Tom Hooper's gargantuan adaptation of the beloved musical Les Miserables flourishes with the revolutionary fervour its tale deserves, whilst maintaining focus on individual struggles amidst the romantic clamor of its self-proclaimed 'angry men' 's vocal blusterings.
Disclaimer: First of all I have to say if you don't like musicals or you don't like Les Miserables in particular, you will most likely not like this film. Obvious as not letting your gran watch Saw, I know.
Set in 19th century France, the film focalizes on the lives of revolting (in every definition of the word) peasants, principally one Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman), a man who broke his parole to fulfill his life ambition of being a mayor and saving peasant girls. Amongst his altruistic endeavors JVJ saves clumsy villagers from being crushed under carts, prostitutes from being slung in prison and battle survivors by dragging them through a sewer - (you have to ask, is there no other way?), while being persued by the persistent jobsworth Javert, played by none other than the man who made whispering cool: Russel Crowe, who I still can't help but feel has an ulterior motive for hunting Valjean down so vigorously, but you can check out fan fiction for that. All of this excitement takes place against the backdrop of the Paris uprising of 1832.
The casting was exceptional; there are so many standout performances here. For example, the relatively unknown Samantha Bark's cast as Eponine was inspired. Moreover, Hugh Jackman proves himself as more than just mildly-witty hulk of meat Wolverine.
But it is Anne Hathaway who has had critics drooling, and rightly so. Perhaps a career defining performance, she plays aforementioned reluctant prostitute Fantine. Whilst I was previously not a fan of the actress, she steals the show and will reduce mums across the world to weeping wrecks with her performance, particularly in her rendition of 'I Dreamed a Dream', which she reclaims from the deviant clutches of Su-Bo.
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| Sam Barks as unlucky in love Eponine |
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| Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen as the delightful Thenardiers. |
What is so refreshing about Les Miserables was its sense of authenticity. As you may or may not know, the singing was recorded on set. This enabled the actors to perform spontaneously with each take, and gives each performance more of a raw feel. Their expressions aren't completely placid as they hit a high note which is often the case with pre-recorded singing. The strain in reaching the note enhances the strain the character is going through - as you may have guessed (the clue's in the title) none of the songs are about being happy.
Additionally, I was struck by the somewhat brave portrayal of these actors in their ugliest form (except from Amanda Seyfried, who refuses or doesn't know how to ever look bad). Hugh Jackman really does look like he's lived a hard life, what with his gaunt face and haphazard haircut (below). The scene where Fantine's hair is cut off is Anne Hathaway's actual hair, so her devastated reaction to the loss is genuine. Nobody has the 'hollywood' white teeth here. All of this embellishes the verisimilitude and ultimate identification with what we are seeing - these are a bunch of smelly peasants trying to live a better life.
An accomplished, (eventually) uplifting piece of cinema, Les Miserables should delight closet and outed musical fans alike.
