Les Miserables: One Thread More!

[danoyse]

Seriously, the movie should have also ended that way.

Totally.

I'm actually thinking that's what people who aren't into musicals think happens in the movie.

 

[Pink Ranger]

"You know, I really like this Les Miz movie, but it's really missing something. I can't put my finger on it ... oh, I know, a kickline!"

 

[Drizzle]

I fought with even putting their names on the list because they do fine with the material that they are given to be fair but no one would claim that they are amazing or anything...I wasn't a huge fan of the characters and Cohen's morphing accent but they probably don't deserve to be on my singing miss list.

I liked Cohen's performance, but I'll agree with you on the accent. He should have gone with either the French accent or the Cockney accent instead of blending the two.

 

[AnneFan]

Love it.

 

[Tony Stark]

I wish they never made that film version of Phantom. Kills me.

A Phantom film with live singing as it was done in Les Miz, directed by someone more capable than Joel Schumacher, and starring a classically trained actor as the Phantom would most likely amount to one of (if not the) best film musicals of all time.

Totally agree. It's one of those that should have been one of the best and ends up being one of the worst because it pales in comparison to the stage production.

There was always something haunting and mysterious about the stage production that just thrusts you right into the heart of the action. In the movie I felt none of that, it was all being played out infront of me and I had no connection to the characters or the film.

Miscast (except Rossum she was the only character I liked), misdirected, just an unfortunate mess. Maybe someday, someone can go back and do it the right way. Not sure when that will happen though.

 

[Tony Stark]

Les Miserables should make it into the top 5 musicals of all time. I think it will finish just ahead of Mama Mia, not quite to Chicago.

BTW, I hate that BOM only counts Musicals back to 1954. Both My Fair Lady and Mary Poppins, and many others should be on that list. They have Enchanted at no 3 which I do not consider a musical.

 

[JP]

How is Enchanted not a musical?

 

[Gort Baringa]

Wouldn't Sound of Music still be #1 if adjusted to current money?

 

[narrows101]

Producers Guild nominations (Rise of the Guardians also in there):

PGA Awards Nominations Announced
By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Wednesday January 2, 2013 @ 2:48pm

The Producers Guild of America has selected Argo, Beasts Of The Southern Wild, Django Unchained, Les Miserables, Life Of Pi, Lincoln, Moonrise Kingdom, Silver Linings Playbook, Skyfall and Zero Dark Thirty for its top feature film honor, the Darryl F. Zanuck Award, in the guild’s nominations unveiled this afternoon. The PGA announced its movie and long-form TV noms for its 24th annual PGA Awards, with winners to be announced during a ceremony January 26 at the Beverly Hilton. (The episodic TV noms were announced November 28, with the feature documentaries list unveiled two days later). Here are the 2013 nominated films and TV programs listed in alphabetical order by category, along with producers in alphabetical order:

THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURE NOMINEES

The Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures

“Argo” (Warner Bros.)
Producers: Ben Affleck, George Clooney, Grant Heslov

“Beasts of the Southern Wild” (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Producers: Michael Gottwald, Dan Janvey, Josh Penn

“Django Unchained” (The Weinstein Company)
Producers: Reginald Hudlin, Pilar Savone, Stacey Sher

“Les Misérables” (Universal Pictures)
Producers: Tim Bevan & Eric Fellner, Debra Hayward, Cameron Mackintosh

“Life of Pi” (Fox 2000 Pictures)
Producers: Ang Lee, Gil Netter, David Womark

“Lincoln” (Touchstone Pictures)
Producers: Kathleen Kennedy, Steven Spielberg

“Moonrise Kingdom” (Focus Features)
Producers: Wes Anderson & Scott Rudin, Jeremy Dawson, Steven Rales

“Silver Linings Playbook” (The Weinstein Company)
Producers: Bruce Cohen, Donna Gigliotti, Jonathan Gordon

“Skyfall” (Columbia Pictures)
Producers: Barbara Broccoli, Michael G. Wilson

“Zero Dark Thirty” (Columbia Pictures)
Producers: Kathryn Bigelow, Mark Boal, Megan Ellison

http://www.deadline.com/2013/01/producers-guild-awards-nominations-2013-list/#more-395531

 

[Drizzle]

I watched Sweeney Todd today for the first time in a while and maybe it's just me, but I don't find Johnny Depp's singing voice in that to be all that different from Russell Crowe's in Les Miserables. Though Depp wasn't singing live, they're still both subtle singing performances. They don't sound particularly pretty or like professional singers, but it works for their characters. Yet Depp was showered with praise and an Oscar nomination and Crowe is the one actor in this film that is being lambasted.

 

[DACrowe]

Depp made the role his own and almost reimagined the vocals to fit his limited, but intriguing range. Crowe sang the songs as they are supposed to be traditionally sang and not very well. Plus, Depp's voice sounded interesting while Crowe's sounds strained. I think that is the difference.

 

[The Guard]

I loved Cohen's accent. His character was Cockney and basically faking a French accent to put on airs and deceive his guests. A nice wink and a nod to the way the show is always done with British accents, and how Thenardier is always done with a Cockney one.

I don't know that "strained" is how I would describe Crowe's voice. I didn't hear him straining to hit the notes. His vocals were more "clipped", and a tad nasal. However, he was one of the few who actually sang the proper notes and rhythms consistently. Jackman wasn't straining either really, as this role is/was well within his range, he just sounded a bit overbearing during Bring Him Home and certain other parts given his baffling desire not to use his falsetto.

 

[Schlosser85]

I thought Crowe sang better in Les Miserables than Depp did in Sweeney Todd.

Depp basically talked.

 

[narrows101]

And Depp got an Oscar nomination!

Stupid strong Oscar year... "Lincoln" had been in development hell for years, with Liam Neeson attached. Figures the year that Hugh may have his big chance, they make the movie and Daniel Day-Louis, who has two Oscars already, is the huge frontrunner. In another year I think Hugh might be.

 

[danoyse]

Here's the full BBC TV behind-the-scenes special, hosted by my first favorite Marius, Michael Ball:

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[narrows101]

Apologies if this was posted, but no time to check - it's hilarioius! Hugh was on The Graham Norton show (which has already aired in the U.K.) and it will be aired on BBC America on Jan. 5 but it's online now. The first 20 mins. or so is Tom Cruise and Rosemund Pike but the rest is Hugh, Billy Crystal and John Bishop and two others towards the end, which is a riot!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ep9UfUx1y0A

 

[Schlosser85]

And Depp got an Oscar nomination!

Stupid strong Oscar year... "Lincoln" had been in development hell for years, with Liam Neeson attached. Figures the year that Hugh may have his big chance, they make the movie and Daniel Day-Louis, who has two Oscars already, is the huge frontrunner. In another year I think Hugh might be.

I think DDL looks more like Lincoln than Neeson does anyway.

 

[Filmboy]

So basically in the end....

Spoiler

everyone dies except Cosette and Marius. I'm glad this doesn't have the typical hollywood happy endings

 

[CapedCrusader14]

FINALLY got to see it.

A stellar film with great performances and songs all around. Had a very enjoyable time watching it, and even sung along quietly with some of my friends. Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway turn in Oscar worthy performances.

Though I do have some criticism. I thought Tom Hooper's direction and the film's cinematography was quite frustrating at times. Annoying camera angles and out of focus shots. The only time the drawn out close-up really worked was during I Dreamed A Dream. Some of the editing was also jarring and hurt the pace. I couldn't believe some of the unintentionally funny moments that occurred during the film as well, particularly:

Spoiler

The THWACK in Javert's Suicide. Unnecessary and sort of ruined that whole scene.

The film was still immensely enjoyable though and I had a great time. I didn't shed any tears though like I thought I was going to.

Oh, me and my friends loved Crowe's Javert.

 

[DACrowe]

I thought Crowe sang better in Les Miserables than Depp did in Sweeney Todd.

Depp basically talked.

Depp was able to sing during "My Friends," "Pretty Women," "A Little Priest," and "Epiphany." The only time I felt him straining was "Johanna."

I felt like Crowe was straining himself almost every time he opened his mouth. Another way to put it is that Depp took control of his character and the music to make it work for him. Crowe was playing catch-up the whole film. I like Crowe's acting, but his singing is distracting. Depp's performance is MUCH stronger and overtakes any vocal imperfections to the point where everyone can overlook it.


It also helps that while Sweeney can be operatic, Sondheim is more open to various interpretation. Les Miserables has a very strict, traditionalist style. Crowe had to conform to it while Depp made his character his own. That is also the difference in why one got a nomination and why the other will not. That and Redmayne will be this movie's representation in the Supporting Actor category. At least, I hope so.

 

[Lotus]

So basically in the end....

Spoiler

everyone dies except Cosette and Marius. I'm glad this doesn't have the typical hollywood happy endings

And the Thénardiers! Though, in the book, [BLACKOUT] Madame T. dies in prison [/BLACKOUT]. And, of course, [BLACKOUT] Marius loses all his friends, Cosette loses her father figure, and the Thénardiers lose their children[/BLACKOUT].
What can I say? It earned it's title!

 

[Kansiov]

Stupid strong Oscar year... "Lincoln" had been in development hell for years, with Liam Neeson attached. Figures the year that Hugh may have his big chance, they make the movie and Daniel Day-Louis, who has two Oscars already, is the huge frontrunner. In another year I think Hugh might be.

Liam Neeson wouldn't have been that much of a frontrunner if it was him TBH. The industry has been wanting to reward DDL with a 3rd since TWBB- and at this point he is pretty much unstoppable; I don't recall anyone who has won at least half of the critics awards (pretty much a critical landslide) that has gone on to lose at the Oscars.

I think the best chance that Hugh might have to get any form of an upset would be at BAFTA (Lincoln isn't that well recieved outside of the US) and SAG (Jackman was getting good buzz at SAG screenings).

 

[Lotus]

A lot of critics blast the film for being unsubtle, but there are a lot of things I think most people might miss on the first few showings. I love some of the subtle moments, such as:

Spoiler

- Right after "A Heart Full of Love" when Valjean calls Cosette back in, he comes outside to look around, then goes back inside himself. After this, there is a brief shot of Marius picking up a handkerchief dropped under the gate. It is almost implied this is Valjean's, a nod to the whole 'Ursula (or Ursule)' part in the book.
- In "On My Own", right when Éponine sings "the streets are full of strangers", a silhouette walks past in the background.
- The almost symbolic fact that the centerpiece of the barricade is a coffin.
- How Enjolras' confidence starts to waver near the end, before "Drink With Me". When he sings "the people too must rise", he says it almost worriedly, and absently knocks on the wooden railing.
- The almost fraternal relationship Courfeyrac and Gavroche seem to share.
- When Javert is walking among the dead, it is playing the instrumental version of "Bring Him Home." Right when he kneels next to Gavroche's body, it plays the tune to "He's like the son I might have known/If God had granted me a son".

And so forth.

 

[cabel]

Finally caught a late showing. I think I may have spoiled myself by recently watching the 25th annevirsery concert. As much as I enjoyed the movie, I wasn't getting as emotionally wrapped up in it as I was expecting.

But it was still a great movie with fantastic performances, and i thought they did a terrific job adapting the show to the screen. Crowe and Jackman hit a few bumps singing-wise, but it didn't bother me.

My one big criticism is, surprise, the directing. Tom Hooper is not a great director. If anything, I'd consider him an above average to good director with a handful of quirks that's had the luck of working with great material and great actors. (I'm making this judgement based on John Adams, King's Speech, and Les Mis.) On top of that, he's a little out of his element here. He's a dramatic director directing a musical. To his credit, his experience in historical dramas brings a layer of gritty realism to the world of Les Mis.

On the other hand, the directing suffers the most during some of the key musical numbers, specifically scenes that can be bluntly described as "two or three characters standing in a place and singing." In my opinion, the numbers that work the best are ones such as "one day more," "master of the house," "the confrontation," and "do you hear the people sing" that either span multiple locations or are driven by physical action to match the musical action.

The numbers that work the least cinematically are ones such as "hear full of love" and "stars" where Hooper seems to struggle keeping it visually interesting, or on the case of the former, is flat out lazy. On top of that is Hooper's extensive use of tight close ups. While it works a few times, the rest are distracting and uncomfortable. At timers it was lke Hooper was trying to will the movie into third dimension with the use of glasses. I don't need to count the stubble on Crowe's chin, I would much rather be able to see the sets. If not for the strength of the music and the acting, it wouldve taken me out of the movie completely.

 

[narrows101]

Liam Neeson wouldn't have been that much of a frontrunner if it was him TBH. The industry has been wanting to reward DDL with a 3rd since TWBB- and at this point he is pretty much unstoppable; I don't recall anyone who has won at least half of the critics awards (pretty much a critical landslide) that has gone on to lose at the Oscars.

I think the best chance that Hugh might have to get any form of an upset would be at BAFTA (Lincoln isn't that well recieved outside of the US) and SAG (Jackman was getting good buzz at SAG screenings).

I've read at some of the blogger sites that one of the possible roadblocks to DDL winning a third Oscar is that not many people have that and none have three best actor, and they may not want to give him a third at this point. The only ones winning three Oscars are Jack Nicholson (two actor and one supporting), Ingrid Bergman (two actor and one supporting) and Walter Brennan (three supporting). Katherine Hepburn has four best actress awards. So if DDL wins he would be the only actor winning three best actor awards. And the Guilds vote for the Oscars, not the critics.