Wait a minute... this isn't a film about miserable lesbians!
DIRECTOR: Tom Hooper
CAST: Doctor Cox's most hated actor, Maximus Decimus Meridius, Catwoman, Amanda Seyfried chicken, Marilyn Monroe's piece, Andy Tveit (you what?), Borat Sagdiyev, Bellatrix Lestrange, 'I'd Do Anything' to Samantha Banks and that girl from the poster.
PLOT: A bunch of depressed French natives (portrayed mainly by actors with strong English accents) sing about how shit life is whilst 'Jean Valjean' (Jackman) is on the run from a man who takes the law to heart a little too much - police inspector 'Javert' (Crowe).
My two favourite film musicals are Tim Burton's 'Sweeney Todd' and Trey Parker's and Matt Stone's 'South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut'. So it's definitely fair to say that I'm not really a huge fan of musicals. But as I found the trailer for 'Les Misérables' very powerful and the fact that it has been nominated for Best Picture at the Oscar's, I thought I'd give this a try.
I knew very little about the narrative before going into this film, and I have no previous experience with the source material, all I know that is was orginally a novel and was then adapted to many much-loved theatre productions. And that seems to be its main issue - it is essentially a play. The only difference is the fact that shots cut, the performers are well-known and the production values make huge and lavish sets. But I can't help but make the preconception that that's where the differences seize to exist. I suppose someone who has experienced a production of the play would have to shed some light as to whether or not the film actually does anything different with the material.
But as a film, it is still quite impressive. The production values, as said, make brilliant sets and locations in which the cinematography often shines (just try and ignore the shots where the green screen is painfully obvious). Technically, the film is well made. However, as far as evaluating a film that screams 'PLAY' at you, there's little else to analyse cinematically - only the story (which has already been written) and the performances (in which the people behind the camera largely have to hope that the actors get right).
Tom 'The King's Annoying Fucking Stutter' Hooper made a brave choice to record all of the actors singing live on set instead of taking the more conventional, safe option of having them sing in a studio. The decision doesn't always hit the mark, but when it does it does so brilliantly. It gives the actors the chance to improvise their movements, to really feel the emotions - when a voice breaks due to the tears, that's for real, and it is often beautiful to see. But the decision doesn't always hit the mark because not all of these actors are amazing singers.
Hugh Jackman, the star of the show and an already proven singer due to his stints on Broadway, is excellent when 'Valjean' evokes pure power and emotion in his voice, but he tends to struggle and keep your attention in the more low-key numbers. Russell Crowe is good when he has to stick to the one tone but is uncomfortable with anything else - the highlight of his performance is a comical sound effect which is made due to his selfishness which won't be discussed any further due to spoilers. But as Crowe's 'Javert' is essentially the villain of the piece, perhaps he can get away with delivering the least amount of emotion in the songs. What's Amanda Seyfried's excuse?
Baron Cohen and Bonham Carter are both welcome comic relief from a story that is so downbeat even setting fire to rabbits would be regarded as comedy in comparison. Their performance of 'Master of the House' will bring some much-needed smiles to your face as they both rob and cheat for money. Marius Pontmercy (Redmayne) and Enjolras (Tviet), the student protestors leading the revolution both sing magnificently. The scenes of revolt are my personal favourites due to the feelings of liberation and defiance as the characters refused to mope around feeling sorry for themselves.
But there are two certain women who are battling it out to steal the show with particular scenes. Hathaway's rendition of 'I Dreamed a Dream' is stunning, she is deserving of the praise heaped onto her and even the coldest hearts will have to try their best not to feel any hint of sadness. It is in her performance where the decision to record the vocals live really comes to fruition, as the shot hardly cuts from her teary face and as she swings from croaky voiced defeat to all out bravery. But the real surprise may have been Samantha Banks in her big screen debut, who's glorious performance of 'On My Own' is truly heartbreaking.
I couldn't help but feel like a heartless bastard at the end though, as almost everyone around me was bawling their eyes out as the tragic ending took place. The reason the melo-drama never touched me is down to the fact that it's relentless. Apart from the fun to be had with Baron Cohen and Bonham Carter, the whole thing is a sordid affair of sadness. It's overwhelming to an extent where the drama no longer feels dramatic, as with an action film with non-stop action is rarely always exciting, or a horror film that tries to scare you every other minute hardly ever succeeds in doing so.
And as the running time does begin to drag, as the low-key songs are never performed as well as the all out, give-everything-you've-fucking-got songs, you are left waiting for long stints of time to see something worth waiting for - be it a solid performance from Jackman or a gut-wrenching song from Hathaway.
But perhaps for me on a personal level, a film in which spoken dialogue is at a bare minimum, the musical genre had just become too much for me. This isn't a film that I will be rushing to see again, but you can bet that I will be searching for particular songs - 'I Dreamed a Dream', 'Do You Hear the People Sing?' and 'On My Own' as well as a few others, on Youtube. However, there is something to be had here, not so much fun, maybe excitement, or perhaps it's just a film for people who like to feel. This is a film for a certain type of person, and that type of person isn't difficult to find - not many films, even the best ones, are viewed in the UK and manage to render a round of applause. But for me, I guess that I'm just not that type of person. Yet as a musical, there still was some enjoyment to be found.
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