Les Miserables

[Steve Williams]

Saw it yesterday and without doubt ranks in my top 5 so far this year. Director Tom Hooper has hit another home run as this film will draw you in from beginning to end and runs long at 2 hours and 37 minutes but at the end it is a cinematic feat that will be nominated for most Oscars in just about every category. The songs are true to the stage production and Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean will be nominated for Best Actor and stands a terrific chance of winning. Anne Hathaway as Fontine was mesmerizing especially when she sings Dreamed A Dream as it will bring goose bumps to your skin. Samantha Barks as Eponine was surprisingly good. Even Russell Crowe as Javert was reasonable as a singer and IMO was better than Pierce Brosnan's singing abilities in Momma Mia. Sasha Baron Cohen and Jane Bonham Carter as Thenardier and Madame Thenardier were surprisingly good and yes Sasha sings as well and seems to be able to hold a tune. Eddie Redmayne plays Marius the paramour of Cosette played by Amanda Seyfried who as always has a wonderful voice. The ending of the film is an absolute masterpiece with the spirit of Fontine returning to sing I Dreamed a Dream with the dying Valjean. This film has it all and almost certainly will garner most of the Nominations and Oscars. This film is not to be missed

 

[LenWhite]

Saw it Christmas day and thought Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway were stunning. During an interview with Charlie Rose recently director Tom Hooper said test audiences confirmed his decision to have all the dialog sung live during filming. He did it to give the actors complete dramatic emotional freedom which Jackman, Hathaway, and Barks completely demonstrated. I've only seen one competing movie so far "Argo" and this trumps that movie emotionally by a considerable margin IMO. Daniel Day Lewis is arguably the most talented contemporary actor alive and I'm certain I'll love his performance in "Lincoln", but I hope Hugh Jackson wins best actor this year for sustaining such an extremely high dramatic emotional performance thoughout the film. And I hope Anne Hathaway gets best actress even though she was only in the first quarter of "Les Miserables". Her rendition of "Dreamed A Dream" was the dramatic emotional highlight of the film IMO.

 

[Steve Williams]

you're spot on Len. I agree completely. As I said Argo was my top film until the new ones came out last week. Daniel Day Lewis was amazing but he has already won the Oscar for my Left Foot many years ago and Jackman is a Hollywood sentimental favorite so yes I hope he wins as well.It was he who was in every scene of the movie and was the glue who held it together. I also felt Anne hathaway was commendable but I don't see Best Actress for such a small role. Her reprise at the end with a dying Jean Valjean will leave you with goose bumps and a lump in your throat

There is also a new song in the movie which is not in the stage production written by the original authors of the stage production and sung by Valjean as he takes Cosette away from the Thenardiers

 

[amirm]

The clips I have seen seem amazing and I too think that having them sing in place adds great realism. As always, I will be waiting to see it at home .

 

[NorthStar]

-- I've read some excellent reviews. This musical will garner some trophies dats fo shur.

__________

 

[Tubedoctor]

i ve seen Les mis. 20 years ago at broadway and after this musical i bought les mis on vinyl. Amazing recording!

 

[Steve Williams]

BTW, PBS TV is showing as part of their pledge week Les Miserables 25th Anniversary and IMO was so much better than the movie. If you have a chance to see this in your area it is not to be missed

 

[flez007]

My son and I are in line to see it, saw the Hobbit last night and was just OK IMO.

 

[jadis]

Saw this and agree with many, it's not to be missed. I've seen the broadway versions in SF in the 80s and London in the 90s and I must say that musical performance wise I still prefer the broadway versions over the film version. But the acting on the film version is certainly much better with top notch performances from Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe and Anne Hathaway. Awesome. Trivia time. Colm Wilkinson, who played Jean Valjean in the original London Cast back in the 80s, appears again in the movie as the bishop. I wouldn't have known till I saw the end credits. I can watch this thing over and over again. Such a fabulous production. And hope they win a lot in the Oscars.

 

[NorthStar]

-- I got a very strong feeling; this will be an awesome Blu-ray transfer (picture & sound wise).

* That Blu-ray title is scheduled for March 19.

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[Steve Williams]

Definitely one for my library

 

[R Johnson]

I finally got around to seeing the film today. Vocally, I liked Anne Hathaway best, along with the ensemble/chorus numbers. Many of the other solo vocals were, shall we say, "variable". (But I am an opera fan who was spoiled by a live performance of "La Boheme" and the PBS broadcast of "The Elixir of Love" with Anna Netrebko the previous day.)

I loved Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter! "Master of the House" was terrific.

 

[JackD201]

Finally saw it last night. I enjoyed.

 

[jazdoc]

We saw it last night and I absolutely hated it...ruined one of the greatest novels of all time. We've ordered the 1934 French version on Netflix to erase the memory.

 

[Steve Williams]

Wow Mark. I'm stunned

Having said that however, a few days after I saw the film, PBS had a fund raiser with the anniversary of Les Mis being shown from the stage. Just as the first time I saw it on the stage, my preference is the stage production over the film

 

[jadis]

I loved Sasha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter! "Master of the House" was terrific.

sasha seems to be a perfect fit for playing thenardier.

 

[NorthStar]

Sacha, with a "c"

-- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacha_Baron_Cohen

 

[jadis]

-- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacha_Baron_Cohen

my mistake. i only saw him once in The Dictator.

 

[NorthStar]

-- No sweat Phil; R Johnson did it first, and even I could have done it as well. :b

 

[jadis]

-- No sweat Phil; R Johnson did it first, and even I could have done it as well. :b

i was reminded of one sasha vujacic who once played for the la lakers in the nba, i never forget opponents.