation where it become more apparent that this is not a live Broadway production but an artificial use of dubbing that only distances the audience from the thrill of an imaginary live experience. As I've argued before Les Miserable was inherently more powerful for its closer adherence to the Broadway experience of live audience performances making it more authentic and visceral and challenging.
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