Reviewer Reviews...Les Miserables-A Film Review

  Les Miserables, or Les Mis is arguably one of the best musicals ever made. The music, the flow, the story, most of which is inspired by victor Hugo's wonderful book, is brilliant and truly unforettable. So who has the balls to ruin it in screen adaptation style? That guy who did The King's Speech, Wolverine and Catwoman. Be very afraid.
   All jokes aside, Les Mis is a lot better suited in these hands than it was in Liam Neeson's hands. But odd casting choices aside, this is still a really rather good film. The plot goes that Jean Valjean steals a loaf of bread for his sister's child, which gets him put in jail. After he breaks parole, he comes out after 19 years and is constantly escaping from no-nonsense policeman Javert, all of this involving a dying prostitute Fantine and her child, who Valjean promises to look after, all set during the French riots in the mid-eighteen hundreds.
   As supposedly simple this story is, it is an impossible role for Hugh Jackman as Valjean, who has to play Valjean as classy, a robber, an old man, and kind spirit, and an overprotective father. He does this amazingly well, capturing all these roles with suprising sadness and nuance. also stunning is Anne Hathaway as Fantine, whose truly upsettingly powerful rendition of I Dreamed A Dream will win her an Oscar. Eddie Redmayne is ok as Maurius as is Amanda Seyfried, but the true focus should be Samantha Barks, who is wonderful as Epinone and Sacha Baren Cohen and Helena Bonham Cater spicing up every scene they are in.
   Now we get down to the big problem: Russel Crowe. While he is not quite as horrendous as some people are suggesting, he isn't great, and his awful throaty singing makes for some hilarious moments where I nearly laughed out loud. It is just a shame they didn't cast Jude Law, who I think would have been perfect in that role.
   The direction of this is stunning too, a bit Moulin Rouge esque, with people constantly throwing things in your face and laughing at you. It can be a little distracting, especailly with some of the prettier songs having things thrown in your face constantly, as well as some really baffling framing, so much so that I had to visibly turn my head to see what was going on.
   While it is flawed, and doesn't really make sense in its own universe (why does Maurius go for Cosette when Epinone is so much prettier? Why is that awful red and black song in this? Rarely am I asking a film for more exposition.) it is still the most effective adaptation to date, and when compared to the musical, it adapts pretty perfectly. Be prepared for torrents of YouTube videos of I Dreamed A Dream though.

9/10