#1148- Les Misérables (2012)Starring: Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway
Directed by: Tom Hooper
Plot Summary: After serving a nineteen-year prison sentence for stealing a loaf of bread, Jean Valjean is released on parole by prison guard Inspector Javert. Vowing to start a new life, Valjean goes missing and violates his parole, and resurfaces a changed man as the mayor of Montreuil-sur-Mer. His past comes back to haunt him as Javert has made his way to the town, but is unable to recognize Valjean at first. Meanwhile, one of Valjean's workers named Fantine is fired and is forced to enter a life of prostitution to financially support her daughter, Cosette. Feeling guilty for what he has done, Valjean assures Fantine that he will take care of Cosette, while he also tries to once again escape Javert.
I'll never forget when I went with my grandmother on Christmas Day in 2012 to watch Les Misérables in theaters. Going into it, I knew absolutely nothing about the book or the Broadway musical, but I knew this film had a lot of hype from fans of both, so it had a lot to deliver. I knew nothing about the plot, so I begged my grandmother to not spoil what was going to happen so I could have natural responses to what I was seeing on film for the first time. The result was me bawling my eyes out in the theaters along with everyone else. Why did I cry you might ask? Because a majority of the performances were so moving, the plot was so emotional, and the music was so beautiful, that I was moved to tears. Then I went home and read the reviews to find that a lot of people loved it and a lot of people hated it. With such a split decision, I knew I couldn't focus on what the majority thought and only needed to focus on what I liked and disliked about the film.
Hugh Jackman was a great choice to play Jean Valjean due to his successful career in musical theater. Jackman commanded the screen with his voice and is a great protagonist to follow throughout the film because of the various layers he has as a character. The multiple relationships he has with the rest of the characters are apparent and explored as much as the film would allow. It's also great to see and hear him sing alongside Colm Wilkinson, the original Valjean in the stage adaptation, who plays a Bishop who helps Valjean in starting a new life. Another enjoyable performance was Anne Hathaway as Fantine. Despite not having as much screen time as other main characters, Fantine makes a huge impact on the plot and Hathaway does a great job of giving the character both a physical and emotional transformation. Her performance of "I Dreamed a Dream" was enjoyed by most viewers and is a true highlight of the film's style since it is all filmed in one, long take. While her performance was fantastic, it was also a representation of how the beautiful music is not entirely cheerful, and was the first moment of the film that had most people crying in the theater. Not everyone can turn in great singing performances like Jackman and Hathaway, however, as is the case with Russell Crowe as Javert. Everyone in the world has made jokes at how bad Crowe was at singing, to which I'll admit that he wasn't the best, but that doesn't make him a bad singer. His singing is more based on rock and roll (he did have a band after all) rather than the style of music in Les Misérables, so it makes sense why his voice would seem off from the rest, but I wouldn't say he's the absolute worst singer of the film. To me, the worst singer in the film was Amanda Seyfried as Cosette. I didn't notice it the first time I saw the film, but every time after, my goodness are her high notes shrill. Seyfried has a decent voice but cannot harmonize to save her life in this film, and every song she sings is cringe worthy and makes you want to cover your ears (or her mouth depending on how cynical you want to be).
The object of Cosette's affection is Marius Pontmercy, played by Eddie Redmayne. Redmayne is able to provide a good singing voice, but for a very whinny character. Almost everything Marius speaks of concerning love was full of obnoxious, eye-rolling clichés, not to mention the fact that he is irresponsible for two very important relationships in his life because of Cosette. He loses focus on the rebellion he and his best friend Enjolras, played by Aaron Tveit, are planning, making Enjolras look more like a stoic and noble leader and Marius look like more of a distraction due to not being in the right state of mind during their battles. But the biggest complaint about Marius is how he ignores Éponine, played by Samantha Barks. Everything I said in my Chicago review about Roxie and Amos, you could replace with Marius and Éponine and multiply it by 10. What makes Éponine even more pitiful than Amos is in her musical performances. Her rendition of "On My Own" was one of the best highlights of the film and propelled Barks into the minds and hearts of the audience, and makes us annoyed with Marius that much more. Kudos to the casting director for casting Barks, who has played Éponine in the stage production before.
While the music is beautiful, it is mostly dark, emotional, and not the kind of songs that usually create a feel-good feeling with the audience. The only exception of a "fun" song is "Master of the House," performed by the Thénardiers, played by Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter. The song serves as a nice break from the dramatic narrative and has the most comedic tone of the film, which is heavily accentuated due to the performances by Cohen and Carter. They find their way into the plot numerous times after the plot, and when they do, they are still able to deliver that hilarious, yet eye-rolling, brand of levity that the audience can appreciate in-between a heavily dramatic (and emotionally exhausting) plot.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Les Misérables is one of those films that everyone has an opinion about, either good or bad. It's not perfect, but still very much enjoyable, and I strongly recommend that everyone see the film at least once to form an opinion on it, and if you like it, it is definitely worth owning in your DVD collection.
Comment below to share your thoughts on the movie or to discuss a topic that I left out of my review
Les Misérables and movie images are copyrighted by Universal Pictures
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