Les Misérables
It's two years since Oscar bowed down before Tom Hooper to crown The King's Speech best picture. Now Hooper bobs obligingly back, offering the Academy not just what it wants to see but a mirror of sorts; a movie that takes its cues from the greatest hits of Oscar night. It recalls not just that glorious evening last year when Hooper was honoured four times and host Anne Hathaway belted out On My Own to Hugh Jackman but also puts in a bid to anticipate the highlights of the next one.
For the few uninitiated (the stage show has been seen by 60 million people), Les Misérables is Cameron Mackintosh's adaptation of Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil's musical based on the Victor Hugo saga set in early 19th century France.
But beware: it's not strictly a musical. There's no dancing, there are no jazz hands and there is next to no speech. Rather, it is lobotomised opera, in which incidental dialogue like "I don't understand" and "I don't know what to say" is warbled, liturgy-style. The phrase "We will nip it in the bud" becomes a rousing chorus; presumably "Don't count your chickens before they're hatched" doesn't scan so well.
"This is an unforgettable movie going experience, sure to garner multiple Oscar nominations."
"No one expects gutsy filmmaking in a musical. But that's just what King's Speech Oscar winner Tom Hooper delivers in Les Miserables. Damn the imperfections, it's perfectly marvelous."
I loved Les Misérables, it was an amazing accomplishment and what all film musicals should shoot for from here on out. While some actors were not the best singers, I believed they overcame this with the enormous heart put into their portrayal of these characters. The strongest asset I think this film has to offer however is its ability to transcend beyond its core audience and tell a story that is universal and will make even non-musical fans like myself believers.
I loved Les Misérables, it was an amazing accomplishment and what all film musicals should shoot for from here on out. While some actors were not the best singers, I believed they overcame this with the enormous heart put into their portrayal of these characters. The strongest asset I think this film has to offer however is its ability to transcend beyond its core audience and tell a story that is universal and will make even non-musical fans like myself believers.
