Greetings,
Well, this may be a first. I don't think I've ever done a full on review of a movie still in the theater. But here goes - Les Miserables, the movie musical. Oh, where to begin.
Okay, so there has been a boatload of buzz on this film from the moment someone decided to make it. A lot of people have been waiting decades for this to be brought to the big screen. I speak of the musical version, mind you, since the actual story has been told cinematically more than a few times. According to my research, there have been about a dozen movies made from the book, to say nothing of a miniseries and a Japanese anime version. That's a bit much. But, as I said, this is the first time we are seeing the Broadway musical in such a way. And, if I am being completely honest, I was kind of excited . . . initially.
Yes, I have always enjoyed Les Miserables, some parts more than others. I like some of the music and the epicness of the story. I've seen quite a few stage performances, albeit not live, but they were always done pretty well. And I know expectations were high for this. Mine certainly were. So, were my expectations met? Well, you know what, let's just start discussing this thing.
So when it comes to the inanimate things about the film, the set, the costumes, the general look of it, I'd have to say it was a job well done. It really did look as I thought it would, and whilst there were few surprises in that department, I can't fault anyone for what they did with it. So, should those responsible for these aspects win any prestigious awards, I'd say, "Well deserved!" Having said that, however, let's get to the cast.
I suppose we should start at the top with Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean. I actually liked him in this movie, for a few reasons. First, he is a good singer, and he's done the Broadway thing, so he knows how to do a part like this. And with the way he was presented visually, I didn't really see Hugh Jackman. They had him done up so well to look the way we would picture Valjean that we could easily get drawn into him as the character and not just as Hugh Jackman. As for his nemesis, Javert, played by Russell Crowe, this wasn't exactly the case. I've never been a huge fan of Russell Crowe, but I can't deny his talent as an actor. And when it came to the acting he did in this movie, it was very good. He's good at playing the vindictive, angry jerk of the story. Who would've thought? But throw in the singing part and we move down several rungs on the ladder. Yeah, I know that Russell Crowe had his little band, and that's fine. I actually think he can carry a tune a little. This was just too big for him and his voice. But he needn't feel alone where this problem is concerned.
Next, we have Anne Hathaway as Fantine. Let's just cut the chase and get to the one thing people were waiting for when it came to the performance. Remember how I said I'd seen this musical done a few times on stage? Well, even more than that have I seen performances of the famous song "I Dreamed a Dream" According to Miss Hathaway, she did not want to do a "beautified" performance, as we are used to hearing. I believe she succeeded on that count. She basically sobbed her way through it, supposedly trying to bring out the tragedy of the moment. If that's her excuse, fine, let her have it. I, however, found it very overdone. It was as though she was trying way too hard to be dramatic when a hint of subtlety, not to mention sincerity, would have gone even further. Frankly, I think her doing this pushed performance, as as opposed to signing it straight, was her way of hiding the fact that she could not be as good as the legendary Broadway women who have sung it in the past. I personally have heard this song sung by the likes of Judy Kuhn, Ruthie Henshall, Lea Salonga and, quite possibly the greatest Broadway diva of all time, Patti LuPone. Yeah, I can see why Anne would not want to draw any comparisons. But she uglied herself up, which means she will win awards. Moving on.
Sasha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter played the Thenardiers, who are these innkeepers/scavengers/criminals. In this very tragic story, they are supposed to be a bit of comic relief. To be honest, they weren't too bad at it. Now I have heard people say that they also did their fair share of over acting, but with these characters, that's kind of the point. They are supposed to be larger than life, so I give them credit for it. And considering my history with these two actors, the fact that I can say anything positive is a lot. A whole lot.
Now what about the "kids"? I can't say much about Isabelle Allen as the tiny Cossette, mostly because she was in it for scarcely ten minutes. But, you know, cute little girl, cute little voice. Just cute. The older Cossette was played by Amanda Seyfried and Marius was played by Eddie Redmayne. They play the traditional love at first sight couple, and, frankly, this part of the story was always the least interesting to me. It's a fairly basic teenage love story, especially compared to what else is going on. And as far as the singing goes? They weren't necessarily bad at it, but the qualities of their voices were not what I like to hear. Eddie Redmayne kind of has that Kermit-y thing to his voice. You know, where it all gathers in the back of his throat. And Miss Amanda. I have, of course, heard her sing before, but more in a pop music sense. Here, when she went for those very high notes, this extreme vibrato kicked in which turned her a little into a Chipette. Interesting. Kermit and a Chipette? This should have been marketed as a kids movie. Okay, to be fair, these particular criticisms have less to do with their abilities and more to do with my personal tastes. So I'm sure a lot of people will like what they did.
Interestingly enough, what gives this film some of its best moments, especially in the young cast, are the relative unknowns. Of those, we first have Samantha Barks as the Thenardiers daughter and the "third wheel" of the Marius/Cossette relationship, Eponine. Now this girl was in London productions of Les Miserables, as well as the 2010 25th anniversary show. She was great in that show, and she is great here. Samantha Barks is a very beautiful and extremely talented young woman with a voice that is nothing short of heartbreaking, in a good way. She truly has a handle on how these emotions should be portrayed, especially through song, pulling back into those subtle places when necessary, therefore, making the performance more personal and powerful. Then we have Aaron Tveit as Enjolras, the leader of the young revolutionaries. I don't recall seeing this actor in anything else, but he was fantastic in this. And his singing was just right for this part, sounding young, but, in a way, also mature beyond its years. Hard to do, but succeeded here. And finally, we have a little boy named Daniel Huttlestone playing a little boy named Gavroche, and he was amazing. Seriously, he stole the show quite a bit, and I think he may go far after this. I hope so anyway. I love this kid.
The bottom line is that, whilst I did enjoy certain aspects of this film, I was kind of unimpressed. Maybe my hopes were set too high, and they just couldn't live up to it. I suppose I feel as though this is, more than anything, a vanity project. They got a bunch of famous actors who, for the most part, couldn't pull off the hugeness of the music, but were hired because they could probably get butts in seats. If they really wanted to honor the spirit of this work of art, they would have gotten some people who, while maybe not very well known, could do the songs justice. But I guess it was their decision.
I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, though. Bringing Broadway musicals to the big screen doesn't seem to be working these days. There are exceptions, of course, but we no longer live in the days of fifty, sixty, even seventy years ago, when these kinds of movies were some of the best ever made. You'd think with all the more resources we have now things could be done even better. But maybe not. Or maybe tastes have changed overall since then.
Anyway, would I recommend this movie? Not really. I doubt I will ever bother to see it again, but had I not seen it, I always would have been curious. Not that any of this matters, because the hardcore fans are going to see it no matter what. Good for them.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
