Nominee
When turning any musical into a film, one must push the gambit. When turning Les Miserables into a feature film one must create a new standard to which all other musical adaptions will be compared, and I do believe this film succeeds. Gracefully using the medium to find new meanings in the story, and raising the emotional capacity of all of the characters, this film retells a story we all know and love and yet it is renewed. It is as if we are listening for the first time and it is vibrant in nature.
Tom Hooper has an incredible visual aesthetic where he utilizes a dark color palate but is able to find the richness and depth of each shade. So in the saturation alone this film is beautiful, but then add the framing and it is impossible to look away. He allows us incredible access to the characters with his close ups, giving us one thing the stage could not, intimacy between the actor and the viewer not only with the leads but with the extras as well. This, however, puts a lot of responsibility on the actors, luckily this ensemble cast delivers.
Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean, is haunted by his past but driven forward by a need for absolution. His singing is great and I found him to be emotionally enrapturing. Anne Hathaway, although criticized by some for the shakiness of her voice, I think found the much needed truth of "I Dreamed a Dream", its a song by a woman who hit rock bottom and is longing for her former days of promise. So why is it that everyone insists on belting it?? In addition, she was heart wrenching in and throughout her performance as a mother who gives all for a daughter she will never know. Russell Crowe as the stark moralist Inspector Javert may not be the best singer they could have found for the role but he was solid, and his acting was representative of his inner conflict. Aaron Tveit and Eddie Redmayne were revelations as Enjolras and Marius. Their singing was absolutely phenomenal, also can I just say quickly: freckles. Amanda Seyfried was very nice as Cossette, I did not find the love plot as intolerable as I usually do. Cohen and Carter provide the much needed comic relief...Cohen kinda out plays Carter but both are respectable. The children actors show incredible maturity, and thank you whoever thought bringing Colm Wilkinson in was a good idea, I affirm you. I saved her for last because honestly I found her the most disappointing, Samantha Banks as Eponine. She sang the part well but I felt she played up the doe eyed lover too much and forgot the gritty streetwise Eponine in the mix. She fell a little flat to me.
What can I say about this music that has not already been said? And here it stands by its own reputation.
My few complaints? I will make them brief...Some of the word replacing was strange. I found myself laughing a few times at inappropriate places due to some of the changes. Also they piled the two most epic songs of the movie on top of each other. They should have left "Do You Hear the People Sing" and "One Day More" apart, share the love. Also some of the symbolism came a little too early on...I mean come on you have almost three hours of film, don't have Valjean literally lifting a gigantic French flag from the dirt in the first five minutes. BUT...
Overall: The musical theater community has waited 25 years to see this film, and it was well worth the wait. Telling this story of hope, freedom, and loss is one of great weight but when it is executed correctly there is nothing more staying. The vision is there, the actors play their parts, and the music will reach you through the screen. Now go hear the people sing, Happy Watching!!
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