Les Miserables.

[peter]

Saw this one last night. Mmmm......Yes. It was good. Maybe not quite as good as the (UK) hype would have had it, but the 2 hrs 55 mins passed easily and the emotional heart strings were well and truly plucked during the course. Anne Hathaway's short appearance as Fantine, Cossete's mother, was truly heart wrenching to behold and Russell Crowe's Javere was every bit as inflexible and judgemental as it was possible to be. He pulled off the trick of making the charachter both bad and good at the same time with an Oscar worthy performance. All the cast performed right up to the wire and the trick of making the cast sing their roles as they were filmed instead of dubbing in at a later point was a risk that payed off handsomely. I'm not myself a massive musical fan but this is one I can reccomend without fear of dissapointing.

[dlbpharmd]

I've loved Les Mis since I first bought the 10th anniversary DVD back in the late 90s. I've got the blu-ray 25th anniversary disc and it's wonderful. I know every lyric by heart. I've seen it live twice, and both times were glorious, better than any church service or secular ceremony I've ever attended.

This film was a complete piece of shit. When will Hollywood ever learn that musicals should include people that can actually sing? One would think that lesson would've been learned with the film version of Phantom of the Opera. There's something dreadfully wrong when the extras and minor actors sing better than the main performers.

Hathaway was just OK, but not great and definitely not Oscar-worthy. Hugh Jackman CAN. NOT. SING. He was horrible! The role of Javert couldn't have been more miscast if it had been portrayed by Barney the fuckin' purple dinosaur. Russell Crowe is a great actor, but he CAN. NOT. SING. Cosette should've been played by - oh, I don't know, a real soprano, perhaps? Marius - oh, well you get the point.

See this film only if your only other option for spending 3 hours of your life is being on the receiving end of a kerosene enema.

[lorin]

See this film only if your only other option for spending 3 hours of your life is being on the receiving end of a kerosene enema.

Please, don't hold back. Tell us how you REALLY feel

[Hashi Lebwohl]

When will Hollywood learn not to make movie adaptations of Broadway musicals? No one wants to go to the movies to see musicals anymore. I thought that would change after Moulin Rouge (an excellent production) but I was wrong.

When will Hollywood learn not to remake the same movies every decade or so? Do you know how many versions of Anna Karenina there are? Or Les Miserables? Or The Three Musketeers? Hello, screenwriters--get some original ideas for once in your life. This is why Hollywood hates people like Tarentino and Robert Rodriguez--they have original scripts and plots.

[Holsety]

So...

I have seen a fair number of musicals and kinda haven't liked the ones I saw recently? When I was a kid I thought everything was great. But the musicals didn't really persist for me.

So I guess the hollywood version of Les Miz that I've seen parts of, and liked, was the 98 version? If I do go out and watch a film version of les miz, would anyone care to recommend one for me?

I love the songs of Jacques Brel, for whom a musical was made (in tribute). And, I guess some of my favorite films would be, ugh, To Have and Have Not, Perfumed Nightmare, Total Recall?

[dlbpharmd]

If I do go out and watch a film version of les miz, would anyone care to recommend one for me?

I think the best film version is the one with Liam Neeson as Valjean and Geoffrey Rush as Javert.

[Vraith]

When will Hollywood learn not to make movie adaptations of Broadway musicals? No one wants to go to the movies to see musicals anymore. I thought that would change after Moulin Rouge (an excellent production) but I was wrong.

When will Hollywood learn not to remake the same movies every decade or so? Do you know how many versions of Anna Karenina there are? Or Les Miserables? Or The Three Musketeers? Hello, screenwriters--get some original ideas for once in your life. This is why Hollywood hates people like Tarentino and Robert Rodriguez--they have original scripts and plots.

Why would they learn that lesson when they keep making money by doing it?
Don't get me started on the industrialization of art/performance and the stupification of people through mass "social media."

But, more directly related to the particular case: they cast non-singers so they could minimize risk and maximize profit...and because non-industry folk just don't understand how little talent and artistic achievement/integrity matter compared to the power/influence of agents, directors and investors/producers.

I actually don't care in the particular case how bad the singing is...cuz I think the music sucks anyway. I was much more annoyed with "Evita."
But in general the problem artistically is the mismatch in kinds. You have to match the talents of the persons to the mode/form of the work. [OR make interesting modifications in BOTH to merge them...cross breeding is fruitful, super-imposing one thing on another while compromising the quality of one or the other is something else].

[Obi-Wan Nihilo]

This is absolutely my favorite novel of all time. And Hashi, timeless tales need frequent retelling. I liked Neeson's Valjean and Rush's Javert a lot but I think the book is bigger than any movie. Truth to tell Neeson may be slightly miscast but he is still damn good. I say miscast because he is too inherently heroic to be very believable as a villain, which is how Valjean must start. But If the movie is ever properly rendered it will be the longest best movie of all time.

[Hashi Lebwohl]

Why would they learn that lesson when they keep making money by doing it?

And Hashi, timeless tales need frequent retelling.

Two very good points. As long as people are willing to pay for movie tickets, Hollywood will continue to remake classics. If more people would read the original books, though--yeah, right, *read* in today's world?--then the timeless tales would be retold in their original form.

[dlbpharmd]

See this film only if your only other option for spending 3 hours of your life is being on the receiving end of a kerosene enema.

Please, don't hold back. Tell us how you REALLY feel

I'm not known for holding back.

[peter]

Wow - I thought it was beautiful

[Frostheart Grueburn]

Don't know about Hollywood movies, but I'm not bothered by remakes when they're done well. I recently saw an excellent performance of this play in Åbo Svenska Teater. www.youtube.com/watch?v=zw20KinDZuw

[Shaun das Schaf]

I think whether you like the film or not might depend, ironically, on whether you're a fan of musicals, in particular Les Mis. This was one of the first musicals I remember seeing as a youngster and it blew me away, the sheer power and emotion of the vocal numbers. I didn't really have a great understanding of the story - I hadn't read the book - but I was awestruck by the force of feeling behind all of those extremely talented, trained professional singers. I own the soundtrack of the original London cast and play it now and again one I need stirring up.

I've seen the film version with Geoffrey Rush and Liam Neeson and I quite liked it, but I think that's because no-one tried to sing in it. I'm with dlbpharmd on this one sorry peter. I would have been willing to give Hugh Jackman a go, but the moment I heard they'd cast Russell Crowe, and was unfortunate enough to stumble across a bar of him 'singing' in the trailer, I knew I'd be giving this a miss. Which is a shame because it looks really beautiful.

[Menolly]

I went in to the movie knowing nothing of the story, the music, or any previous performances. The storyline was awesome, although I am sure there is much answered in the novel left out in the movie, such as

Spoiler

how does someone who breaks parole become mayor?

That really puzzled me, but overall I felt the movie was well acted.

However, my first comment upon leaving the theater with the Dams was along the lines of that I thought it was well acted, but that the singing left much to be desired. And I was reamed for having that opinion. I was told, "Hugh Jackman has performed in musicals on Broadway; he can sing!" So, I left it alone.

I had no idea that the majority of the singing was done while filming; learned that after the fact as well. That may have something to do with the quality. If it had been overdubbed, not only could tonality and performance been at their peak, but I'm sure additional studio enhancements could have been applied as well.

However, given that the majority of these actors are not known as singers, and the fact the vocals were not dubbed over, the movie is very impressive indeed.

One day I shall get to see this in a live theater production, with trained vocalists. I'll see if my impression of the movie changes at that point. But I am guessing my opinion as it stands now as a former Les Mis virgin may be the impression of many of the American movie going public. Although my previous studies as a voice major may influence my impression of the singing compared to the general public...

[Obi-Wan Nihilo]

How I envy those who have not yet read the book.

Menolly: that is the point, isn't it?

[Holsety]

What you guys said regarding the book is definitely "useful" for me...I think I'd like to see the 98 in full, but it reaffirms that the novel is also likely worth pursuing. Anyways, thanks.

EDIT-In the 98 one, Valjean feels forgivable enough that Javert was more the character I cared about in the scenes I saw, and his end was absolutely stupefying. Insofar as I see something similar between Comte de Monte Christo (one of the B&W films) and The Demon Princes, it's hard not to extend that reach over Javert.

[peter]

How I envy those who have not yet read the book.

Think I might give this a go Don. I've read 'The Hunchback of Notre Dam' and really enjoyed it so have a little Hugo experience to give me a clue as to what to expect. Also now I have the frame work of the story to help. But some advice if you can - which translation do you reccomend.Clearly the one you read did it for you and that would be a good start. I apologise in advance if by chance you read the novel in the original french - there were six or seven books as far as I can tell - but this alas is beyond me. A bad translation can destroy a book and I'm sure there have been lots of 'Les Mis' ones! 'Wordsworth Classics' are easily available in the UK as well as being cheap to buy. They are good but tend to have very small text which these days I struggle with.

[Iolanthe]

I've read the book (I have it in two volumes!) and yes, there is much missed out in the musical. I also have the DVD and the CD of the 10th Anniversary performance. I couldn't go and see the film. How could I watch Russel Crowe sing "Stars" after Philip Quast's magical performance? For me, the musical is Colm Wilkinson, Philip Quast, Ruthie Henshall, Alun Armstrong, Lea Salonga and of course Michael Ball.

Part of the magic is the repetition of the same music, sung by totally opposite characters and with a totally different result. Very clever.

I saw the original stage show of "Fiddler on the Roof" in London with Topol and Miriam Karlen. Now that was turned into a good film, even though we had to imagine Starsky as a poor Jewish student!

[Obi-Wan Nihilo]

How I envy those who have not yet read the book.

Think I might give this a go Don. I've read 'The Hunchback of Notre Dam' and really enjoyed it so have a little Hugo experience to give me a clue as to what to expect. Also now I have the frame work of the story to help. But some advice if you can - which translation do you reccomend.Clearly the one you read did it for you and that would be a good start. I apologise in advance if by chance you read the novel in the original french - there were six or seven books as far as I can tell - but this alas is beyond me. A bad translation can destroy a book and I'm sure there have been lots of 'Les Mis' ones! 'Wordsworth Classics' are easily available in the UK as well as being cheap to buy. They are good but tend to have very small text which these days I struggle with.

Unfortunately I don't read or speak French so I was having to look things up from time to time. Evidently you'll breeze right through those parts, which is a good thing. This is the edition I read, Signet Classic mass market unabridged paperback: www.amazon.com/Mis%C3%A9rables-Signet-C ... 0451525264

Enjoy!

[peter]

Thanks Don - will do I'm sure!