Les Miserables
If you've always wanted to see the musical on stage but missed it. Here's your chance to watch it on the big screen. It's not as good as the stage production but it's Oscar-worthy.
Directed by: Tom Hooper
Starring:
Hugh Jacksman, Eddie Redmayne, Samantha Barks
, Helena Bonham Carter,
Russell Crowe,Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfied, Sacha Baron Cohen
Directing this Hollywood production is Oscar-winning director Tom Hooper (The King's Speech), who did a brilliant job. The movie is set in the 19th century where we meet Jean Valjean, a slave who is taunted by Javert. Valjean is sentenced to 19 years in prison for stealing bread for his hungry family. He soon escapes and disappears. Years pass and now Valjean is a respectable mayor in a French city. But Valjean has to keep looking over his shoulder for Javert who is determined to bring this felon to justice. As luck would have it, Valjean meets factory worker Fantine, who is forced into prostitution to save her sick daughter. When Fantine dies, Valjean tries to keep his promise of looking after her daughter. It's not until after the movie that you'll realise that it could not have been an easy task bringing this musical to the big screen. The right actors had to be found, ones who could carry a tune to boot.
If I would to judge this movie solely on the actors' singing, it would not have gotten this many stars from me. For Russell Crowe, who plays Javert, this must have been his toughest role. Maybe he should stick to action movies and dramas. As for Hugh Jackman, who takes on the lead role as Valjean. The man can sing, but there's nothing boomingly spectacular about his singing chops. The actors who did shine? Well, there was Amanda Seyfried who plays Cosette, Fantine's daughter. Seyfried is no stranger to musicals having performed in the other big screen musical, Mama Mia!. Anne Hathaway as Fantine also had a set of lungs on her, but the actor who would get you sitting up and taking notice is Eddie Redmayne who plays Marius, the guy Cosette has her eye on.
He belted out the script with ease and it truly brought music to my ears. While Les Miserables is a gripping tale of war, redemption and hope, there are some comical moments thanks to Madame Thénardier (Helena Bonham Carter) and Thénardier (Sacha Baron Cohen), who both faired well in their roles of thieves who steal from practically anyone they can get their hands on. They also have a daughter named Éponine (Samantha Banks). This new comer has some rather impressive vocals as well. If you're not a fan of musicals,
Les Miserables will surely not be your cup of tea, but how can you not be curious about Tom Hooper's version of this epic musical? Note: Bring a packet of tissue if you're the weeping kind, and we advise a trip to the bathroom before the two-hour forty-minute show starts.
