Movie review: les miserables - musicals on film are hard!

Oh Les Miserables.

Let me put it out there that I was raised with musical theatre and I saw this show the first time when I was 7 years old, crying when Eponine died and muttering obscenities to Javert when he was being his usual dick-soldier self to Valjean. I was beaming like a little school girl when I found out it was being turned into a movie and cringing at the rumours of T-Swift being cast. I had a lot of emotional investment in this movie before it was even in post-production.

That being said, let's review this sucker!

Overall, this movie had a lot of issues. The vocals got worse as the film progressed, there was continuity issues with weather (this song talks mentions rain-QUICK! Cue the water!) and it seemed the casting was yet another Hollywood pull, casting the vocally inept Russell Crowe as Javert and little miss snow-white-wannabe Amanda Seyfried as Cosette. But they kept true to the story and the new concept of live singing throughout the entire film gave each song a new depth when they had close-ups and camera angles that are foreign to the theatre world. It was a smart choice for the director, as this musical is true to its name. EVERYTHING IS SUNG. there is no dialogue and then breaking into song and dance. It's not Moulin Rouge by any means. Having the live singing allowed for the actors connect with each song in a new way, and I fell in love with each song all over again.

... Unless it was Russell Crowe. seriously, dude. What the hell??

If you're a musical fan, I think you'll like this new take on it. You definitely have to overlook the bouts of bad singing, as well as Hugh Jackman's painful rendition of 'Bring Him Home' but the power was still there when you hear 'Do You Hear the People Sing?' as you get chills down your spine, and tears in your eyes in 'A Little Fall of Rain'. Plus the boy that played Gavroche was absolute perfection, bringing a little bit of the stage performance on the screen, creating a balance of film of theatre. You also have not keep in mind that this was created and meant for the stage. Putting any musical or play on film and making it work is a daunting task, regardless of the following or popularity. I've seen a lot of plays and musicals put into film, as well as the different variations, and all have pros and cons. You have to tread lightly.

I have to warn anyone that has never seen this play or has limited experiences watching musical theatre: this probably isn't your bag. I saw this movie twice, and both times I saw people walk out of the theatre halfway through. I cat inlay isn't for everyone, and you have to be prepared that people converse in song, think in song, yell, fight, and love in song. It's a musical. If you really want to see it but are novice to this little world, I suggest you check out this link and watch the entire anniversary special. If you can make it through that, you're set.

I must stop and comment on Anne Hathaway's performance. Ho-ley crap. Her rendition of Fantine's 'I Dreamed a Dream' blew me out of the water! In the scenes building up to this moment, she has lost her job, had her hair cut and her teeth pulled to make a little it of money to send to her ailing child, and she has hit that final blow where she stoops to prostitution to make money to keep her and her child alive.

This song is done in a single take. You see her entire thought process as she reaches that last haunting line of the song. Although she is a strong character, you see her break down and finally succumb to her fate. And you fall with her. Your heart bleeds for her when she whispers out, 'life has killed the dream I dreamed' and you both realize that she is never going to recover from this fall from grace. Her performance was heartfelt, painful, and so sincere to the many emotions the character was whirling around at the time. It broke my heart. And I loved it.

If you think she was just hamming it up, I think you really need to re-examine Fantine's character and what brought her to that moment. I've had many conversations about this performance and several people thinking that Hathaway took too many luxuries and drama-queened it up. I think you really don't know the character and the illusion of the theatre rendition has been so embedded in your mind, other portrayals seem like a betrayal of the character. Because it is filmed in such an intimate manner, the audience is able to see the rest of the emotions the stage limits. Musicals assume the song alone will out across the emotions. With film, there's a balance that needs to be found, and I think Anne Hathaway nailed it.

I could go on, but I won't. There's too much to be said and not enough attention span in the internet to bother trying.

-janeovision