Les Miserables: Even the thread will make you cry

[narrows101]

They must have meant to say "from Christmas"? I'm sure Universal wouldn't move the release date back to Thanksgiving, unless I'm misunderstanding here...

He meant screening the movie to critics/awards people, nothing to do with the release date. Movies are often shown before they are released in the theaters.

 

[sueb1863]

OK, that makes sense! I bet there will be a few sneak previews even before Thanksgiving.

 

[JP]

Hope we get the new trailer this week. I need to hear One Day More.

 

[danoyse]

New trailer is supposed to be coming this week.

 

[sueb1863]

Here's a video of Russell singing in Iceland this past August, for anyone curious about his singing voice:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6xoZ03h9js

 

[CGHulk]

I hope his country rock voice sounds good in the operatic part of Javert.

 

[Pink Ranger]

I hope his country rock voice sounds good in the operatic part of Javert.

They can just do a different arrangement of the song, replace the violins with a blues harmonica. Nothing wrong with that, right?

 

[CGHulk]

They can just do a different arrangement of the song, replace the violins with a blues harmonica. Nothing wrong with that, right?

Someones looking for trouble.

 

[JP]

Since when is Javert "operatic"?

 

[CGHulk]

Since when is Javert "operatic"?

[YT]urxk4mveLCw[/YT]

 

[Earthland]

Well, that isn't really operatic. We are so used to pop singers that if we hear someone actually using his voice, we automatically think he's singing opera. But there's really nothing operatic about "Stars". Les Miserables as whole might be operatic in scale, but not in music.

 

[JP]

Well, that isn't really operatic. We are so used to pop singers that if we hear someone actually using his voice, we automatically think he's singing opera. But there's really nothing operatic about "Stars". Les Miserables as whole might be operatic in scale, but not in music.

It's a pop score, for crying out loud! Haha.

 

[The Guard]

That clip is not a good way to judge how he's going to sound singing this part. The styles are completely different, and he's hardly breaking a sweat there. If they cast him, he's got to have something to bring to the table in terms of vocal power and control. "Stars" is a powerful song, and "Javert's Suicide" is very difficult to sing properly.

 

[Earthland]

LOL, here's something really strange. The author is Schönberg, but not the one we love t: .

[YT]veUJxETj7-c[/YT]

And more classical opera would sound like this:

[YT]zu5TkdcZA-M[/YT]

Opera means, in most part, showcasing your voice ...

 

[narrows101]

Apparently there was some sort of screening on Oct. 6. Blogger/Oscar Podcaster Sasha Stone reported on the state of the race, and then did an "update":

UPDATE: The tally shifted a bit this morning. SLP lost a supporter who defected to Les Miz. Tom O’Neill says there was a test screening of Lez Miz at the Arclight Hollywood last Saturday, Oct 6, that went extremely well. It’s possible his poster “Snuggle4” may have attended that event. It doesn’t appear any journos have seen the film, but persistent buzz from the Arclight screening could be triggering this new stampede.

http://www.awardsdaily.com/blog/2012/10/15/les-miz-takes-imaginary-lea d-at-gold-derby/

 

[Pink Ranger]

I guess if we really wanted to get technical, the best way to describe Stars is that's a hymn or an anthem, and the jury's still out if Russell has the voice for that kind of thing. I am optimistic that he will do a great job.

 

[narrows101]

The Envelope Screening series:

December 13, 7 p.m.:

Les Misérables
(Universal Pictures)
Q & A with director Tom Hooper and cast members Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried and Eddie Redmayne. Moderated by Los Angeles Times writer Nicole Sperling.

http://events.latimes.com/envelope/

Tweets:

Maret Orliss @maretorliss
Our Screening Series lineup isn't complete but already kicks ass. Hello Les Mis cast & director - I'll see you soon.

Gayle-Lynne @gayle_lynne
The LA Times Envelope screening series is featuring Les Miserables In December along with Cast members. At Theater near me-- but Sold out.

 

[narrows101]

New image and news on second trailer:

New Image From Les Miserables Released Posted on October 16, 2012

A new image from Les Miserables has landed online featuring a miserable Hugh Jackman, who’s playing Jean Valjean in this anticipated adaptation, a new trailer was set for release today but it has been pushed back till November 15. Les Miserables opens in theaters across Lebanon January 3 also starring Russel Crowe, Anne Hathaway & Amanda Seyfried. Have a look:

http://emileeid.com/2012/10/16/new-image-from-les-miserables-released/

 

[Earthland]

Pushed back a MONTH? So the rumour was true but... what the hell are they thinking? From November 15 it's only a month left to the release date... they can't be serious....

However cool that pic is, it doesn't compensate.

Edit: now it's true that this thread makes me cry

 

[narrows101]

Pushed back a MONTH? So the rumour was true but... what the hell are they thinking? From November 15 it's only a month left to the release date... they can't be serious....

However cool that pic is, it doesn't compensate.

A person at IMDB who posted about the Oct. 16 date who may be "in the know" although no one believes them (it's same person who posted above photo) said the reason for the change was due to the success of the featurette, so who knows.

 

[RayB]

Noooo. I need something, pronto. I won't be able to see the film until MARCH 30

 

[narrows101]

Interesting....

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplayl...serables-make-critics-audiences-sing-20121016

Will Critics & Audiences Sing For 'Les Miserables'?
by The Playlist Staff
October 16, 2012 12:05 PM

As the fall movie season has heated up, we've examined a number of the high profile titles of the next few months, taking a look so far at "Lincoln," 'Skyfall," "Flight," "Wreck-It Ralph" and "Django Unchained," with verdicts on the first three having already come in (you can now read our reviews of the Spielberg, the Bond and the Zemeckis). With November's movies present and accounted for, we're now looking a little further into the future, with one of the Christmas Day releases -- "Les Miserables."

Now a quarter-of-a-century old, the musical adaptation of Victor Hugo's novel is one of the biggest stage shows in history, but it took the heat behind Tom Hooper's Oscar-winning "The King's Speech" to actually give it the momentum for the greenlight. With an all-star cast, an epic scope, and a bold take on the movie musical, is this the next big Oscar sweep? Or the next "The Phantom Of The Opera?" You can see Rodrigo Perez and Gabe Toro duking it out below, and let us know what you think in the comments section below.

"Les Miserables"

The Case For:

When a director not known for his or her genre work takes on a sci-fi film, a horror, a zombie movie, an action picture etc, audiences -- especially movie bloggers -- tend to get excited. But for some reason, when a filmmaker tackles a musical, very much an adjunct genre that can fit with myriad styles, audiences (at least online ones), tend to shrug.

Perhaps in this case that's because the musical in question is “Les Miserables” -- a Broadway production your parents likely attended -- and the director is Tom Hooper, the filmmaker behind "The King's Speech," now perceived as a conventional and safe Oscar choice and the person who bumped the more beloved "The Social Network" and David Fincher from achieving Academy gold.

Having never seen experienced or remained blissfully ignorant of "Les Miserables" the stage play (as well as most of its cinematic adaptations), I'll concede to any naysayers that as a piece of source material, it could be dull/for moms. But let's take a mile high view for a second.

What makes "Les Miserables" appealing? Well, a director taking the leap into a musical -- well recognized as one of the hardest genres to pull off let alone direct well -- after only a handful of feature-length dramas sounds like the kind of challenge that intrigues this writer. Secondly, the cast: Anne Hathaway (who we know can belt out a tune), Hugh Jackman (who can do the same given that his Broadway career is full of song-and-dance man roles), Russell Crowe (who seems to be having a comeback of sorts after his share of generic thrillers), plus Amanda Seyfried, Eddie Redmayne, Helena Bonham Carter, Sacha Baron Cohen and relative newcomer Samantha Barks (who already starred as her character Éponine in the London production of the show at the Queen's Theatre in 2010).

So it's a historical period piece drama (dying species? Check) set during the 18th century French revolution with a musical (difficult genre? Check) on top and some of the most talented actors around in a genre we've never seen any of them in? What's not to find appealing? Hooper gets points on ambition alone, not least for recording the singing live on set, rather than in a studio months beforehand, which (if it works) could make for superior performances.

And sure, "The King's Speech" might have been a conservative Oscar Best Picture, but judged on its merits, it's a perfectly good little drama, with wry moments of humor and a great cast (Colin Firth was excellent in it). And so while perhaps a little dry as a subject matter, compared to say "Hyde Park on Hudson" (a type of sequel that is entirely formulaic and toothless Oscar bait), "The King's Speech," is far from the ingratiatingly manipulative crowd pleaser that some accused it of being during that Oscar season. All of this is highly subjective, but I'm convinced that if "The King's Speech" came out in April and didn't take the Oscar crown from a more beloved filmmaker, it wouldn't have been maligned after the fact (and independently, reviews out of Toronto where it debuted were complimentary). Perhaps I’m simply concentrating on the online conversation which tends to be centered around boys with little attention span for nuanced-drama.

Hooper's got a good eye for tone and humor, and a fine sense for getting out of the way of good performances, along with an unflashy style of directing that never gets respect outside of awards. I’m not here to convince anyone that “Les Miserables” is going to be the best film of 2012, nor am I highly anticipating it as much as say Kathryn Bigelow’s “Zero Dark Thirty” (for random example), however, like “Life Of Pi” which turned out to be great (and I had been beating the drum for it around The Playlist water cooler for months despite a lot of “meh,” scratching-your-head responses), I’m saying, don’t dismiss or discount “Les Miserables” just yet. There’s a lot of reasons why it could be a big, bold spectacle, and who doesn’t love that? - Rodrigo Perez

The Case Against:

Hugh Jackman. Russell Crowe. Anne Hathaway. Amanda Seyfried. The director of “The King’s Speech.” Holy crap, it’s like a white people-paloosa. I'm making a larger point here, Sensitive Whitey, so stick with me.

“The King’s Speech” was a plate of deep-fried Oscar-bluehair pleasing gumbo. As much as something like “The Avengers” panders to every fanboy in the world, “The King’s Speech” felt reverse-engineered to appeal to the broadest of the broad, the older white moms and dads that comprise the majority of the Oscar pool (as well as the eventual viewing demographic). Dim and unchallenging, the visually-simplistic story took shortcuts in its storytelling, from the minimized role of Queen Elizabeth as Supportive Wife to the jerk-ifying of King Edward VIII to the wallpapering of the, ahem, Nazi problem.

“The Social Network” was not the best film that year, but when forced into a two-horse race, voters and audiences looked at which film had more clearly defined villains, more simplistic decision-making amongst its characters, and a generally stuffy, sedate storytelling style that reminded us of the best of PBS. In this context, “The Social Network” was a set of knives, and “The King’s Speech” was a pillow.

Of course, what does Tom Hooper decide to do for an encore? Why, it just very well be a White People Totem, a popular tale re-envisioned by greater minds than him many times over. Really, among even fans of “Les Miserables,” was anybody saying, “I love Les Miz, but I wish it had more of a BBC sheen”? Certainly there is challenge for Hooper in tackling a musical, and for fans of that genre, it might be interesting. But there’s a reason it’s challenging -- most musicals are DREADFUL onscreen, pre-established material or not. The filmmakers often choose to play up the theatricality, which is to accentuate the artificiality. An approach with merit, certainly, but an approach for those who look at the medium as something that can be twisted, altered, and contorted to their specifications. Not “somewhere I work.”

And Hooper has been turning “somewhere I work” into a mantra, porting over his flat, ugly shooting style from television by abusing the fish-eye lens, as well as his innovation in “The King’s Speech” to shoot sequences with massive dead space over their heads to emphasize the off-center portraiture of each actor from within the frame. Yeah, I’ll bet Stan Brakhage was really jerking off on that.

Of course, did he load this movie with interesting types, or bloated stars who sometimes show a tin ear for material. Jackman was minted as a star in “X-Men” twelve years ago, but looking at his resume reveals he hasn’t done much to earn this. Crowe is on the Brando/Oliver Reed schedule of showing up every other movie, while the next interesting performance given by Seyfried, as the juicy role of Cosette, will be her first.

Though it is not a very big role, Anne Hathaway has shown herself to be a strong performer, albeit one who hasn’t had her lungs truly tested on the big screen. She’s the one actor in this cast that’s shown a willingness to go somewhere unusual in the last five years, and could be an exciting part of the musical reaching the screen. But as Fantine, a hard-times prostitute who passes away through inglorious causes, the suggestion is that Hooper, adapting the second-longest running musical in history, opted to make nothing but safe, friendly choices, regardless of whether they are appropriate or not (Hooper’s version seems to have no room for a classical singer in the lead roles).

Contrast this with Andrea Arnold’s “Wuthering Heights,” which drastically reinvisioned that story by lopping off the second half and concentrating on the working-class brutality between the romance of Heathcliff and Catherine, creating a visceral, hard-to-watch love story that removes the usual trappings of period love stories. “Les Miserables,” which seems to preserve its story in amber, thematically and visually, is being pushed as a major Oscar contender and potential box office hit. “Wuthering Heights,” meanwhile, has already begun to fade from the critical discussion. Makes you wonder. - Gabe Toro

 

[narrows101]

A blurb from Eddie in Esquire:

On Les Miserables:

"It's been an amazing time shooting; however, it's been equally difficult in some respects. For the musical numbers, I had a mic hidden inside my costumne and an earpiece in my ear during shooting. I would have to sing in tune with an electric keyboard that was behind the wall. We would then shoot a second time in conjunction with a live orchestra and record the number again... I felt like the only thing I did was sing [laughs]."

http://www.esquire.my/gallery/Eddie-Redmayne-puts-on-a-good-show/pic/266/page/1

 

[DACrowe]

The first article was amusing but neither writer knew what they were talking about. The "pro" case was made by a guy who has little understanding of the source material given he thinks it's set during the French Revolution and assumes its fanbase is middle-aged women. The guy criticizing it, came off more as an Internet fanboy whining about how TKS beat TSN for half of his poorly written attack. In fact, both of them spent far too much time complaining about TKS, and this is coming from someone who rolled his eyes when it beat much better films for BP and BD two years ago.

The detractor also should spend some time knowing why the movie is getting buzz--such as being the first to be all sung live--instead of writing it off as "safe" and generally bemoaning Hooper's style while making odd knocks against BBC and PBS. In fact, both pieces seemed written by Internet fanboys who know almost nothing about musicals or theatre given that they think Hugh Jackman's career is solely defined by X-Men and probably Real Steel.

Still, an amusing article.

 

[narrows101]

Most of the replies set them straight! I liked the one that said something like "why do you think teenage girls went to see Titanic? Because of young Leonardo DeCaprio. Well, Les Mis has about 15 DeCaprios."