Les Mis

This adaptation of Victor Hugo’s novel of epic suffering has long been a favorite of the stage audiences worldwide.  The haunting music of Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boublil has made its way to the big screen.  Les Miserables can boast some of the biggest names in Hollywood, has already pulled four Golden Globe nominations, and will undoubtedly earn a couple Oscar nominations.  The story is set in 19^th century France and focuses on a man named Valjean (Hugh Jackman) who breaks parole and is hunted for decades by a ruthless officer named Javert (Russell Crowe).  Valjean is obliged to save and care for the daughter of a woman named Fantine (Anne Hathaway), a decision which changes his life forever.

The music will be familiar to those fans of the stage production, but has a few surprises in that several scenes are added to fill certain logistical gaps in the story.  I am a little disturbed with the idea of adding music to this show, but the added portions are brief and necessary to move the story from A to B without confusion.  One thing that makes this film different from other film musicals is that all the songs are recorded as they perform them during filming.  We are hearing the actors’ performances at that moment rather than being recorded in a studio months prior and then have the actors lip-sync to their own voices.  The result of this is rather interesting.  The voices are not perfect and the emotional performance is more evident in the songs themselves.  Since this story is nothing if not emotional, I liked how the effect works.

The performances in this movie are breathtaking.  Both Anne Hathaway and Hugh Jackman earned Golden Globe nominations for their performances .  Personally I have never been a fan of Anne Hathaway, but I must begrudgingly admit that she most definitely earned this nomination and did my favorite character a credit by her amazing performance.  Russell Crowe is the embodiment of the villain Javert; and although his singing didn’t carry the emotionally gritty punch I was hoping from that character, I was pleased with the performance. 

The most impressive aspect of this film for me was the visual element.  Because the dialog is all song and very condensed, the costumes, sets and cinematography must be utilized intelligently in order to flesh out characters, setting and mood.  I felt that all visual elements were brilliantly used in this film.  The filmmakers were not afraid to show the actors in a less-than-flattering light and you really do feel like these people are living on the streets of 19^th century Paris. 

I would recommend this movie to anyone who loves musicals or follows the award seasons.  This movie has a solid presence in the big categories at the Golden Globes and will be a contender at the Oscars, so don’t miss your chance to see this movie if you plan to watch the award shows.  If you prefer lighter, more fun movies, this is not for you!  Be prepared to shed a tear or two, this story is about misery.   I actually would recommend spending the extra to see this in the theater.  It would be a shame to miss any of the stunning work that went into the visuals on this film.

Thanks for reading!

Enjoy!