As a stage musical, Les Misérables is well deserving of all the acclaim it has received in it's 27 year run. While I wouldn't call myself a die hard fan, after catching the 25th anniversary concert on dvd, I do see what all the fuss is about. It is a solid adaption of Victor Hugo's classic novel, and contains a brace of powerful songs that stick in your head for days on end. So, with this screen adaption, does director Tom Hooper do justice to the much loved classic?
1800's France, and Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman) is on parole after serving 19 years in prison for stealing a loaf of bread. Shunned for being a convict, he breaks parole to become an honest man, causing him to be dogged for the rest of his life by super cop Javert (Russell Crowe, playing a character so bad ass, he get's his own Batman moment). When Fantine (Anne Hathaway) is forced into a life of prostitution by Valjean's unintentional actions, the convict fulfils her dying wish of looking after her daughter Cosette (Amanda Seyfried). As Cosette grows older, and the French Revolution looms, Valjean finds his past finally catching up with him.
Much has been made of Hooper's decision to have his actors, who all possess a fine set of pipes on them, sing their parts live on set, instead of dubbing over in post production. For the most part, this is a master stroke, adding a rawness to proceedings, and giving more power to some already powerful musical numbers. Where it falls down, however, is in the way they are shot. Because the actors are improvising with each take, changing how they sing the song each time, most of the time we are given a static one or two shot, with them singing right into camera. There are no dynamic camera movements, except in the crowd pleasing 'Master Of The House' (a much needed shot of humour, featuring great performances from Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter), which makes each number feel very repetitive. The production design is amazing. The entire movie feels like a spectacle, just as it should. You get that feeling just from the opening shot of a boat being pulled to shore by a chain gang. It moves at a great pace, immediately sucking you in, and really makes you feel for the characters. Sadly, the pace slows down heading towards the third act, when we are introduced to a new group of characters, who, within minutes of meeting, we are expected to care about as much as characters we spent the last hour and a half getting to know. The closer the movie gets to the finale, the more the pace slows, and a dull love triangle between Cosette, Marius (Eddie Redmayne), and Eponine (Samantha Barks, reprising her role from the 25th Anniversary concert) doesn't help matters any. In fact, the only person I liked from this particular sub plot was Barks. She has so much energy and personality, and is in direct contrast with dull and lifeless performance from Seyfried and Redmayne. The third act felt like a slog to get through, and the movie could have easily done with shaving off fifteen to twenty minutes of the running time. I can already hear the Les Mis diehards sharpening their knives after reading that comment.
The acting is top notch all round, with one or two exceptions, with Anne Hathaway deserving of her Oscar nomination. She makes such an impact in her very short time on screen, and delivers a heart breaking rendition of 'I Dreamed A Dream'. It's a role that she makes her own, and one we very rarely see from her. Hugh Jackman also does stellar work, making you feel every pang of guilt he feels at the choices he has made in life. These two will try their darnest to make you shed a bucket load of tears, and they will probably succeed. Russell Crowe was someone I was very interested in seeing in action, as he doesn't strike me as fitting in with a musical. But he proved me wrong, bringing a lot of cockiness and misguided honour to the role, bellowing every line with authority. Aside from the actor's I singled out earlier, the entire cast play their roles perfectly, really adding to the experience.
Not quite the masterpiece it wants to be, Les Misérables is still a fantastic experience, filled with epic songs and spectatcular performances, that leads to rewarding night out at the cinema.
