Les Miserables: One Thread More!

Yeah, that's the same one I just posted. Hysterical. :lmao:
 
Just got back from seeing this at the theater and have to say that I really liked it. Not the biggest fan of musicals but I highly enjoyed this. Also, I didn't really have a problem with Crowe's singing. I've never seen any previous versions of this, stage or film, but was surprised that Hathaway's character had such little screen time.
 
well, I saw it!!!

and I must say........this was the best movie I've seen in a long, long time.

I loved every minute of it, every member of the cast, every song. A 10/10 for me!

And yes, I was in tears throughout the whole thing. By the end at the Epilogue song, I couldn't hold it back. It was probably the most emotional movie that I've watched.
 
I have a lot of thoughts on this movie, and will go more in depth when I have more time and energy.

But as an enormous and longtime fan of the show, with its story, character, music and lyrical flaws considered, I thought LES MISERABLES was an interesting and somewhat frustrating mix of nuanced and seriously brilliant and heartfelt moments and some seriously awkward and inconsistent execution. As an adaption, musically it falls just a bit short of its real potential, and many of the changes made with regard to dialogue VS sung through lyrics are a bit arbitrary and don't neccessarily improve certain moments. The film version of the show does introduce some interesting and powerful new elements to a familiar show and story, and was a very emotional, often powerful, and visually beautiful experience overall.

There's not a bad performance in the movie, though there are several average ones. Anne Hathaway and Eddie Redmayne, in particular, are phenomenal, and deserving of Supporting Oscar nominations, while Hugh Jackman has a somewhat inconsistent turn as Jean Valjean, a role he may not have been entirely suited for, but that he nonetheless clearly gave his all to and managed to make it feel fresh. The presence of live singing had less of an impact on the show's potential than Hooper's apparent desire to reduce and minimalize some of the more operatic music of the show. For such a good film, there were some incredibly awkward shot and editing choices that rob key moments of their full emotion. However, it is ultimately one of the better movie musicals ever made in spite of some key missteps.
 
Saw the movie and loved it! Went in as someone who didn't know too much about it, but wow, and even though there were a couple of parts that felt a bit unclear to me, it was just awesome! Plus, for me Anne, Eddie, Sacha and Helen stole the show.
 
Apparently there was a scene deleted from the movie where [blackout]Fantine's dead body is thrown from the hospital window on to a cart, as if what she had already gone through wasn't enough for the audience.[/blackout] It's from the book, but I'm kinda glad that was cut, because there's sad, and then there's just plain morbid.
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I actually wish that was in there. I thought her death needs more of a send-off. And her death in the book is much more horrid in that Javert confronts Valjean while she's still alive and sends her off with doubt and misery that her daughter will be abandoned. I think Hugo wants nothing about her life to be peaceful. I do think the movie and the musical sends her off too softly for this story.
 
Saw the movie tonight and adored it. I cried like a *****. Had I directed I would have done some things differently, but it is still a very impressive piece of film. Russell was definitely the weak link vocally, though his voice wasn't awful and his screen presence helped sell him as a decent Javert.

The sound cut out during "Do You Hear The People Sing?" and the irony was palpable. :funny: They rewound the film once they fixed it, so we still got to enjoy the rest.
 
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You (along with Narrows and Danny ;)) were whom I was most waiting for to see it. Glad you finally did. I actually noticed a few days ago that you stopped posting, and figured it was because you hadn't seen it yet and were avoiding spoilers. :p

And, of course, glad you liked it. :)
 
Also, one of your points reminded me of one of Lin Manuel's tweets a few days ago. He loved the movie, btw. But still... LOL

@Lin_Manuel "It was alright, I guess. I pictured the movie version of that musical number better in my head." -every *****ing one of us, be honest


https://***********/Lin_Manuel/status/284042879314305025


:lmao:
 
Saw it the day after Christmas, and even though I was familiar with the plot and songs, the movie adaptation was the first time I had actually seen the story unfold. I thought it was fantastic, and easily my favorite film of 2012, at least until I finally see more of the other "Oscar bait" flicks.

And Anne is gonna walk away with the Oscar, with ease. No question about that.
 
Man did I make a big mistake to make this my personal treat for my first day off in months. I should've planned my tissue usage better. :argh:
 
What broke my heart was when [BLACKOUT]Javert pinned his medal to Gavroche's jacket [/BLACKOUT] :waa:

Some of the things I ranted about a while back bothered me a little, but it didn't hurt my overall opinion of the film. They're just some things I would have done differently. It's not perfect (though if Phillip Quast were younger and they cast him, it would have been damn close - dude is Javert - no offense to Russell, he did fine)

Also, [BLACKOUT]why didn't they film Valjean's death scene before Anne cut her hair? Or give her a wig? And I sorely missed Eponine during that part, mainly for the famous harmony, which I think is one of the prettiest things in a musical that I have ever heard. But having the Bishop there was brilliant. [/BLACKOUT]
 
DACrowe said:
I actually wish that was in there. I thought her death needs more of a send-off. And her death in the book is much more horrid in that Javert confronts Valjean while she's still alive and sends her off with doubt and misery that her daughter will be abandoned. I think Hugo wants nothing about her life to be peaceful. I do think the movie and the musical sends her off too softly for this story.
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I've always assumed the musical left it out because having her sing while dying in hysterics probably wouldn't have worked however they tried to do it.

Considering we got to see her being raped in the movie (something the stage version didn't do - her first 'customer' pulled her away and behind the Lovely Ladies, as they sang the next chorus of the song), I thought the movie left her sufficiently tortured enough for the audience to see.
 
Seriously if I were Marius, I would have choose Eponine instead of Cosette.

I just find Eponine more relateable than Cosette.
 
Filmboy said:
Seriously if I were Marius, I would have choose Eponine instead of Cosette.

I just find Eponine more relateable than Cosette.
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Daw. This is a comment that has been said 100 million times over the past 25+ years, and a minor problem I've always had with the stage show, and I thought Hooper did a good job of "fixing" in the film.. but I suppose not! :oldrazz:


The problem being that in the show, Cosette comes off as a bit as a spoiled rich brat, while Eponine comes off as a beautiful poor girl with a rough life, who has a gorgeous song that instantly makes her more appealing to audiences - and more likable. Thus, most people don't understand why Marius doesn't "choose" Epionine. But in reality, there was never a "choice" to be made.


I though Hooper did a better job at making Cosette feel more likable and relatable.
 
Angel_Faerie said:
Also, [BLACKOUT]why didn't they film Valjean's death scene before Anne cut her hair? Or give her a wig? And I sorely missed Eponine during that part, mainly for the famous harmony, which I think is one of the prettiest things in a musical that I have ever heard. But having the Bishop there was brilliant. [/BLACKOUT]
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She always had the short hair during the finale in the stage version. And Eponine wasn't there because she wasn't connected to Valjean. In the show, she was the one who brought the note to Valjean from Marius, but in the movie it was Gavroche. It wouldn't have made sense for her to be there.
 
danoyse said:
She always had the short hair during the finale in the stage version. And Eponine wasn't there because she wasn't connected to Valjean. In the show, she was the one who brought the note to Valjean from Marius, but in the movie it was Gavroche. It wouldn't have made sense for her to be there.
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Well, lets be honest, in the stage show it doesn't make much sense either. :oldrazz:

And while it makes sense to change that in the movie (and I am glad they did) a part of me does still miss that beautiful harmony.
 
JP said:
Well, lets be honest, in the stage show it doesn't make much sense either. :oldrazz:

And while it makes sense to change that in the movie (and I am glad they did) a part of me does still miss that beautiful harmony.
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Nope, it doesn't. :oldrazz:

That scene always makes me think of my aunt, who came with us when we saw the show for the first time. She started crying at the Bishop scene and pretty much didn't let up for the rest of the show. When Eponine appeared at the finale, I heard her muttering "Oh sweet Jesus, here comes the other one!!".

Of course, when I saw the movie, my phone started buzzing in my pocket during the last scene. It was the same aunt, calling to ask how the movie was. :doh:
 
Haha, she sounds like a hoot.
 
JP said:
Haha, she sounds like a hoot.
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I'm just glad I remembered to turn the ringer off the phone before the movie started...

I have a cousin who doesn't think she's going to see the movie in the theater because she knows she's going to sob through it. When the concert was on PBS a few months ago, she posted on Facebook that she turned it off because she didn't want to have to explain to her children why their mother was in a fetal position and sobbing on the floor. :funny:
 
JP said:
Well, lets be honest, in the stage show it doesn't make much sense either. :oldrazz:

And while it makes sense to change that in the movie (and I am glad they did) a part of me does still miss that beautiful harmony.
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I read that that the original Eponine was dating the show's director, and that's why she got to have that featured spot at the end. :oldrazz:
 
I feel really bad to have to be "that guy", but I couldn't help but be disappointed with the film. I had really high hopes for the film: the trailer was phenomenal, the cast looked great, and Tom Hooper made an excellent film with The King's Speech, but... Am I the only one who thinks that they could've broken the music up a little with regular dialogue. I mean, there were some scenes that would've benefitted, in my personal opinion, from just using regular dialogue. I loved the visual aspects of the film, and the performances were incredible (Jackman's on his way to shaking off the action hero facade with this role), but I feel like it was too much at one point.

7/10 for me.
 
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