Les Miserables: Even the thread will make you cry

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This is a continuation thread, the old thread is [split]364171[/split]

 

[terry78]

So far Hugh Jackman is Jean Valjean and it looks like Anne Hathaway may be Fantine.


http://collider.com/anne-hathaway-les-miserables/112131/

 

[sideburnking]

This looks great!
In particular, I LOVE the casting of Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham- Carter as the Thenardiers. I bet it'll be worth every penny of the ticket price just to see/ hear the two of them performing 'Master of the House'!

 

[danoyse]

I actually thought Gerald Butler was terrible as The Phantom, and Patrick Wilson sang circles around him. I was most disappointed with the part of The Phantom in the movie.

I didn't like him as the Phantom either. His singing voice wasn't strong enough for the role, and he looked too pretty to be a deformed creature living under an opera house.

And I don't believe Hugh Jackman turned down the role, I seem to recall he was filming Van Helsing and wasn't available, he was never officially offered the role.

He sang part of Music of the Night on SNL a few years back, though.

 

[sideburnking]

I didn't like him as the Phantom either. His singing voice wasn't strong enough for the role, and he looked too pretty to be a deformed creature living under an opera house.

Definitely a good call about the Phantom's appearance in the movie, it was nowhere near as disfigured as it should have been, he looked just like he accidentally leaned a little too close to a lit candle or something. An average hospital's Burn Ward will have people who'd look 10 times as disfigured as Butler's Phantom looked like in that movie.

 

[DACrowe]

I actually thought Gerald Butler was terrible as The Phantom, and Patrick Wilson sang circles around him. I was most disappointed with the part of The Phantom in the movie.

He left a lot to be desired. I think he brought a lot of great raw emotion to the role. Similar to how certain performances were done in Sweeney (or even Hathaway herself in Les Mis), he brought emotion to the music to compensate for the limitations of his voice. That said those others seemed to work better, because the Phantom is such a powerful vocal role and Butler left a lot to be desired. It didn't help that Schumaucher downplayed his deformity and dressed him in tight pants and harlequin shirts.

But yeah, Wilson and Rossum were great in that film. Too bad the Phantom couldn't bring it like they did. Oh well.

 

[danoyse]

The Phantom film was pretty enough, but I was never that crazy about it. The new 25th anniversary version that just came out with Ramin Karimloo as the Phantom is pretty cool, though. I just got that on blu-ray.

And Ramin Karimloo has got serious Phantom cred: he played the Phantom in the West End production and in the sequel, Love Never Dies. He's also played Raoul on the West End, and he played Christine's father in he Schumacher film.

He's also played Enjolras, Marius, and Jean Valjean in the West End production of Les Miserables...and he played Enjolras in the 25th Anniversary concert.

 

[Silvermoon]

On Gerard. I think he worked for what the film was. If Schumacher hadn't made it the way he did (it was, I don't know, too bright, almost cheerful when it shouldn't have been) If it had instead been a far darker gothic romance that it should've been - I might've had more issue with Gerard in the role (if that makes sense)

The Phantom film was pretty enough, but I was never that crazy about it. The new 25th anniversary version that just came out with Ramin Karimloo as the Phantom is pretty cool, though. I just got that on blu-ray.

And Ramin Karimloo has got serious Phantom cred: he played the Phantom in the West End production and in the sequel, Love Never Dies. He's also played Raoul on the West End, and he played Christine's father in he Schumacher film.

He's also played Enjolras, Marius, and Jean Valjean in the West End production of Les Miserables...and he played Enjolras in the 25th Anniversary concert.

Yeah, the 25th anniversary is probably my definitive production of POTO now when I need a visual fix (I've always had to rely on touring productions of the show, and since it's not touring in the states right now....). Ramin Karimloo just blows me away as Phantom (the only man to have been able to play all three of Christine's great loves), and to tie this back to Les Mis, I love his Enjolras in 25th Les Mis (personally, I think they should've axed Jonas as Marius, put Ramin in that role, and found someone else for Enjolras... but that could just been me )

 

[danoyse]

Yeah, the 25th anniversary is probably my definitive production of POTO now when I need a visual fix (I've always had to rely on touring productions of the show, and since it's not touring in the states right now....). Ramin Karimloo just blows me away as Phantom (the only man to have been able to play all three of Christine's great loves), and to tie this back to Les Mis, I love his Enjolras in 25th Les Mis (personally, I think they should've axed Jonas as Marius, put Ramin in that role, and found someone else for Enjolras... but that could just been me )

I work in NY, but I haven't seen Phantom on Broadway since 1991 (when I was in high school - I think I actually saw the show after softball practice that day). I keep meaning to go back and see it again, since I keep hearing it's in great shape, but I never make it back there.

I love Ramin's Enjolras. That was my favorite Les Miz character for the longest time.

[YT]lYizXBQ5EQA[/YT]

Love that song!

 

[Figs]

Just watched the trailer and while I'm no expert on singing I think Hathaway did pretty well. Her along with the rest of the cast, I'm definitely catching this film. Not to mention I've seen the poster for the play so many damn times growing up that I need to see what this movie is about.

 

[elgato]

Anne performs I dreamed a Dream so much better than Susan Boyle.

 

[danoyse]

Since we have a new thread, let's repost the trailer:

[YT]EnLSG5t_dc8[/YT]

 

[Clu]

sad my thread choice title was not chosen lol

 

[danoyse]

What are our options for thread titles? I'm ready to change this one.

 

[Clu]

Les Miserables: Mod on high, read my posts.

others had one, but the thats the one I expressed as my silly choice. I'm sure others have way better more meaningful choices.

 

[Raiden]

Anne performs I dreamed a Dream so much better than Susan Boyle.

Seconded. I actually found some Youtube poster who suggested Susan Boyle as Fantine in the trailer's comment section. Those people obviously listen with their eyes closed or mind clouded.

 

[Raiden]

What are our options for thread titles? I'm ready to change this one.

I thought Les Miserables: The Dream Lives (the tagline they used in the trailer) may be a good choice, but it may not be edgy enough.

 

[Doctor Jones]

I didn't like him as the Phantom either. His singing voice wasn't strong enough for the role, and he looked too pretty to be a deformed creature living under an opera house.

And I don't believe Hugh Jackman turned down the role, I seem to recall he was filming Van Helsing and wasn't available, he was never officially offered the role.

He sang part of Music of the Night on SNL a few years back, though.

Now POTO is something that I would love to see as just a straight adaptation of the book instead of just the musical.

I've always loved the older POTO films themselves and would be interested in seeing a newer version that has nothing to do with Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Now i've seen the Shumacher film and though it's been a while thought it was all right. What I didn't care for was that the Phantom and the tone weren't frightening enough. There's a great love story, it's just like the older films there was a creepiness to it all.

Though it seems kind of like Les Mis, the Webber version has become the most popular and people don't really want to see a grotesque gothic fairy tale of a film.

 

[DACrowe]

The Phantom film was pretty enough, but I was never that crazy about it. The new 25th anniversary version that just came out with Ramin Karimloo as the Phantom is pretty cool, though. I just got that on blu-ray.

And Ramin Karimloo has got serious Phantom cred: he played the Phantom in the West End production and in the sequel, Love Never Dies. He's also played Raoul on the West End, and he played Christine's father in he Schumacher film.

He's also played Enjolras, Marius, and Jean Valjean in the West End production of Les Miserables...and he played Enjolras in the 25th Anniversary concert.

The Phantom sequel is an abomination that should be forgotten in the annals of terrible ideas like a Godfather Part III or The Phantom Menace.

I haven't seen it yet. Yeah, the Schumaucher film is very pretty and I really like Rossum as Christine in it, but the movie (other than perhaps when the Phantom kills the stage hand) lacks the edge the show had. The show has an aura of shadowy menace and nostalgia for long-lost whispered romance. The film is very soapy and maudlin. But the music is still pretty, so I can enjoy it if it's on HBO on the rare occasion.

 

[DACrowe]

Now POTO is something that I would love to see as just a straight adaptation of the book instead of just the musical.

I've always loved the older POTO films themselves and would be interested in seeing a newer version that has nothing to do with Andrew Lloyd Webber.

I'd love to see good adaptation of the book. With that said, the ALW musical is far closer to the story of the book than any non-musical film adaptation to date with the exception of the removal of the "Persian" character. The movie based on the musical though does take a lot more liberties to turn it into something a little less depressing and gothic and a little more paperback romance. Still, it's closer to the book than the movies that came before. Well other than Schumaucher turned the Phantom from a grotesque, sympathetic madman (which he still is on stage) into a sex icon. But considering what he did to Batman, Phantom got off light, in my opinion.

 

[Raiden]

I'd love to see good adaptation of the book. With that said, the ALW musical is far closer to the story of the book than any non-musical film adaptation to date with the exception of the removal of the "Persian" character. The movie based on the musical though does take a lot more liberties to turn it into something a little less depressing and gothic and a little more paperback romance. Still, it's closer to the book than the movies that came before. Well other than Schumaucher turned the Phantom from a grotesque, sympathetic madman (which he still is on stage) into a sex icon. But considering what he did to Batman, Phantom got off light, in my opinion.

Ugh, I really hate ALW with the passion of a thousand sun. IMO ALW pretty much invalidated what happened in POTO through Webber's lust to turn Phantom into not just a sympathetic character but a "good guy". As far as I'm concerned, the musical is crap and I have no interest in it. He should've just leave it well enough alone instead of penning a sequel for the classic novel that he turned into a musical.

 

[craigdbfan]

By the way I don't know how I missed the Les Miserables trailer. That was beautiful.

Made me tear up a bit.

Anne's voices is something from a lullaby found in dreams.

 

[Majik1387]

Anne performs I dreamed a Dream so much better than Susan Boyle.

Oh please, let's not get crazy.

 

[craigdbfan]

They're both damn good. Very different takes on a very beautiful song.

 

[Majik1387]

Definitely, I guess I'm not too disappointed with Hathaway's singing simply because I knew it wasn't gonna be that good. But she's acting the hell outta that song.