Les Miserables – The musical movie review

I tried to be brief... I really did

For those who just want the bullet points – jump down to the “review” section.

BACKGROUND

Let me begin with this:

I. Love. This. Book. 
 

I love this book because of its ethos and pathos. 

I love it for its romance and tragedy.

As a follower of Christ, I love the Christian metaphors and beautiful depiction of the inability of Law overcome by Grace.

I love it because of Hugo’s goal with it. 

"The book the reader has now before his eyes - from one end to the other; in its whole and in its details, whatever the omissions, the exceptions, or the faults - is the march from evil to good, from injustice to justice, from the false to the true, from night to day, from appetite to conscience, from rottenness to life, from brutality to duty, from Hell to Heaven, from nothingness to God. Starting point: matter; goal: the soul. Hydra at the beginning, angel at the end." – Victor Hugo

For these reasons, the musical (in any format) doesn’t do the book justice. 

In fact, most movie adaptations don’t either.

I’ve seen the 1930’s movie, the 1998 Liam Neeson version (which inexplicably ends after Javert’s suicide!) and am about to watch the 2000 Gérard Depardieu mini-series version – which I hear is the closest to the source material.

I’ve seen the stage musical three times.

The musical changes parts of the book (Mme. Thenardier is alive at the wedding, Eponine gives Marius’ letter to Valjean) and necessarily omits others (the bishops’s story, Valjean and the boat rescue – no, not what you see at the beginning of the 2012 movie, Valjean & Cosette’s time at the convent – including the buried alive scene, Marius’ uncle)  for pacing and for the simple fact that no one would be able to sit through a 20 hour musical.

REVIEW  (SPOILERS may follow)

So what do I think of the 2012 Tom Hooper directed musical-movie?

4 stars out of 5

First – it is intentionally not the stage musical.  Please do not go in expecting to see the stage version on screen.  It was not intended to be.

“None of us wanted to simply put the show on the screen, but rather reinvent the material as a movie in its own right” (emphasis mine) – Sir Cameron Mackintosh, producer of both the stage musical and this film.  Quote from the liner notes of the musical-movie soundtrack. 

I enjoyed this movie enough that I want to see it again.  Very soon.  In the cinema.

And I sure hope they release an extended directors cut on Blu-Ray.  I’d pre-order that today.

I was moved to tears many times, with chest-hitching barely-contained sobs.

The good:
Live filmed singing works for much of his movie

The visuals are stunning, the sets, makeup and costumes wonderful, with delightful nods to anyone who has read the book.  (Gavroche’s white elephant for example, the doll in the window, the young revolutionary kissing the innkeeper woman to get her chair for the barricade, Gavroche rightly brings Marius’ note to Jan Valjean – not Eponine)

Colm Wilkinson (originaor of the role of Jean Valjean in both the London and New York stage productions) as the Bishop – yes!

Anne Hathaway... I thought she was perfect.  I have never been so heart-broken for Fantine during “I Dreamed a Dream”.  Her grief and anger and final resignation are Oscar worthy (imho) – though I did think she was too pretty during the factory scene.  I mean the other workers have facial blemishes, bad teeth… but not Fantine. 

The cattiness of the other women workers was perfect.

Hugh Jackman was great; very believable but not stellar.  Valjean’s soliloquy is amazingly emotional, but “Bring Him Home” was hard for me to sit through.  It would not have been a crime to lower the range so he could have sung without straining.  Alfie Boe is still my favorite singing Valjean.

The new song “Suddenly” helped tie the story together, but won’t be the next big hit inserted into the stage show.

Gavroche and young Cosette were amazing for kid actor/singers

Eddie Redmayne as Marius – completely believable in every scene he is in.  every scene.  His voice is sublime; “Empty Chairs” will tear your heart out as much as Valjean’s Soliloquy.

Samantha Barks as Eponine – from stage to screen – superb job!

Sacha Baron Cohen – a great Thenardier

Helena Bonham-Carter – very good with exception that if you’ve read the book, you know Mme Thenardier is described as barrel-like and mannish.  Not exactly a description of Ms. HB-C

I loved how they included the iconic Enjrolas death scene, though from a window, not on the barricade.  And the guy who played him did a great job too.

The sewer scene was disgustingly spot on – no pun intended.  Thank you for removing the song “Dog Eats Dog.”

Javert’s death – there’s no mistake kids… he won’t be back in a sequel.

The end trio with Fantine, Jean Valjean and the bishop (!) makes SO much more sense than having Eponine – whom JVJ has never met – welcome him into heaven.

The Bad: things that distracted me from the story

Javert. Was. Awful.

Russel Crowe’s performance seemed phoned in.  I have much respect for his work in other movies (most notably for me, A Beautiful Mind). I did not, however, believe him as Javert; “hunting down” and chasing Valjean.  He seemed indifferent.  And his singing?  Even American Idol and X-Factor would have laughed him off the set.  No power, no conviction in his voice.  During “Stars” I just wanted to yell “stop already!”  His performance was a nasal-y pop-ish vocal that scooped into notes.  Barf!  I know musical theatre is considered more ”pop” than classical, but this didn’t fit.  I know high school-ers who could have nailed this.  Or let one of the stage stars take it.  This movie need a better Javert, not a well-known one.  I read they considered Paul Bettany.  Missed opportunity there.

On that note, Amanda Seyfried.. good acting, very child-like, but her voice was a bit too Disney-princess, machine-gun vibrato at times for me.

It begins raining instantaneously during “On My Own.”  I know it fits the lyric, but shouldn’t it have been preceded by distant thunder or something?  I mean, Eponine literally turns a corner and the street is wet and she is drenched from rain already falling. 

Pacing.  My wife and I disagree on this… but things felt a bit too rushed.  Maybe because during the stage show there is applause or a set change.  This film just whipped along, sometimes not leaving the viewer time to digest the scene.

24601 – the tattoo proves beyond doubt that Jean Valjean is who he says he is… not just a good intentioned man trying to help an accused man.  The court needs to see the tattoo and we the audience need to see it too.  Otherwise it’s just a somewhat meaningless number.

Other super nit picky stuff
– British and Cockney accents in a show set in France?  Don’t we get enough of that in Biblical movies set in the Middle East?

- In the book Fanbtine is specifically described as a blonde, and Cosette a brunette.  Would have been nice to see on screen.

- Did Fantine have to have the “chopped ‘do” after death?

So all in all 4 stars.  If Javert had been stronger this would have moved quickly to one of my favorite movies.

If you liked this movie, you’ll love the stage musical.

If you love the stage musical, the book will fundamentally change you.