Saw 'Les Miserables'.......

F

FAST FRED

500+ Posts
....with my wife and we enjoyed it.

I'll personally give it an "A+" for effort and a "B-" for what I saw and heard on the screen.

It's certainly worthwhile and well-done film entertainment; go and see what you think.

The Link

High points for me were the overall emotional range conveyed by the entire cast, Eddie Redmayne's excellent singing as "Marius" (especially on "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables"), Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter's welcome and clever comedy and all of the strong dramatic portrayals and good vocal efforts from Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried and Samantha Barks.

Hathaway's role as "Fantine" was so brief, I was wanting more.

Her "I Dreamed a Dream" was wonderful.

The sometimes shaky intonation from many of the major characters (particularly during their less melodic and more sparsely accompanied recitative singing) probably won't trouble most moviegoers having less than perfect pitch, but I also found the songs of this musical less memorable themselves when compared with other musicals I've seen and enjoyed and the overall story just wasn't that interesting for me.

I was moved often, sometimes almost to tears, but no song from this show had me humming it as I walked out.

But I think serious musical storytelling is designed to have that effect and it did.

In addition, I thought extreme closeups were perhaps a bit overused in the cinematography and editing, but as I read in another review that also insured that every seat in the movie theater was equally the best seat in the house.

You could see every anguished teardrop, swollen vein and furrowed brow.

It was very emotional and heartfelt acting up close and personal, effectively presented for your edification and viewing pleasure at the expense of some tableau.

smile.gif


Indeed, this production was a big stretch for many of the artists involved and I truly appreciated their enthusiasm and success.

So, no real complaints from me and I hope you enjoy it.

For me, it's a very good version of a very popular musical which will nonetheless never rank among my favorites.


cool.gif


Your thoughts?
 
It was a good show with some stirring performances. I think the underlying story was great. In fact, after the show I downloaded a translation of Victor Hugo's novel onto my Kindle. Now whether I'll read the 1488 pages...
 
Hmmmmmmmmmmm, not much response here yet.

smile.gif


On other boards, where I've posted my review, the debate rages on and on: Did Russell Crowe's bad singing and poor acting playing "Javert" spoil this new Hollywood version of a beloved Broadway musical?

Was the live singing so challenging for the popular actor who gave us both "Maximus," a loyal, but adaptable, thoughtful, capable and brave general/gladiator of Rome and also the multitalented (hell, almost da Vincian) English "Master and Commander" on the far side of the world, miscast as the villain "Javert?"

Did this role require restraint or did Russell's lack of live singing talent quench every spark and/or limit any subtlety which Crowe might have provided when portraying the dull, but diligent, French military bureaucrat, who long sought and finally found the misjudged outcast and persecuted prisoner, who's now a redeemed man and a former antihero turned into the pillar of his community, "Jean Valjean?"

Did Crowe's lame, miserable, shaky vocal performance ruin this production of "Les Miserables?"

That's for each moviegoer to decide, but here's what I thought:



Javert could only see the black and white of the law and, in the end, won't even live his life when personally burdened with the receipt or dispensation of justice, love, charity, redemption or mercy.

As long as he was in CONTROL, he could exist within his boundaries protecting the status quo of the entitled.

But, when revolution (chaos) ripped at the world Javert knew and protected and when love and/or freedom arose as desirable, attainable goals for common human needs, Javert's black and white, regimented boundaries began to fail and he (and eventually the lawful regime he protected) took a fall.

I, in preparation, recently rented an older film version of "Les Miserables."

It shows whole scenes from the novel which were only briefly alluded to in song in the musical.

Victor Hugo wrote the entire story and this classic 1935 movie filmed a more complete version of it.

Watching that B&W oldie made the musical version's story easier to understand for me.

When Charles Laughton played "Javert" opposite Fredric March's "Valjean" in that classic movie, the whole story's plot progression was more defined and plainer to see, just as the same basic plot progression was similarly displayed when again Laughton (this time as "Captain Bligh") stood incorruptibly steadfast against changing circumstances in a new world facing another chaotic insurrection led by Clark Gable playing "Fletcher Christian" in that same cinematic year's "Mutiny on the Bounty."

smile.gif


I thought Crowe and "Javert" clearly became more and more uncomfortable acting, living AND SINGING when the complexities of that character's dutiful chosen life AND his musically assigned melodies made increased demands on Russell and the character he portrayed.

I don't know what portion of Crowe's total performance came at Tom Hooper's direction or how much resulted from Russell's talent parameters.

But I thought he did OK, despite being in the words of another, more iconic, Crowe character: "The lesser of two weevils."

Javert was a loser.

I can live with that.

So, when Crowe's limited vocal skills faltered as Javert's now obsolete life crumbled and he eventually fell, that could even be charitably praised by me as being good (or at least quite believable) casting and performance.

Since Javert was fatally flawed in life, I could realistically accept his having definite faults as a vocalist.

So he was both a loser and a poor singer.

I can live with that too!!

This, of course, to be considered, accepted or excepted after each viewer's evaluation of his performance and individual choice about what they needed or expected to see and hear.

smile.gif


I, myself, wouldn't have been drawn in (on crowded opening day, no less) to see this production of "Les Miserables" had it not offered me that "A" list Hollywood cast.

And I thought overall they met or exceeded my expectations.

Lots of tears were shed by my audience during this movie and plenty of applause was given when the credits rolled.

So, shared human emotion certainly defended the barricade and seemed to carry the day for my packed, appreciative audience.

However, I've heard nobody whistling any "catchy" tunes from this particular musical as they left the theater or since.

Nor do I expect to, here where "I Still Believe" that your "Memory" will "Climb Every Mountain," "If I Loved You" "On The Street Where You Live."

The Link

The Link

The Link

The Link

The Link

JMO.

cool.gif


Any thoughts?
 
I agreed with much of your evaluation. This is the first mnajor musical since Paint Your Wagon to feature non singers in lead roles. Crowe and Jackman did better than Lee Marvin and Clint Eastwood, no? I've had some training in classical singing and I wanted to pat Jackman on the head at times and say "nice try." He was up to the task most of the time but there were moments I wanted to cry for him. Crowe was never terrible but never very good either.

Hathaway was surprisingly proficient, as was the girl on the barricades. Cohen and Bonham Carter had voices that were indistinct and butchered the best song in the film.

A lot of the charm of the play comes from the highly abridged libretto of one of the great novels. It was read to me when I was a kid and I've read it twice in the last forty years and it gets better the older I get.


One final thought: we keep hearing about the attack on christianity; it wouild be hard to come up with a film that is more christian and specifically more catholic than this one.
 
My 14-year-old son saw the movie with his grandmother, mother and I and liked the movie, but wasn't as enthusiastic to accompany mom and grandma for a second viewing today. I told him I had downloaded the book and encouraged him to do the same saying "it's a kick-*** good book." I realized immediately that I had improperly sold Victor Hugo's genius, The good news is that if he reads it and looks up the words he doesn't know he'll make a lot of progress towards killer SAT scores. He's really a good reader. He's read all the novels The Game of Thrones is based on and reads a normal sized novel every week or so. He's not taken on a book so challenging as Les Miserables though.
 
Saw it today. An incredibly good movie, notwithstanding Crowe's lack of singing talent. Jackman and Hathaway were fabulous. Hathaway will win Best Supporting Actress. When I saw Lincoln, I walked out thinking nobody could challenge Lewis for Best Actor. Now, I'm not so sure. Jackman was really, really good.
 
I'm not the film critic FastFred it, but I grew up in the "musical" era, and love them - Oliver, Finian's Rainbow, Sound of Music, Funny Girl, etc...so a musical has to be pretty bad for me to really dislike it.

Loved Les Mis! Hathaway and Jackman far surpassed my expectations. I thought Jackman did as fine a job as Liam Neeson in the non-musical version. Hathaway was incredible and when she sang "I Dreamed a Dream" you were right there with her, or at least I was! I was mildly surprised by Russell Crowe's Javert. I have always felt that Javert was rather a stiff character, and Crowe did an OK job. I think, singing-wise, I would have rather seen Gerard Butler as Javert as he proved he can sing in Phantom. Geoffrey Rush did a better job with the subtleties of Javert, but Crowe's Javert did not detract from the movie for me. Sasha Baron Cohen & Helena Bonham Carter were both good in their roles, and like Crowe passable singing. SBC actually seemed to channel a bit of Fagan from Oliver, I thought. Marius, Eponine, and Cosette were all good, too. Could have been played by a handful of other young up and comers.

I will go see it again, as I am a sucker for the story. I have the book on Kindle thanks to Gutenberg Project. It is in the stack, just after this last Game of Thrones book.

Thanks to Fred for the awesome reviews of whatever the newest movie is. I usually do read it before we go and appreciate his efforts. Two thumbs up!
 
Agreed, and therefore film makers should make musicals in a fashion that makes it possible to suspend disbelief. I went knowing I would need to suspend disbelief, but it was too much ask in this film.

Here is the conclusion of a critic's review that voices some of my concerns in better language:
In reply to:
Click to expand...
 
I haven't seen it yet, and haven't decided. I loved the musical, and pretty much got hooked on watching Youtube clips of the 25th anniversary concert (not the actual play but basically the in-character performance of the songs.) It's absolutely spectacular, and my biggest concern was having to listen to Hugh Jackman sing after having heard Alfie Boe just blow the roof off it in the anniversary show.

The whole concert, if you're up for it

The finale... keep hankie handy

One Day More: the encore performance with the original cast. FYI the show had about 20 minutes of encore and I didn't see a single person in the arena sit down.

Samantha Barks sings On My Own... yeah she's pretty good.

Alife Boe makes 20,000 people cry
 
Saw it yesterday with the girlfriend. When the lights came up, she turned to me and said, "I think the actors were terrific but it seemed to go on forever."

I was relieved to hear it. I was worried that she'd be effusive and I would just swallow my similar criticism until later not to spoil her enjoyment.

I've seen the criticism of Crowe's singing but in the end, I agree with the Austin Chronicle critic who wrote that the uneveness of some of the voices gives the movie a warmth and humanity that too much polish may have omitted.

I believe Jackman is an established singer, from wikipedia:
.
In reply to:
Click to expand...
 
I watched it a second time on DVD. I guess I'm "slow" on the uptake and some things came through much better with a second showing and other opportunities to hear the music.

Plus I'm reading the novel. Victor Hugo was a genius of character exposition and I was incredibly moved and touched the second time I watched this. This movie was a worthy of the novel ... a book that requires time and effort and delivers commensurate reward.

Ann Hathaway deserves every award she received. Crowe did his role justice and the music wasn't always pretty, but if the participants sometimes missed the notes, they never missed the message. The songs intended to be touching were incredibly touching and when the music was intended to be fun or lift your spirits, it achieves.
 
Crockett, I was very impressed when that Hollywood A list cast sang live at the Oscars.

And "LM" won the Academy Award in Sound Mixing (recognizing the achievement of recording the singing live for the movie), as I'd predicted.


cool.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Weekly Prediction Contest

* Predict HORNS-AGGIES *
Sat, Nov 30 • 6:30 PM on ABC

Recent Threads

Prediction Results Threads

2024 Schedules

Back
Top