Multiple : United Kingdom : Rated - PG13 : Running Time - 158 mins
Les Miserables is in the pantheon of most beloved musicals of all time. Adapted from Victor Hugo's epic 1862 novel of the same name, Les Miserables is as grand in scale on film as it is in volume of literature. The story is set in post-revolutionary France and centers around ex-prisoner Jean Valjean who, after serving his time and breaking parole, decides to reinvent himself and begin a new life while being obsessively pursued by Javert, a policeman determined to put him away for life. Valjean agrees to become caretaker to Cosette, the daughter of Fantine, a seamstress once under the employ of Valjean and subsequently forced onto the streets. Cosette grows up and falls in love with Marius, a young man deeply involved in the anti-monarchist movement currently gaining strength in the Parisian underground. Valjean must decide between protecting Cosette as he has sworn to do and allowing her to live her own life.
Tom Hooper, known previously for earning his Oscar for directing with 2010's "The King's Speech," should be commended for engineering a very bold attempt at capturing everything Les Miserables has to offer. Hooper's vision for revamping Les Mis was to have the actors sing live while acting, as opposed to traditional practices of having actors lip sync to music previously recorded in the studio. A change that would try and break down the wall between film and live stage performance. A change that also has a lot to do with the flaws of the film. In solo instances the performances can be very moving but in ensemble numbers the mix between live singing and recorded background becomes very muddled causing many of the lyrics to be missed. Secondly, the point of allowing the actors freedom to sing live provides them the advantage of having their acting influence the music not the other way around. This should make for a more captivating experience, however it is very rarely capitalized on and most scenes are so sweeping in scale, that the personal, stage-performance feel is lost.
The cast of Les Miserables truly define ensemble as the film is so evenly balanced with incredible talent. Hugh Jackman was born to play Jean Valjean and doesn't disappoint. Russell Crowe (Javert), despite harsh criticisms of his performance is not all that bad. It seems the role is more out of his vocal range and suffers more for that than his acting performance. Award show darling Anne Hathaway (Fantine), does an amazing job in this film, albeit for five minutes. If you are expecting a gripping, two hour, career defining performance, you will be disappointed. Amanda Seyfried (Cosette) and Eddie Redmayne (Marius) are quietly impressive and provide hope for the future of the acting landscape. While young Daniel Huttlestone is very entertaining as Gavroche, a rebellious little boy.
This brings me to my favorite parts of the film. Sacha Baron Cohen, Helena Bonham Carter and Samantha Barks. Cohen and Carter, dressed as though they just stepped out from a Tim Burton movie (God knows they probably were) and as if they were performing these roles in their spare time, absolutely steal this film. As Monsieur and Madame Thenardier, their "Master of the House" number is the highlight of the entire film. Samantha Barks making her motion picture debut, was astounding as Eponine, a role she played for the Les Miserable 25th Anniversary Concert. Her role provides incredible heart to a film that can be so overwhelming at times it glosses over its emotional core. In my opinion she gives the best singular performance of the film.
Les Miserables is an experience that can be captivating at times and very convoluted at others. In my opinion it will always be best enjoyed live on stage where the emotion can be felt more effectively and performances appreciated more accurately.
Snobby Art House Rating - B
No comments:
Post a Comment