Review 206: Les Misérables

 

I honestly don't know what to say, Les Misérables is a phenomenal musical drama film.

Based on the musical Les Misérables by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg which in turn is based on the novel of the same name by Victor Hugo. Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman), a Frenchman imprisoned for stealing bread, has broken his parole and must flee from police Inspector Javert (Russell Crowe). The pursuit consumes both men's lives, and after two decades on the run, Valjean finds himself in the midst of the 1832 June Rebellion in Paris.

The plot too beautiful to describe. It's a film with a wonderfully adapted story that is mindblowing, one that tugs at your heartstrings.

The original novel was an examination of the nature of law and grace, politics, moral philosophy, antimonarchism, justice, religion and love and Tom Hooper's Big budget adaptation mostly stays true to that.

all told through singing (which all the actor do the whole time).

Love: Love comes in a couple of different forms throughout film such as Romantic and Familial Love;

As Valjean raises Cosette as his own he grows to love her and feel a connection to her. Before Valjean takes her under his wing, Cosette is the child of Fantine (Anne Hathaway) and she loves her with all her heart and wants her to ave a happy life. When Cosette is older, she falls in love with Marius Pontmercy (Eddie Redmayne) and we grow to care about them and hope their relationship will work out in the end.

Antimonarchism & Rebellion: Part of the story during the June Rebellion, it depicts the poor going up against the rich and shows us the troubled times of the 1830's. Loads of people were hungry and homeless during that era and lived in miserable conditions and Jean Maximilien Lamarque the only government official sympathetic toward the poor was close to death. There litteraly was little to no help for the poor.

 

Justice: 

Director Tom Hooper's direction is unobtrusive and spectacular; Following his Oscar win for The King's Speech the cinematography is beautiful, the musical numbers are mindblowing (it's singing the whole and I just wondered how can these sing for 158 minutes), the production design is sensational, the costumes are majestic, the locations are stupendous the make up is rich and beautifully detailed, the props are brilliantly crafted, the scenery is breathtaking, the battle scenes during the June Rebellion are expertly staged and well choreograhed, the violence is brutal and the effects are top notch.

The whole cast was wonderful, Hugh Jackman is just stunning as Jean Valjean and gives one of the best performances of his career, he's just awsome. When we first meet Valjean, he's just a criminal who has nothing. Yet, at heart, he's a very humble man who constantly feels like he's falling short. His arc going forward is about acceptance of himself and the world he's in and finding love 

He remains loyal to Fantine and takes care of Cosette.

 

Anne Hathaway is only in a handful of scenes towards the beginning of the film but effortlessly makes her mark on the film delivering luminous, lovely and all around mesmirising performance playing Fantine, a struggling factory worker reduced to a life of prostitution to make ends meet.

 

Eddie Redmayne also impressed playing Marius Pontmercy, a student revolutionary who is friends with the Thenardiers' daughter, Éponine and falls in love with Cosette. Redmayne brought a likeable charm to the part while also channeling the rebellious spirit required for the part.

 

Samantha Barks makes an elegant debut as Éponine, the daughter of the Thénardiers. Barks brought a genuine grace, sweetness and sadness that just radiates whenever she's onscreen.

 

Amanda Seyfried is  as Cosette, Fantine's illegitimate daughter. Adopted

 

Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen are creepy and a lot of fun as Madame Thénardier and Thénardier respectively. Providing some much needed and welcome levity and comic relief to an otherwise grim, bleak and somber musical.

I, however, have mixed feelings on Russell Crowe as Javert. On one hand, it's terrific to see him in a villainous role - physically, he does come across as a legitimately threatening and imposing presene throughout the film and he does bring the menace required - but, on the other hand, his singing is really off. But, then again, Les Misérables is a rather OTT production.

Javet is really interesting character because, whilst he is a atagonist, but isn't a bad person by definition. He's simply following the law which he believes to be right and just, but sees it as black and white; For him, there's no inbetween. As a result, he fails to take into account that people are mearly trying to survive through minor offences in very difficult times. Even after Valjean turns his life around and raises Cosette as though she were his own, Javert still cannot empathise with him and still refers to him by his prisoner number.

Les Misérables is a heartbreaking musical and another wonderful addition to director Tom Hooper's filmography, 4.5/5.

The Anonymous Critic.