Let me start by saying, I have not seen the Broadway musical for Les Miserables nor have I read the book. My only reference to the songs were from the 25th Anniversary Concert videos on YouTube. The only adaptation I have seen was 1998's Les Miserables with Liam Neeson. Tom Hooper's version of LES MISERABLES is my favorite adaptation of the Victor Hugo novel.
Tom Hooper chose to have the actors sing live while filming other than prerecording the songs for playback (as they usually do in musicals). This was a great choice, leaving the actors freedom to act (or in this case sing) with emotion as they see fit. Anne Hathaway's portrayal of Fantine is phenomenal! The preparations she took, like losing some weight when her character was starving and actually cutting off all her hair when she could have worn a wig. Her performance of "I Dreamed a Dream" is heartbreaking. Hugh Jackman's portrayal of Jean Valjean is equally phenomenal. He looked completely unrecognizable in the beginning of the film with his dramatic weight loss. I was surprised by the fact that he can really sing! Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen performances are amazing and the roles really suit them. Eddie Redmayne's portray of Marius is great, he really gave emotion to "Empty Chairs At Empty Tables." Samantha Barks is perfectly cast as Eponine, her performance of "On My Own" is flawless.
I could go on and on about the great performances of the cast, but here are some things that lacked. I felt that Russell Crowe as Javert didn't perform to the level the other actors did. Though his performance with Hugh Jackman in "The Confrontation" was great, his performance of "Stars" was a bit weak. Amanda Seyfried's portrayal of Cosette was also a bit weak compared to the others. It felt like her singing was drowned out by the other actors in songs like "Heart Full of Love" and "One Day More." Both Russell Crowe and Amanda Seyfried did great in the film, but their singing could have been improved. Also, Eponine and Marius' "A Little Fall of Rain" is cut too short, it would have been nice had it been a bit longer. The ending scene where Jean Valjean is dying and is greeted by Fantine's spirit is beautifully done.
Overall, LES MISERABLES is an amazing film full of great songs and powerful performances. This is a great film for people who have not seen the Broadway musical or even if you have. Tom Hooper's LES MISERABLES is exactly how I envision the Broadway musical would be. I must warn you, most of the film is singing with very little speaking words, this may not be for everybody. But it is loaded with amazing songs, you may not care. I recommend seeing this film and have tissues at the ready!
Tom Hooper chose to have the actors sing live while filming other than prerecording the songs for playback (as they usually do in musicals). This was a great choice, leaving the actors freedom to act (or in this case sing) with emotion as they see fit. Anne Hathaway's portrayal of Fantine is phenomenal! The preparations she took, like losing some weight when her character was starving and actually cutting off all her hair when she could have worn a wig. Her performance of "I Dreamed a Dream" is heartbreaking. Hugh Jackman's portrayal of Jean Valjean is equally phenomenal. He looked completely unrecognizable in the beginning of the film with his dramatic weight loss. I was surprised by the fact that he can really sing! Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen performances are amazing and the roles really suit them. Eddie Redmayne's portray of Marius is great, he really gave emotion to "Empty Chairs At Empty Tables." Samantha Barks is perfectly cast as Eponine, her performance of "On My Own" is flawless.
I could go on and on about the great performances of the cast, but here are some things that lacked. I felt that Russell Crowe as Javert didn't perform to the level the other actors did. Though his performance with Hugh Jackman in "The Confrontation" was great, his performance of "Stars" was a bit weak. Amanda Seyfried's portrayal of Cosette was also a bit weak compared to the others. It felt like her singing was drowned out by the other actors in songs like "Heart Full of Love" and "One Day More." Both Russell Crowe and Amanda Seyfried did great in the film, but their singing could have been improved. Also, Eponine and Marius' "A Little Fall of Rain" is cut too short, it would have been nice had it been a bit longer. The ending scene where Jean Valjean is dying and is greeted by Fantine's spirit is beautifully done.
Overall, LES MISERABLES is an amazing film full of great songs and powerful performances. This is a great film for people who have not seen the Broadway musical or even if you have. Tom Hooper's LES MISERABLES is exactly how I envision the Broadway musical would be. I must warn you, most of the film is singing with very little speaking words, this may not be for everybody. But it is loaded with amazing songs, you may not care. I recommend seeing this film and have tissues at the ready!