View Full Version : Anyone looking forward to Les Miserables?
The film, I mean. I'm hoping to see it Christmas night and am thrilled that the singing isn't pre-recoreded. It looks gorgeous! It was an almost 3 hour show so I'm wondering if it'll be that long or what will be cut out.
Tissues will be required. And a gag so I don't sing along.
fidgiegirl
12-1-12, 10:36pm
To much eye rolling, I told my DH while lazing in bed this Saturday morning that I plan to see Les Mis. This is a big event, me wanting to see a movie. Off to YouTube for the trailer!!! Will come back and post when I find it!
fidgiegirl
12-1-12, 10:43pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkHHHUk8RCw
iris lily
12-1-12, 11:37pm
This is on my "skip it" list, but you girls enjoy it! I like a couple of the songs from Le Mis but I will not go to any production of it be it theatrical or film.
Now Anne Hathaway is in it--does she sing? Does she do a credible job?
Les Mis is my absolutely, all-time favorite musical. All time. I've seen it 3-4 times on Broadway and once in a regional theatre--if you can believe it, the Weston Playhouse in VT actually staged it, and they did an amazing job.
I've taught Sunday School lessons off it, and it has inspired me so greatly in my life. I am DEFINITELY psyched to see the movie, and I think I approve of the casting. I definitely approve of Russel Crowe and Hugh Jackman as Javert and Jean Valjean. I'm just hoping Anne Hathaway isn't one of those cases where the casting directors went for the pretty face and celebrity over singing talent.. we'll see.
ETA: I just watched the trailer Kelli posted, and it looks like the singing is NOT going to be Broadway quality, at least for Russell Crowe and Anne Hathaway (Hugh Jackman has done musicals on Broadway before, so I trust his singing capability).... However, the trailer definitely passed the goosebump test. "One day to a new beginning...."!! Oh my! OK, where's my iPod...
goldensmom
12-2-12, 9:01am
I'm in for Christmas Day. I saw it twice in London, different each time. I recently watched the Liam Neeson version in preparation for Christmas Day and often find myself humming "Master of the House", catchy tune.
I love Les Mis. I saw live it three times. The first time, I was caught in the emotion, second time, I was impressed with the lighting and set and the third, it was the combo of everything. I am really looking forward to the movie to see how it works and if the impact is similar.
Yes, I may even go and see it more than once if the impact comes close.
I won't see it Christmas day, but absolutely before New Year's! And more than once, unless the singing is actually painful. Very much looking forward to seeing how they translated it to screen, and very pleased that it's finally happening!
I think I've seen it live five times (including, like catherine, one fantastic regional production) and have, um, several cast albums. Not particularly frugal, I'm afraid...
I'm really looking forward to it.
The trailer looks great, but I noticed there's some speaking in it. So it won't be entirely sung.
I saw the show in London (original cast in 1986) and I think three times in NY. In the last one I saw an actor playing Javert who was so bad and melodramatic he reminded me a bit of Cap'n Crunch (he was very short).
The girl playing Eponine is the same one who was in the PBS special with Alfie Boe playing Valjean. She appeared on a UK reality show where the woman were vying for the part of Nancy in Oliver! She didn't win---I think she came in 3rd or 4th.
I would have preferred Broadway singers/actors in the parts but since it is a movie, they don't really need to belt out a song. Hopefully Russell Crowe isn't another Pierce Brosnan (anyone else see Mama Mia?). Javert is a difficult part to sing....but he can ride a horse!
Simplemind
12-3-12, 3:03pm
Me me me me!!
Pony mom........I was thinking just the opposite. I thought it was good to have actors who might not sing perfectly, rather than have great singers who couldn't act well.
Square Peg
12-3-12, 11:33pm
I have never seen it, but based on the trailer, I am really excited
I am not into musicals, but I might see this version :)
http://www.papermag.com/uploaded_images/lesjack.jpg
https://twitter.com/P_T_RYAN/status/276063650316443649
I just saw a TV ad. I have to admit I know absolutely nothing about this--the plot, the history--except that it played on Broadway. From the ad, I'm guessing feral urchins(tm) are featured. :~)
ETA: Puglogic--very good!
pony mom
12-25-12, 10:45pm
I saw it tonight and it was really good. I loved the live singing, although I looked for out of sync moments like I usually do...and of course there weren't any.
Russell Crowe sang just OK but sang without acting. Anne Hathaway was very good. Many many closeups---you can see every whisker, wrinkle and spray of spit. Much was left out and a useless song was added (Valjean to young Cosette). I was glad that some of the Drink With Me song at the barricade was included.
The theater was totally packed and several muffled sobs were heard. And I can bet that just about everyone was silently singing along to the score we know so well.
Gosh, I can't believe that I saw this in London 26 years ago! Holy crap, I'm old!
Square Peg
12-26-12, 2:05am
I saw it today and absolutely loved it. I have no frame of reference for it, but I loved it and wept like a baby. I liked the fact that the singing was just okay, it seemed appropriate for the setting. I loved the close ups too. The only bad thing-we got there late and had to sit in the front row. Uncomfortable neck angle and those close ups were really close!
catherine
12-26-12, 8:01am
We're all going as a family today--as a family of six we've probably seen the play 18 times all together. Needless to say, it will be a great family outing.
Ponymom, you saw the original in London--did you know that Colm Wilkinson (the original NY and London Jean Valjean) plays the Bishop in the movie? He thought it would be a great way to, at the end of his career, pass the "candlesticks" to the next generation Jean Valjean.
Saw it yesterday with my wife and 20 year old daughter. We all thought it was excellent. The one thing all 3 of us agreed upon was that both of the unknowns in the main cast (Eddie Redmayne and Samantha Banks) were incredible. My daughter and I both thought that Hathaway did an amazing job and was probably the high point of the movie. My wife really didn't like her.
On the other hand I thought that Russell Crowe was flat out awful. My wife and daughter thought he wasn't very good but did not feel as strongly as I did.
Thought that Hugh Jackman was good, but considering his pretty extensive musical theater background I was expecting a lot more out of him.
pony mom
12-26-12, 10:17pm
We're all going as a family today--as a family of six we've probably seen the play 18 times all together. Needless to say, it will be a great family outing.
Ponymom, you saw the original in London--did you know that Colm Wilkinson (the original NY and London Jean Valjean) plays the Bishop in the movie? He thought it would be a great way to, at the end of his career, pass the "candlesticks" to the next generation Jean Valjean.
The original Eponine, Frances Ruffele, was one of the prostitutes in the Lovely Ladies number.
I thought the barricade footage was really effective. Their situation seemed much more hopeless than in the show. I too had to sit much nearer the front than I would have liked.
Helena Bonham Carter looked as if she wore her own clothes and did her own hair and makeup :)
treehugger
12-27-12, 1:02pm
I'm really looking forward to it. I am another one of those who has seen the stage show many times (lost count, 12? but this is since 1990). I only see 1 or 2 movies in the theater a year, but this is definitely worth it for me.
I just emailed my step-mom and step-sister to see if they wanted to see it when I am down there for a few days this weekend/next week. Neither one has seen it yet (this surprised me), so, yay! We have a date!
Kara
Finally got to see the movie tonight. It was enjoyable but I am of the camp that much prefers the live play. It seems that this is the choice that is being made.
razz, I agree. If you've never seen the play, the movie is great. But it doesn't compare to seeing it live on stage. Just like seeing a movie based on a book....it's never as good.
To those who prefer the play, is that because the singers are better?
I was talking to a friend today about just this question, IL.
In the live play, I felt I was with each individual character and I felt their raw emotions so strongly.
The movie was over the top in special effects and I had difficulty relating to them in the same way. The closeups of the faces were so large and I was simply watching. I didn't have to contribute to the experience as one does in a live play.
The singing wasn't bad in the movie but the play was better.
That said, Eponine was perfect and truly credible
To those who prefer the play, is that because the singers are better?
I think the difference between a book and a movie is the same between a play and a movie. When you are left to fill in the blanks with your own imagination (as is the case with the limitations of words and/or theatrical space) you tend to invest yourself more in the experience.
So, I kind of recalibrate my expectations in that regard. I don't expect to like a movie as much or more as a book or a play, so I bend the curve for performance.
As for Les Miz, of course the play is better from the point of view of just feeling that energy and that emotion. But I really enjoyed the movie, and I think they did a great job. As for the singing, the only one that didn't cut it was Russell Crowe. And I don't believe that an actor has to be a "great" singer to carry a musical role. Look at Rex Harrison. I've also seen Katherine Hepburn croak her way through Coco, the play based on Coco Chanel, and she was fine. But Russell Crowe had zip emotion.
Just my two cents.
treehugger
1-17-13, 3:19pm
Catherine, I agree with all your points. I have seen the play many, many times, but I enjoyed the movie, too. It's a different medium, so there are different standards, expectations, end result, etc. Russell Crowe was a little miscast, but yet, I did think the musical director did a good job arranging his songs to suit his (limited) singing capabilities. His voice never sounded stretched beyond its limits. But yes, he could have shown more emotion (not that stage play Javier is terrible emotive, nor should he be!).
I admit I was apprehensive that they would ruin it, so I came out pleasantly surprised. Looking forward to seeing more of Samantha Barks!
Kara
Edited to add: It was such a joy to see Colm Wilkinson (twice!) on screen. He has the most beautiful (male) voice I have ever heard, and I grew up learning the lyrics by listening to his album version. Also, I heart Enjolras. Always have. Since I was a kid, I wanted him and Eponine to get together. I always thought they were way more interesting characters than Marius and Cosette. ;)
And finally, check this out: 17 Jean Valjeans sing Do You Hear the People Sing (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPpkTgMbhRU) in their own languages (from the 25th anniversary concert). They all troop in with their countries' flags first, so the singing doesn't actually start till ~1:38. This never fails to give me goosebumps, no matter how many times I watch it (I have the DVD of the concert, but I often watch just the finale).
Loved the play; liked the movie. There was just so much more energy in the play. Russell Crowe had the emotional range of a teaspoon. IMHO.
fidgiegirl
1-17-13, 6:34pm
Kara, that video was awesome!!
You guys, I have to go see this!!!!!!!!! I have never even seen the play!
I'm going to go watch the trailer again now. :D
Kara, that video was awesome!!
You guys, I have to go see this!!!!!!!!! I have never even seen the play!
I'm going to go watch the trailer again now. :D
I've seen that video before but thank you so much for giving me a chance to see it again!! OK, I've had my misty moment for the day.
Anyone else disappointed in the Master of the House scene in the movie? To me, it just wasn't as much fun as in the play. It was lacking that beer-hall singalong feeling. I also think Helena Bonham Carter should just stay out of musicals.
The actor who played Javert on the 3-disc recording that came out years ago (Gary Morris was Valjean) was fantastic. Russell Crowe was a kitchen sponge compared to this guy's acting, without even seeing him.
catherine
1-18-13, 11:37pm
Anyone else disappointed in the Master of the House scene in the movie? To me, it just wasn't as much fun as in the play. It was lacking that beer-hall singalong feeling.
I completely agree! In fact where usually you get the real sense of comic relief in the play, the scene almost seemed out of place somehow. I don't know why.. but also, you are so right. It definitely didn't make me want to raise a glass!
I didn't wqant to be too negative in my post but I completely agree about the master of the house scene being a disappointment. The live play is such fun and does provide relief.
The Storyteller
1-20-13, 9:30am
razz, I agree. If you've never seen the play, the movie is great. But it doesn't compare to seeing it live on stage. Just like seeing a movie based on a book....it's never as good.
Or a play based on a book. Never as good.
;)
The Storyteller
1-20-13, 9:46am
On the singing, the director made an interesting choice. Most musicals now days, the actors sing on set, but then redubbed in a studio. Singing is always better in the studio than on a movie set.
But at least the actors do their own singing. For My Fair Lady, the casting of the then famous Audrey Hepburn over the play's not yet famous Julie Andrews made for some interesting decisions. Hepburn (who couldn't sing) sang her own songs on set, but was dubbed over by another actress for the actual soundtrack for the movie.
catherine
1-20-13, 10:32am
Or a play based on a book. Never as good.
;)
As a theatre major, I respectfully disagree. I don't think much can take the place of a live experience--taking words and empty space and transforming them into a shared experience among the actors and the audience.
Gardenarian
1-29-13, 3:15pm
I loved the movie; the first time in ages where I've been to a movie and the audience broke into spontaneous applause! OMG, Anne Hathaway!
But...yes, my daughter's elementary theater group did a more rousing Master of the House scene!
Just like seeing a movie based on a book....it's never as good. Strongly disagree. Right off the bat I can think of several movies that were far better than the books they were based on. The Princess Bride, Bridges of Madison County (didn't like the movie but it was still far, far better than the book), Forrest Gump , The first three of the Bourne movies, Fight Club. Those are the ones that immediately come to mind but given time I could probably think of a dozen more. The movie versions of Princess Bride and Forrest Gump in particular were so vastly better than the original novels that I don't think it is even close.
The movie versions of Princess Bride and Forrest Gump in particular were so vastly better than the original novels that I don't think it is even close.
You're right. Those are notable exceptions. They were both great movies.
Strongly disagree. Right off the bat I can think of several movies that were far better than the books they were based on. The Princess Bride, Bridges of Madison County (didn't like the movie but it was still far, far better than the book), Forrest Gump , The first three of the Bourne movies, Fight Club. Those are the ones that immediately come to mind but given time I could probably think of a dozen more. The movie versions of Princess Bride and Forrest Gump in particular were so vastly better than the original novels that I don't think it is even close.
I've only seen one of those movies and have read none of those books, so I can't comment.
It's just that movies can't express a character's thoughts as well as a book can. Or go into much detail about their background and motives in the time limits of a film.
I've only seen one of those movies and have read none of those books, so I can't comment. It's just that movies can't express a character's thoughts as well as a book can. Or go into much detail about their background and motives in the time limits of a film. Re: Expressing the character thoughts. Depends on the book and depends on the movie. Read the Princess Bride or Forrest Gump and then watch the movies. I doubt that you will continue to believe that "seeing a movie based on a book...it's never as good" Re: Going into detail about background and motives in the time limits of a film. Agreed. But that doesn't necessarily make it better or worse. There are plenty of films that would have been far, far better with less detail about background and motives, just as there are plenty of novels that would have been far, far better as novellas or short stories.
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