Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you had a great holiday. During my holiday break, I of course took the opportunity to see some movies. My parents and I saw This Is 40, Les Miserables, and Django Unchained.
I was very impressed with Les Miserables and Django Unchained. This Is 40 was great also, but not on the same level as the other two (and I don't think it claims to be).
Les Miserables
I cannot even begin to describe my level of excitement when I first heard Les Mis was being made into an epic studio film. After many years of listening to the soundtrack over and over on my iPod, and watching the four hour 25th anniversary special on PBS, I was excited to see one of my favorite shows on film. I am happy to report, the film was even BETTER than I expected. It was fantastic; I would put it up there with Grease, The Sound of Music, Moulin Rouge, and Chicago as one of my top 5 favorite musicals.
Tom Hooper's (The King's Speech) newest cinematic endeavor, adapting the beloved musical Les Miserables into a feature film, is his best yet. The story remains focused on the same major conflict, Jean Valjean (played by the extraordinary Hugh Jackman) who breaks parole after spending nineteen years as a prisoner (read: hard laborer) for stealing a loaf of bread, and his nemesis, Inspector Javert (Russell Crowe), a man whose life's mission is to catch "the one that got away". After his escape, Valjean surreptitiously rises through the ranks of French society to become a wealthy mayor/business-owner, only to have everything change when he meets a dying Fantine (Anne Hathaway) and agrees to raise her child Cosette (Amanda Seyfried). Will Valjean be able to become a productive member of society and provide for his daughter without Inspector Javert discovering him? This main storyline, set to the backdrop of the violent June Rebellion makes for a fantastic, epic musical... and I have to admit, I am a sucker for epic musicals.
Hooper picked many of the best songs and moments from the show and transferred them beautifully to the screen; the only significant difference I found between the stage show and film, apart from a few songs being removed and one added ("Suddenly"), was that the audience is finally able to see the wide-spread desolation of France during the Rebellion and every drop of blood, sweat and tears in the actors' many close-ups. On that note, I couldn't take my eyes off of Hooper's composition of scenery, costumes and props in every scene. For a 2 1/2 hour movie, I never did a time check. I lost myself in 19th century France.
The all-star casting of Les Mis, besides Russell Crowe, was spot-on. Hugh Jackman has never been better; not only was his singing top-notch, but his acting was one of the best performances of the year. Jackman gave incredible emotion to the character of Valjean, as he constantly battles with himself for his own redemption, from "criminal" to hero. Too bad Les Mis came out in the year of Daniel Day Lewis' Lincoln. Otherwise, Jackman would have a great shot at the Oscar. Maybe the Golden Globes' split Best Actor categories will give him a good shot at some award praise.
Anne Hathaway also did a great job as Fantine. I was nervous when I first heard she was cast in this role, but her singing was fantastic, as was her acting, and she will probably win many awards for her performance. Her extremely raw, emotional rendition of "I Dreamed A Dream" was one of the best I've seen (Susan Boyle be damned). Although Hathaway was fantastic, I think the standout supporting actor in the movie was Eddie Redmayne (Marius). I could not believe how beautiful his voice is, and the emotional depth he gave Marius, both in his love for Cosette and love for France, really brought heart to the film.
I could go on and on about the other actors in supporting roles. Amanda Seyfried once again showed what a wonderful actress she is. She soars in musicals (Mama Mia), drama (Chloe), and comedy (Mean Girls). I am consistently impressed by how high her star continues to rise. Helena Bonham Carter and Sasha Baron Cohen brought the house down as the comedic Sweeney Todd-esque Thernardiers. Whenever they appeared on screen, the audience knew they were in for a laugh; in my book, Helena Bonham Carter can do no wrong. Finally, I was happy to see Hooper cast musical theater vets Samantha Barks (Eponine) and Aaron Tveit (Enjolras) in the film. They were really great in their roles and I can't wait to see what Hollywood has next for them.
Unfortunately, my declarations of praise cannot extend to Russell Crowe. While he did a great job encompassing the gruff, unrelenting dedication of Inspector Javert, his singing made me cringe in my chair. I felt he was off-key most of the time; Crowe sounded more like a drunken bar patron than the deep, powerful baritone I am so used to from the stage show. In my opinion, Hooper should have gone with someone like Norm Lewis. It was a let-down that one of the most interesting characters was so vocally underwhelming.
Les Miserables is a large-scale, visually stunning love letter to the stage show and its fans. For the $12 you pay for a movie I assure you will get your money's worth. I hope that the success of this film will pave the way for more musical adaptations, like I believe Moulin Rouge did for Chicago.
***Warning: Remember, Les Miserables is a "sung-through" musical, meaning there is little to no dialogue. Be prepared for singing... LOTS of singing. If this is not your thing, go see Django Unchained instead (review to come soon).***
Did you see Les Mis yet? Let me know what you thought in the comments below!
loved it!!
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