Les Miserables Review

We finally got around to watching Les Mis last night. It snowed all day yesterday and the only time we left the apartment was to go eat dinner. We thought about going to the movies but we didn't see a movie that we really wanted to watched for $25.00. So we went home and rented Les Mis.

I give it a solid B/B-, depending how I feel. Before I start into why I think that, here's some background. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE LES MIS. It is one of my all time favorite musicals. My friends and I sang it all the time in high school in the chorus room. And I was really bummed I never saw it on Broadway during a class trip. Two of my most favorite songs are from this musical (both sung by Eponine).

So now here's why I gave it a B/B-:

Let me start with the bad (because it's nice to save the best for last). First, Russell Crowe was underwhelming and Amanda Seyfried warbles like Snow White (sidebar: I hate Snow White. She's my least favorite Disney princess). Their acting was fine. I don't think Russell Crowe was the right choice for Javert. He has some powerful songs that just went flat when he sang them. I never say Mamma Mia, so I didn't know what Amanda Seyfried's singing was like. I really don't want to hear it again. Way, way, way too warbly. I don't like it in a Disney princess, so why would I like it in an actress? I do give her props for hitting those high notes, just stop warbling please.

I understand people's complaints about the cinematography. Because the movie was 95% headshots, it felt awkward. They tried to edit the film to show that EVERYONE was singing for real that, at times, it felt choppy on the whole. And, honestly, the costumes and sets seemed to look gorgeous, but you couldn't really tell because they rarely ever panned down below the neck!

Lastly, they cut songs! They cut out 2 songs that I know of and shortened 2 others. The 2 songs that were completely cut is bearable, and at least they gave 2 line for Little People. It's such a cute song! Dog Eat Dog was also cut which is I guess is understandable since you already see from the movie so far that it's survival of the fittest and the rats survive on the fallen. Now here is my biggest gripe with the cut songs and this is my own nitpickiness, so please bear with me: they shortened On My Own and Little Fall of Rain. =( Sadness! They used so much of the singing dialogue, I can't understand why they couldn't keep the beginning of On My Own. It prefaces that she gets to go in her happy place and be with the name she loves while she walks the streets alone.

Sung by the FABULOUS Les Salonga <3

They also cut out a verse in A Little Fall of Rain. And the only thing I can think of is that it's way too powerful and emotional for someone who is dying. But I've always thought of it as her using the last of her energy to confess that she loves Marius and she's just happy that he is showing her true affection at the end of her life.

And now the good stuff. The good stuff is pretty in your face, they really were  amazing points in the movie. Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway were AMAZING. And Colm Wilkinson as the Bishop was icing on the cake. Which is why I forgave them changing Valjean's Death with the Bishop singing instead of Eponine. Then Aaron Tveit was the cherry on top even though his role was also small. He is incredibly talented. The little boy who played Gavroche and the little girl you played young Cosette were adorable. The ensemble cast singing, especially the revolutionaries, was amazing. It was very powerful and there was a less chance of seeing faces all the time and you could see the span of the set. The scenery was very beautiful in the small bits you could see.

Overall it was a good film but I just can't ignore those little things for me to really love the movie.