Les Miserables

Francie Nolan wrote:Russell Crowe's voice wasn't good, exactly, but better than I expected. In some weird way, the stilted singing works for Javert. Eddie Redmayne was terrific, and made me care a lot about Marius--"Empty Chairs" killed me. I kept picturing Nick Jonas in the part and giggling. I wasn't expecting Anne Hathaway to blow me away as much as she did, but wow, that was pretty amazing.

Totally in agreement. Wouldn't have picked Crowe to be in this movie, but he was much better than I expected, especially based on some reviews I had read.

Eddie Redmayne was such a terrific surprise. Loved his voice.

Anne Hathaway was the MVP of this production.

Jackman was a good Valjean overall, but I was hoping I'd like his singing more than I did since I enjoyed his voice on previous occasions.

I thought, singing-wise, he was every bit as bad as the reviews said he was, and moreso. Worse as Javert (singing-wise) than Swift would have been as Eponine. "Confrontation" being the exception, where he was fine.

Still loved it overall, though. The scope and spirit of the show was THERE. Not the best movie of this Oscar season, but probably my favorite.

I loved it. I would have KILLED for this movie half my lifetime ago, but I still enjoyed it as a decrepit adult-type person. They should just throw all the Oscars at Anne Hathaway, Eddie Redmayne was fantastic, I loved Samantha Barks, Crowe was nowhere near as bad as I feared and I think his acting carried it to an extent, which was fine, and Jackman was...super-nasally. Wow. But still awesome. Also, never having seen the stage production and only listened to the soundtrack umpteen times, I was surprised at how depressing it was--they did a really good job, generally, of toning down the melodrama so the fact that EVERYBODY DIES except for a couple of douchebags and a nice young couple starting off their marriage with the death of her beloved father really sticks out. Not seeing the action, it's really easy to think that the second half is a love story backdropped by a failed revolution, but seeing it makes you go "hey, there's a reason this is called Les Miserables."

I have yet to see it (sick and housebound) but am very glad to hear that overall, people are liking it (with the exception of a performance here and there).

I'ma just drop this right here to remind all of how freaking great the final confrontation/Javert's suicide can be:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFr6nk4ry4Y

My only complaint is that the film was far too short, but overall I felt that it was an improvement over the stage version. Oh, Samantha Barks. Please make more movie musicals.


It just felt more like Les Miserables to me. This is the book I love.
I was a total wreck at the end.

I was slightly disappointed by Jackman's singing and less disappointed than I thought I would be with Crowe's. They were both kind of nasal though so it kind of worked - one wasn't completely showing up the other. Even though Marius is boring as hell, Eddie Redmayne is a great singer. I cried my eyes out at the end, of course. Anne Hathaway was phenomenal. I had no idea Colm Wilkinson was in it, and it was so awesome seeing him!

I'm really surprised by the terrible reviews this is getting, though. I wonder if people are expecting the big Broadway vocals and are disappointed? I don't know. I adore the OBC recording and really enjoyed the movie too.

One case of inappropriate laughter:

Spoiler:

I haven't had the pleasure yet, but I've been listening to the highlight soundtrack. Crowe definitely sounds better overall than I was expecting.

There's one thing that really sticks in my craw, though. The line:

"Now come on, ladies, settle down!
I am the mayor of this town, I run a business of repute!"

WHY? What's the point of destroying the rhyme scheme be inverting the last two phrases?

I saw it, and I made it through almost the entire movie without crying. I made it through death scenes and unrequited love, but what got me was the final scene in the convent. I really started going strong when the Bishop was there to meet him.

I liked it a lot. I wish Hooper had been able to figure something to do with the camera other than those close ups during the solos. I realize there probably wasn't a lot going on physically during those scenes but why not use a medium shot now and then? I thought the ensemble numbers were much better and my favorite was "Do You Hear the People Sing?" because all students were strong singers.

There's one thing that really sticks in my craw, though. The line:

"Now come on, ladies, settle down!
I am the mayor of this town, I run a business of repute!"

WHY? What's the point of destroying the rhyme scheme be inverting the last two phrases?

Maybe Jackman sang it incorrectly and for some reason that's the take they decided to use?

I noticed the same thing! It is reversed from the original soundtrack. Maybe the take was just that magical? I was distracted by the fact that Jackman's green coat in that scene really brought out his eyes and I was all I SEE WHAT U DID THAR, HANDSOME-MAKING COSTUME PEOPLE.

Glad to see others commenting on the nasalness of Jackman's voice - it surprised and disappointed me. Maybe he sung that way to make Russell Crowe sound better? I was pleasantly surprised that Crowe sounded as good as he did. The weakest, yes, but better than I expected. Javert's songs are among my favorite, though, so maybe I'm forgiving. I thought he made a good Javert even with his weaker singing.

I was also bored by all the close ups. It made my mind wander.

I was impressed by how they fugged up Anne Hathaway and Hugh Jackman. Both of whom are gorgeous people. Usually hollywood is like "smudge of dirt, now you are poor," but they went above and beyond. I want to go look at pictures of Hugh Jackman being hot to cleanse my brain.

Binky wrote: I was impressed by how they fugged up Anne Hathaway and Hugh Jackman. Both of whom are gorgeous people. Usually hollywood is like "smudge of dirt, now you are poor," but they went above and beyond. I want to go look at pictures of Hugh Jackman being hot to cleanse my brain.

I wished that they'd gone above and beyond for Barks. It only makes Marius look clueless if 'Ponine is movie star gorgeous with slightly mussed hair. Shorter hair maybe? Bad/missing teeth? Dramatic weight loss?
Sorry. I realize it's extremely nitpicky.

Are people finding Jackman to be nasally? He sounded the way he's always sounded to me, so perhaps I need to pay more attention during my second viewing.

There's one scene where Barks' waist looks like it's 12 inches due to some weird camera angles. I think it's when she takes Marius to first meet Cosette. I was relieved when a later scene showed Barks' waist was not child sized.

I was surprised by how much I didn't find Cosette insipid. Normally, the character annoys me but Seyfried's version comes across as sheltered without being stupid.

Hee, my friend was saying how Eponine being as pretty as Samantha Barks really makes Marius a bigger prick, because then it seems like he only doesn't like her because she's poor.

Seyfried was definitely not an idiot as Cosette, which was refreshing. I don't hate Cosette but there's really not that much *to* the character, and Judy Kuhn is the only Cosette *really* worth talking about in my opinion, but Seyfried is probably second best.

I noticed that Enjolras's part seemed smaller than in the musical, and it seems like they divided up a lot of his lines and gave them to the other revolutionaries. I liked that to a certain extent because it made me more invested in the group at large, but I also think Tveit is technically the best singer in the cast and it was a bit of a disappointment to hear less belting than I expected. I now fully understand my best friend's obsession with Tveit because he was super hot even with that ridiculous wig.

Spoiler:

My cousin fell in love with Tveit (how is that name pronounced?) and said she could tell immediately that he was a higher caliber of singer than the others.

Hee, my friend was saying how Eponine being as pretty as Samantha Barks really makes Marius a bigger prick, because then it seems like he only doesn't like her because she's poor.

I think in the movie they did a good job of showing how Marius could not be aware that she has feelings for him. In the musical it's like how could he not know, especially since she comes to the barricades and says she's cool with possibly being shot as long as she's around him. Here their acquaintance seemed much more casual.

The Craptacular has an interview with Aaron Tveit and I hope they got this on camera for the DVD extras:

They would do warm-ups every morning — I was usually in the hair chair and couldn’t get out — where one of the guys was playing piano and everyone else would be singing, but they would end up singing “The Circle of Life” from The Lion King. And young Daniel [Huttlestone], the kid who plays Gavroche, would be there and at the very end, they would lift him like Simba.

Saw it today, and overall I liked it a lot. The audience applauded when the credits started to roll, which is something I haven't seen very often.

Anne Hathaway brought the house DOWN. We were all weeping. Same for Eponine.

Why oh why was Hugh not as good as he should have been? Oh well, I just decided to concentrate on his acting and view his "singing" as dialog.

I still loved it though and will watch it again.

Buzzfeed's Les Miz Character Guide is funny and accurate.

sen3 wrote:
Why oh why was Hugh not as good as he should have been? Oh well, I just decided to concentrate on his acting and view his "singing" as dialog.

It struck me that Valjean's songs were just at the edge of his range. So he was often pushing and straining to hit the notes.

By way of Ebert on Twitter.
There’s Still Hope For People Who Love “Les Mis”

That is some grade-A "Damnkidsgetoffamylawn!" ranting right there.

As if the only acceptable form of musical theatre is Cole or Gershwin or Berlin. Talk about musicals that are out of touch with the modern age.

And if he truly doesn't think that Les Mis has *anything* to say to us in 21st Century America he's living in a bubble of white privilege so thick I'm surprised he can see a movie screen. Has he really not heard about "Occupy"?

Maybe he's right and the movie as a movie is dreck. I still haven't seen it, but I long since cooled on hurrying down to the multiplex after learning that Tom Hooper's lack of flair in The King's Speech translated to non-stop close-ups for this film. Sounds dull, even if the color pallette was more engaging than blue and gray.

But the story and the music are another animal and while he's entitled to his own opinion, I sincerely believe he can't have spent more time contemplating what it was than it took to bang out the first draft of his review. The insulting way he talks down to anyone who may have liked the show before going to see the movie tells me that his opinions are ill-informed and unconsidered and thus hardly worthy of a critic for a cultural touchstone like the New Yorker.

particle_person wrote:By way of Ebert on Twitter.
There’s Still Hope For People Who Love “Les Mis”

I guess Ebert didn't like it then?

I don't think hes reviewed it yet. He had a health setback so he may not have seen it.

Ebert's tweet was basically "So I guess David Denby really doesn't like Les Mis" followed by the link. So it's hard to say if he shares the opinion or found Denby's tirade so over-the-top that he had to share it.