The first time I saw Les Miserables on Broadway I was 13. I
sat in the front row, dead center, and watched specks of spit fly from Jean
Valjean as he sang “Who Am I” and jumped as the lovely ladies reached off the
edge of the stage as though they would drag me up onto it and trembled as
Epinine died in Marius’ arms on the barricade. Since that first Les Mis experience, I’ve seen the
musical on Broadway 6 more times until they finally took it off Broadway for
good. (Please bring it back, please, please!)
I’ve read the novel. (yes, unabridged! I teach English, would you expect anything
else?) Killed my CDs from continuous listening, and can sing any part pretty
much on command. I’ve watched the PBS Les
Mis concert til my DVD wore out. And, to complete the cliché, I bought the
T-shirt. I am a Les Mis junkie. (We
can be a bit possessive about this beloved musical at times, but it’s all in
good fun. Usually.) So when I heard they were making a Les Miserables movie that Cameron Mackintosh was producing, to say
I was excited would be a supreme understatement.
Sitting in the cinema was like reliving
my first Les Mis experience. In a
sold-out theater, the only seats left were front row, dead center. I was elated
(though my husband was far from it). And my mind is still reeling from the
enormity of the experience. I wanted to offer just a few thoughts in response,
but at this point, I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone. If you know the
story of Les Mis at all, then there’s
really nothing I can say that will give away the storyline. However, if you
haven’t seen the movie yet, I might recommend that you come back and read the
rest of this once you have. And I promise that no matter what I say from here
on, the movie is absolutely breath-stealing. You will not regret dropping $10
(or more) and 2 ½ hours of your life on it. No gushing superlative can do it
justice because it’s just that good. So go. Watch it. And see you back here
once you have--I want to hear your thoughts!
Now, if you’re still reading, either
you have seen the movie or you aren’t worried about anything getting spoiled,
so here we go. These are some of my observations:
·
The
opening scene was astounding.
That is a scene I was unprepared for. In the musical the opening scene is
simply a lead-in to the story of Jean Valjean in prison. In the movie it is
epic. A scene of Ben Hur or Gone With the Wind proportions. It is
amazing and horrifying all at once. And I loved that that scene opens the
movie. Amazing interpretation and vision.
·
The
vocals were done live. Because the actors actually had music piping in
their ear and they sang each scene live, it gave great immediacy to the action.
Nothing felt canned or pantomimed. The actors, too, seemed freer to interpret
their character and indwell each scene. The gritty was grittier. The tortured
was more tortuous. The joyful was sheer elation. The live-performance worked
exceptionally well for 99% of the actors. However, because there was no studio
to clean up any vocal flaws, there were moments when the vocals fell short of
their mark.
apnatimepass.com
·
Russell
Crowe as Inspector Javert. Since seeing Russell Crowe in L.A. Confidential and Gladiator, I am a loyal Crowe fan. However,
this seems to be a situation where they chose to cast a big name over the
perfect actor for the part. Russell Crowe is an exceptional actor. And, yes,
he’s in a band and can carry a tune. In fact, he has quite a pleasing voice
when not straining into the upper reaches of his register. However, Hugo’s
character of Javert always seemed to me a sinister and tortured man. He found
his only salvation in the law and it failed him. And I didn’t see anything in
Russell Crowe’s portrayal of Javert that exuded that inner torture.
Additionally, because of the limits of Crowe’s vocal range, there were several
climactic moments in the movie (the song “Stars” in particular comes to mind)
that fell flat—a missed dramatic opportunity where junkies like myself are sitting
on the edge of our seats, waiting for that note to be hit and sustained and the
world to stop spinning for a moment while Javert vows to bring Valjean to
justice. Unfortunately, in the movie, that moment never came. This is when the live,
out-of-the-studio performance did not serve well. (However, had Crowe portrayed Javert
a bit more convincingly, I might have been more forgiving of his vocal
short-comings.) Although, along with being a Les Mis junkie, I am also a musician and can be a bit particular. My
husband, on the other hand, has not a musical bone in his body, and he didn’t mind
the absence of sustained, full-voiced, upper-register notes within some of
Javert’s scenes. Which again tells me that those making this movie are aiming
at the commercial, mass-market. They know us theater geeks will come. They want
the rest of the world to show up, too. (I sound cynical…I’m really not. I
promise.)
thedailybeast.com
·
Fantine
as portrayed by Anne Hathaway. Hathaway has such an intensity and a
vulnerability that perfectly encapsulates the character of Fantine. Even now my
stomach churns thinking about some of her scenes. And Hathaway’s rendition of
“I Dreamed a Dream” was spot-on. Stunning. Moving. But this creates a problem
which brings me to my next point.
·
Hathaway
was perfect. What? Okay, hear me out. On stage, Fantine’s storyline is
tragic. Sad. Heart-breaking. On screen, Fantine’s storyline is horrifying,
disturbing, almost gruesome. Yes, in real-life, it would have been. However,
her on-screen story took me so far into the dark that I had trouble pulling
myself back out once Valjean steps in and offers salvation for her daughter.
Fantine handing over Cosette and Valjean claiming her as his own is supposed to
be his “new beginning.” (And Les Mis, after all, is Valjean’s story, not
Fantine’s.) But I couldn’t fully feel the glow of that salvation because I was
still shrouded in the shadow of Fantine’s fall. Which is due in part to
Hathaway doing her job so ridiculously well. But this seems a directorial
failing, rather than a failing on Hathaway’s part. I say that because when
Valjean goes to get Cosette and we first meet the Thenardiers at the inn and
they sing “Master of the House,” it’s supposedly a comic scene. However the Thenardiers
(played by Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter) in the movie do not
provide enough comic relief. “Master of the House” should segue from the dark
of Fantine’s death to comic relief in the inn to the hope and joy of Valjean
finding Cosette and beginning a new life. But there was no segue. The director
did not direct my eye away from the darkness; I had to do it on my own. And while
this is maybe only a slight failing, for me it made my transition out of Fantine's storyline a bit bumpy.
Universal Studios
·
Hugh
Jackman as Jean Valjean. While Jackman
has serious musical theater experience, I still had my doubts. And there were a
couple moments where I cringed (particularly when he sings “Bring Him Home”
over a sleeping Marius on the barricade. Another example of the downside of a
live performance). But Jackman was stalwartly convincing from start to
finish. In particular, I was drawn in
during the song early on, “What Have I Done”. He hooked me there so securely,
so completely that even when there were a few weak vocal moments, they didn’t
bother me. I was so absorbed in his character. I also loved the new song “Suddenly”
that was written for the movie, which Valjean sings as he is trying to leave
Paris with Cosette. A beautiful job by Jackman, very touching. I also
appreciated that the all-star Jean
Valjean who played the role on Broadway and London’s West End for years (Colm[C.T.] Wilkinson) was cast in the role of the priest for the movie. Homage to
one of the Les Mis greats, it was a
treat to see him perform in the movie after loving him on Broadway.
·
Eddie
Redmayne as Marius. Marius is the crown jewel of this movie. I felt a
twinge of disappointment when Redmayne first appeared on scene. He seemed too
boyish. Not strong enough for such a leading role. But then he started to sing.
He was brilliant. And, for me, this is a big deal. Because
after the barricade falls, Marius must sing my favorite of all favorites,
“Empty Chairs and Empty Tables.” And if that doesn’t go down well, then the
sour taste in my mouth is near-impossible to get rid of. (Because that is MY
song, and if you screw it up, we’re gonna have words. Did I mention we junkies
can be a bit possessive?) But, good Lord, Redmayne delivered. It was soaring
and agonizing at once. Like Hathaway, Redmayne does his job
perfectly. Had I not been in a crowded theater (and had my husband’s hand not
been holding firmly to my own because he knows I’m prone to outbursts of
enthusiasm in a musical setting), I would have applauded with vigor as the
final notes floated away. Brava. In fact, Marius steals the show from Cosette
played by Amanda Seyfried. I hate to say it, but Redmayne carried Seyfried (whose
performance seemed to me merely adequate…but I digress.) Overall, Redmayne came
as a delightful surprise. And it is primarily his performance—okay, along with
Hathaway’s and Jackman’s—that would keep bringing me back to the big screen version. But, of course, it is the story and the music that will always remain the compelling factors for me--far more than the actors themselves. Because they do what both story and music are meant to do: transcend.
And,
for the record, no, I did not sing
along during the movie. I am a considerate theater-attender. But all bets are
off when this comes out on DVD and I’m in the seclusion of my own home.
(Neighbors, be warned!)
These are only a smattering of thoughts I've collected, but there's so much more that could be said. I’d love to hear
your thoughts on the movie, the musical, or all things Les Mis related! (I know I’m not the only Les Mis junkie out there!)
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