My first experience of the giant that was Les Miserables was in primary school. I must have been 9 or 10 and had a teacher with the most angelic voice and admiration of music. She thought us Castle on a Cloud and after a while (and half a year of singing it over and over) I grew tiresome of it. At that age I didn't understand how beautiful and heart-wrenching a song it really was. We where never told the story or it's context. A few years later when I was around 11/12, I saw a school edition of the must loved Hugo novel and I suppose that was the moment I fell in love with it. This story filled with so many conflicting emotions made an impress on little me. From then on it's been a love affair with the oh so famous story. When I first heard a few years ago that production companies where wanting to make a film of Les Miserables, I got very excited. Finally a screen version that might do it justice. In the meantime I watched the 10th and 25th on repeat, along with countless youtube videos. Waiting, waiting, waiting.Alas the film is finally out and I ran to see it last night (opening night) In a full theater, buzzing with excitement and anticipation I was finally going to see the film that has been so much hyped. I must admit I loved it; The film's a beautiful representation of The Brick.
The opening is a bit rushed in my opinion. For someone who doesn't know the story, it would be quite disorientating but I suppose Tom Hooper did need to inject some pace to keep the more wandering attentions contained. The scenery is incredible and makes me want to visit France! Look down is spectacularly filmed and Huge is unrecognizable in his convict get-up. Colm Wilkinson is a joy as ever and I think it was a great show of respect to have him be the honorable Bishop. (His version of Bring Him Home makes even my dad teary. He's fantastic) I also adore the use of steady cam. I'm a huge fan of this style of filming because I think it captures so much more emotion and makes it feel as though the audience are watching something live rather then on film. Kudos Mr Hooper.
In general, Hugh Jackman plays a great Jean Valjean. He's full of emotion and heart and really captures the ex convicts terror and stress as he maneuvers life. Valjean's Soliloquy was done fantastically. Jackman captures Valjean's torment and horror perfectly. My dear mother's first reaction on hearing this was "I didn't know HE was Irish...." and I have to say he does seem to have what could be considered a tiny bit of an Irish twang when he sings this. I was annoyed they didn't add Valjean's robbing of the young boy's coin because I think it's quite important in showing how degraded his character has become. It would have only taken a few seconds but I suppose in movie time, that's forever.
At the End of the Day shows us the nitty gritty of France's underworld but as I've said before I think it was a bit slowly paced. When you do watch it however, you can see the musical reasoning behind that - it gives us a bit more details and time to show real-life clearly. The factory scene is filmed well and I love the clarity of the setting.
Here we meet Fantine (played spectacularly by Anne Hataway) With very little screen-time Anne steals the stage per say and damn does she have a set of lungs on her! Her downward spiral is shown so well and as Lovely Ladies continues, we see Fantine becoming more and more distressed I think doing the time passing here was a great way to keep the pace and show her life and it's horrors. By the time we get to the closing of the song ('Come on captain, you can wear your shoes.....") Hataway really and truely convinces us of how much Fantine has given up. The sorrow in her voice is so evident and this is heartbreaking. Hataway's stand-out moment by far is I Dreamed a Dream and without doubt, this is the reason she's gotten so many award noms in the past few days. Hooper could have gone for a spectical but choose (correctly) to tone it down and focus purely on Anne's face throughout the entire song. Anything more would have ruined the beautifully gut-wrenching vocal. If she doesn't get an Oscar, it;s a farce! At the end of her song, a lone lady in the cinema stood up and cheered and I think I whould have too if I where not so engrossed in the film. Skipping a bit forward, I loved Cosette's appearance in Fantine's death scene and showed a mother's love never dies.
We may have to briefly address the elephant in the room (No pun intended) but Russel Crowe really isn't the best singer. He came and saw but alas didn't conquer. He is a very good actor though and he was great at depicting emotion. Javert is full of resentment and we get that from the off. The Confrontation was good but masked a little by the sword fighting.
Enter little Cosette(newcomer Isabelle Allen) in a beautiful rendition of Castle on a Cloud) and the ever amazing Helena Bohan Carter as the wretched Mme. Thenadier. In all honesty, I adore the Thenadier and Helena's husband (played by Sasha Baron Cohan) where hilarious! There where laughs all round in the theater. Master of the House was great and I particually love the nod to Santa and Little Eponnie's appearance in the middle of the scheming.When Cosette is finally rescued from the wretched pair, new song Suddenly is there to rip our hearts out a bit with it's beauty. Why so many die-hard Les Miserable fans don't like it, I fail to see. It's beautiful and lyrical and just what the story needed to show Valjean's change of character..
I love Gavroche, I really do and I think he;s so understated as a Les Mis charachter. I love his little run through the streets as again Look down is reprised Here the poor people reminded me a little of zombies but that's just my funny look at things. The students arrive pretty quickly and without a lot of backstory (My Mother's comic timing once again "Where have all the pretty boys come from? Who are they?") Again for someone who might not be schooled in the story or in history moreover, this may have been a source of confusion. Aaron Tveit is a strong Enjoras - the steadfast and beautiful revolutionary boy. I must admit before proceeding that I'm not much of an Eddie Redmayne fan (shoot me, go on) I think it's his voice or demeanor but he makes an alright Marius. I'm still annoyed that the beginning of ABC Cafe was cut as it's one of my favorite parts but alas it wasn't me directing. Also "Grantaire, put that bottle down" - a fan favorite was left out. Maybe we'll see it in the directors cut (if there is one!) In General the student;s aren't really developed as characters. Yes, we see Enjoras is the leader but we don't really get an idea of the other characters which is a bit disappointing.
A Heart Full of Love was great as ever (I do like how Redmayne says "Pontmerci.....) Samantha Barks as ever is an amazing Eponine and she really, really showed her love for Marius and how horrid she felt seeing him in love with someone else so well. On My Own brings a tear to my eye everything I hear her singing it ans again, a great performance! I wish I had her voice!
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Do You Hear the People Sing is one of my favorite songs and justice is done to it (AMEN) As revolution approaches I love the show of a little bit of Grantaire's personality (Kissing the lady for her chair, the cheaky bugger!) and the students excitement and anticipation is really evident as they build the barricade. The newly mustached Hadley Frasier is this time standing at the other side of the barricade - as a National Guard officer awaiting the kill. It's nice to see a whole host of West End stars taking to the screen. Little People is great - Daniel Huttlestone is going to be a great star in the future methinks! It however, only makes his impending death a little more difficult to bear. I love Hooper's decision to stick to the book as Marius chooses to risk death for the cause. Eponine - ever brave causes one of the storys most heartbreaking deaths as she finally gets what she wants moments before death - to be the arms of her love (A Little Fall of Rain) It has been noted however that once she dies, she's dead and her loss isn't really mentioned again which I think could have been corrected. Grantire's starting of Drink With Me is a great idea and I the boys are clearly terrified at the prospect of death but willing to die for the cause if needs be. Again, this is stripped nice and bare to peel back emotion. Bring Him home is done with very raw emotion - kudos Hugh!
Just when we think we're getting over Eponine's death BANG her little brother is brutely shot as he tried to aid the revolution. Fra Fee killed me here. He has such a brutal cry and as he's pulled back from the barricade by his friend's, I just wanted to scream. As the final battle insues, students fall one by one. The one thing that got my attention her was the students banging on the doors to try and escape their certain death. I never thought such a little action could effect me so much as an audience member and again I wanted to scream at those inside to open up. As the last few students retreat and the army continue their tirade - the looks of fear nearly did my poor heart in (at this point I was teary eyed) Bang and then there's one - Enjoras rises to die for his Patria but he's not alone and alas he and Grantire die alongside one another (TEARS) They didn't really explain Grantaire being asleep and it looked as though he was just appearing out of a corner .... and there was no hand-holding or "Viva la Republique" I guess Hooper didn't think the book's ending for the much loved pair wouldn't translate well on screen.
As the film nears a close and Paris returns to it's every day events - Marius recovers in hospital with his love Cosette at his side, I must give Eddie credit - he did an amazing rendition of Empty Chairs and Empty Tables - surrounded by what remains of his friends lives. Once again the Thérnardier's provided some comic relieve but pray wait, within a minute dear Valjean passes away with a before last song with the bishop and Fantine (Hooper, I like it, i like it a lot!) As the film draws to a close we see a collection of lost souls, revolutionaries and ordinary people alike join in a crusade chores of Do You Hear the People Sing. I am always a little taken a back by large groups singing in unison and this was perfect ending to a great film! A round of applause all round as the credits roll and all I want to do is watch the film all over again.
In essence, I loved it. I really did. I will also admite I sobbed through the entire thing but I wasn't alone. There where grown men near me crying - one who remarked that he had to "dry his eyes before the lights come up" It's just a tale that has THAT sort of effect on people. Perhaps some parts could have been done far better but it's flaws that we must accept. I also hope to see a director's cut soon!
Alas, I have finally finished what I wanted to be a brief review. If you've read all of this I owe you a piece of cheesecake or trifle or at least my eternal love.Please keep in mind I'm not a very good writer and my spelling is atrocious - you have been warned.
What did you think of Les Mis?
Orla xo
