it is almost like a diary entry written by him and manages to keep his identity a mystery but yet clarify certain parts of his character that makes the film more like a documentary. Unlike Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical version, Erik contains more dialogue, that is conspicuously well written. Therefore, it manages portray the characters from a much more realistic perspective with twists that the original story never does.
To add on, the film score is well done too! It reflects the traditional 19th century romantic music which is the actual historical setting of the piece. Also, its different from that of ALW's score so its definitely worth watching. If you are expecting to see a movie just like the musical, I best recommend the 2004 movie because this movie is more dialogue based. However, if you originally love the story and are interested in seeing a unique interpretation of the story, Erik is just right for you.