It seems fitting that my first review would be on one of the most highly anticipated movies of the year because I know how long you all have waited for me to start a blog like this. No... but, really, it just happens to be the movie I was watching today when my brain decided to start this blog.
So...Les Miserables. I will be the first to admit, when this movie was announced, I went to the dark place imagining everything that could and probably would go wrong with this movie from the casting, to the costume choices. Things got worse when the cast was gradually announced and Broadway.com falsely reported the role of Eponine had been given to Taylor Swift.
While the T. Swift rumor proved to be false, I was equally disenchanted with the idea of Anne Hathaway as Fantine. I knew she could sing...after all, she gave that stirring performance of "Somebody to Love" in Ella Enchanted and actually sang with Hugh Jackman at the Oscars. Don't remember? Probably because neither performance was particularly memorable.
BUT. You guys. Anne Hathaway is a star in this film.
Her voice is by no means spectacular, but she brings an emotional depth to the character and engages the audience in a way that makes her voice essentially irrelevant. The film enables us to intimately observe Fantine's downard spiral--something that is lost a little bit in the stage version. It was so real and so tragic that it was hard to watch at times. "I Dreamed A Dream" was done in one take and we watch the majority of that song close in on her face. This actually works but only because Hathaway is able to draw the audience in and keep them there for the entire song. If she doesn't take home all the awards this season for her performance, I will be shocked. SHOCKED I tell you.
There are many stars in this film, but none are greater than Hugh Jackman. Hugh's voice, while different from what the musical theater lover is used to hearing from a Val Jean, is raw and powerful. His presence on-screen is magnetic and everything he does has a purpose--the sign of a true marksman. I was able to forget for the entire movie that I was watching Hugh Jackman which is emmensly difficult with such an iconic actor.
The younger actors in this film gave remarkable performances as well. Eddie Redmayne was a delightful surprise. His voice is GOOD, and his interpretation of Marius is earneast and heartfelt. He was just adorable. Samantha Barks was stunning as Eponine. Having done the show countless times in London, she not only brought the vocal talent needed for that role, but she was passionate about it. She didn't let her vocals overshadow the rest of the cast which was refreshing. She was just the right amount of Broadway. One of my favorite moments in the entire film was "Little Fall of Rain". The exchange was perfectly executed. It was sweet and loving with just the right amount of tear-jerk.
I. Loved. Aaron Tveit. I mean, I loved Aaron Tveit before the movie, but I was worried he wouldn't be able to pull off Enjolras because of his tendency towards a more pop-like genre. Let me tell you something...he nails it. I dare you not to start sobbing when he dies. (Oh...sorry. SPOILER ALERT...almost EVERYBODY dies in this movie.)
Side Note: Colm Wilkinson's cameo was perfect. That is all.
And so ends our tour of the stars of the movie. If you will scroll down the page a little, we'll take a tour of the WHY OH WHY ARE YOU SO TERRIBLE section of our tour.
Part 1: Amanda Seyfried
Remember that time I said the young actors gave remarkable performances? Turns out, not all the young actors were created equal. I want to point out straight away, that I was okay with many weak vocal performances in this movie. I was able to look past them because the acting was bigger than powerful vocals. Amanda Seyfried, however, would need a character with depth to be able to act her way past her terrible singing. Let's face it. Cosette is boring and the only reason we tolerate her is because she has a pretty voice and had a terrible childhood. However, Seyfried's voice is weak and her vibrato grates at my very soul. Thus, we are left to focus on the fact that Seyfried is simply a mildly pretty face with an annoying voice. This deserves no further discussion.
Part 2: Russell Freaking Crowe
In all fairness, Javert is my favorite character in this musical so I have high expectations for anyone who takes on the role. Going in to the movie, Russell Crowe was the one I was most worried about, but the thing that kept my hopes high was Crowe's stellar acting record. (The man is an academy award winner for crying out loud). The problem with Crowe is not his singing. In fact, his voice is rather descent...not great, but at least tolerable. The problem is that he is BORING. His songs are slow, and drawn out, and every time he steps on screen he looks uncomfortable. STOP IT! You're Russell Crowe!! The situation is not helped by the fact that he is almost always on screen opposite Hugh Jackman who, as I may have mentioned, gave the performance of his life in this film making Russell Crowe look like an amateur.
Crowe is also the only one who straight-sings each and every one of his lines, which would be fine if there was any emotion to his singing, but there just isn't. His songs lack the quick-paced, militaristic style we're used to hearing in Javert's songs which takes a lot away from the character. Crowe's Javert comes off as weak, vindictive and a bit cowardly instead of a strong man of conviction like the Javert I've come to know and love.
Overall, I was thrilled with how well this film turned out. There were a few minor concerns (ahem, Russell Crowe). I was also a bit confused with some of the story adjustments they made for the film. Like, why does Gavroche take Marius's letter to Val Jean instead of Eponine (I mean aside from the fact that she's dead at that point in the movie)? They switched the order of things around, I assume to save time, but by doing so, we lost a lot of the interactions between her and Marius, and are confused when she dresses up as a boy to meet Marius at the baricades, but no one addresses why she would do that or how no one seems to care that a strange boy is just hanging around. I would have liked less awkward Val Jean/Javert interactions and more Eponine/Marius interactions.
But really. GO SEE THIS MOVIE. If you are a fan of the musical at all, you will love it. I promise.
Grade: A-
Thanks for sticking around to the end of my novel. You are a true friend, reader. :)
No comments:
Post a Comment