There's plenty to enjoy in the latest movie version of the musical Les Misérables about a group of beautifully sad and tragic people. But ultimately it leaves me feeling disappointed and not as gaga over the performance of Anne Hathaway or the songs as some of my fellow musical lovers. I feel that the movie could have been so much better.
I have heard people complaining about the movie being too long. But I thought the movie was a bit rushed. The musical production is 3 hour-long and it was perfect. The movie introduces and cramps many characters and story lines together and drags on the scenes of the revolution and the battles. My friend, B, said the second half is too long and boring. A lot of the scenes transitions are very abrupt and sudden. The change of tone really hurts the flow of the story and makes me really hard to get into the drama.
The relationships between the characters are underdeveloped. I did not feel the strong emotional bond between Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman) and Cosette (Amanda Seyfried). This may be why I was not moved when Jean Valjean died in the end. Some characters are also significantly marginalized. There is very little interaction between the characters to make me feel their feelings for each other. Each musical number seems to appear too close to the one before, and there's no room for the song to sink in. The songs are sung very over-the-top at times too when a more subdue simple approach would suffice.
There are, of course, plenty of things to appreciate about Les Misérables. The fantastic cast. The breathtaking, albeit fleeting, performance and voice that fly from Anne Hathaway's mouth. The way Jean Valjean sings to a sleeping Cosette in the carriage. The strong performance of Eponine (Samantha Barks) singing "On my own", the way all the characters try to maintain a sense of honor and principle in a world, except for the Thenardier couple (even the Thenardiers are very likable). The amazing set, scenery and costumes are really more appealing on a big screen than onstage. For most of us, I can see that the movie would be a fine and powerful entertaining adaptation.
But as a fan of the musical? I can't make myself care about what drives the characters in this movie version. When I read reviews by people who really, really love the movie, I feel like an ultimate outsider. It's so gorgeous! I cried! I wanted to clap after every song! The costume! And if you do, good for you! You are probably capable of a more sophisticated attitude toward this Les Misérables than I can manage. I, on the other hand, miss the impact of each songs sung by the live actors and the sense of the French revolutionary period captured by the stage production.
I do think it is a must-see for the musical lovers. The movie itself is a great effort that has its moments but never fully connect to the beauty of the musical.
I have heard people complaining about the movie being too long. But I thought the movie was a bit rushed. The musical production is 3 hour-long and it was perfect. The movie introduces and cramps many characters and story lines together and drags on the scenes of the revolution and the battles. My friend, B, said the second half is too long and boring. A lot of the scenes transitions are very abrupt and sudden. The change of tone really hurts the flow of the story and makes me really hard to get into the drama.
The relationships between the characters are underdeveloped. I did not feel the strong emotional bond between Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman) and Cosette (Amanda Seyfried). This may be why I was not moved when Jean Valjean died in the end. Some characters are also significantly marginalized. There is very little interaction between the characters to make me feel their feelings for each other. Each musical number seems to appear too close to the one before, and there's no room for the song to sink in. The songs are sung very over-the-top at times too when a more subdue simple approach would suffice.
There are, of course, plenty of things to appreciate about Les Misérables. The fantastic cast. The breathtaking, albeit fleeting, performance and voice that fly from Anne Hathaway's mouth. The way Jean Valjean sings to a sleeping Cosette in the carriage. The strong performance of Eponine (Samantha Barks) singing "On my own", the way all the characters try to maintain a sense of honor and principle in a world, except for the Thenardier couple (even the Thenardiers are very likable). The amazing set, scenery and costumes are really more appealing on a big screen than onstage. For most of us, I can see that the movie would be a fine and powerful entertaining adaptation.
But as a fan of the musical? I can't make myself care about what drives the characters in this movie version. When I read reviews by people who really, really love the movie, I feel like an ultimate outsider. It's so gorgeous! I cried! I wanted to clap after every song! The costume! And if you do, good for you! You are probably capable of a more sophisticated attitude toward this Les Misérables than I can manage. I, on the other hand, miss the impact of each songs sung by the live actors and the sense of the French revolutionary period captured by the stage production.
I do think it is a must-see for the musical lovers. The movie itself is a great effort that has its moments but never fully connect to the beauty of the musical.