Les Miserables (2012)
Director: Tom Hooper
Stars: Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway
There were so many reasons that this could have been a very long movie for me. For one, I'm not a huge fan of musicals. For another, nearly every line of the film is sung. It's nearly a three hour movie. Put all those together, and it's a three hour musical film where nearly every line is sung. Definitely not my cup of tea, and yet it worked very well for me.
Hugh Jackman said in an interview with 60 Minutes that he felt that this was the role he was always preparing for, and it comes through from the very first scene. The intensity burns out of his eyes throughout the film. His character, Jean Valjean, is pursued by Inspector Javert (Crowe) for breaking probation, and the scenes involving the two are among the best in the film. Crowe seems like an odd choice for a musical, but after the initial distraction of hearing him sing, his intensity propels the film. Hathaway's singing alone is worth the price of admission (and worth the price of the soundtrack). Sasha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter (a Tim Burton favorite in a Burton-esque role) are ghoulish as thieving innkeepers.
It's a bit wearying to sit through so many songs, but the stars make Les Miserables a memorable film. It was a brilliant decision to have everyone sing live- it would have been a far different film if the performances were dubbed. Definitely recommended.
No comments:
Post a Comment