Directed by Tom Hooper.
2012. Rated PG-13, 158 minutes.
Cast:
Samantha Barks
Aaron Tveit
Daniel Huttlestone
Cavin Cornwall
Let’s start with a little personal history. Somehow, in all
my years, I've never seen any sort of production of Les Misérables,
not even part of one. I've also managed to remain completely ignorant of its
plot. The only two things I know about it going in are that it’s
a musical and it is legendary in the theater world. Without any other point of
reference, I’m free to judge this on its own merits without comparing it to
what was done on the stage.
On another personal note, my family refused to watch with
me. These are the same people that get excited over the mention of
Mamma Mia!, High School Musical, and the remakes of
Fame, and Sparkle. This doesn't even
include all the dance movies they watch over and over…and over. When I mention
this, my oldest daughter sums up their collective anguish at the notion of
taking in Les Mis when she twists her face into a pained look
and says “Yeah, but this is…like opera or something.” With that, they scatter
about the house leaving me alone with my virginal perspective on this old tale.
Play.
A couple decades after The French Revolution, we meet Jean
Valjean (Jackman). He is among a group of chained inmates charged with manually
pulling a rather large ship into port. This difficult task is made even more so
by the fact that they’re singing as they work. Hey, I am watching a
musical…like opera or something. So yes, 99.9% of the dialogue is sang, but I
digress. Valjean has been locked up for nineteen years for stealing a loaf of
bread. Immediately following the boat scene, he’s finally granted parole.
However, he remains on probation and must report to his
parole officer every so often. Pissed at the notion, he tears up his freedom
papers, violates his probation by never reporting, and goes on the run. He
becomes such a model citizen that when we skip ahead eight years, he is now the
beloved mayor of a small town, under a different name of course. Sure enough,
his old warden Javert (Crowe) is after him, forcing him to go on the run again.
The difference this time is that he has also vowed to care for the daughter of
Fantine (Hathaway), a young female employee at the local sweat shop who dies
with no one to provide for her offspring. From this point forward, the movie is
essentially a cat-and-mouse between the two men.
The first thing we notice is the look of the movie. The
opening scene is flat out stunning. Even though the rest of the film doesn't
quite measure up to first impressions, it’s a wonderful rendering of what
France may have looked like at the time. No shots of snooty folk sipping wine
at an outdoor restaurant with the Eiffel Tower in the background. This is a
place that is rotting from the inside. Its core has gone bad. What we see is a
perfect representation of the country’s political climate.
Next, we notice the startling first shot of Hugh Jackman.
With a long scraggly beard and seven layers of dirt on seemingly every inch of
him he quickly dispels our preconceived notions. The last time we see him this
way, his first big solo, is an amazing moment. The rest of his performance
doesn't disappoint, either. He’s just plain good. In fact, he’s better than
good. I know he did a lot of theater before hitting it big on the silver
screen. The experience shows. His emotions bubble to the surface, compelling us
to watch. It’s not until after the movie that we realize we just saw Wolverine
singing…like opera or something.
Aside from our hero, we get a wonderful turn by Anne
Hathaway, in just a few scenes. She gives us a gut-wrenching few minutes of
screen time. There is also a rather fun performance by our comic relief, the
duo of Sacha Baron-Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter. They provide the movie with
a sorely needed element of playfulness even though the tandem combines to form
the movie’s secondary villain. In what’s become an overlooked portrayal,
perhaps due to the sheer bigness of the other names in the cast, Samantha Barks
is also very good. I’m not completely sold on the crooning Russell Crowe, but
he doesn't embarrass himself.
Story-wise, the movie holds together fairly well, but
strains its own credibility in a few places. First, the warring between
France’s citizens and its government is built up to be of supreme importance,
as it should be, but then revealed to be merely a backdrop for the romance of
Cosette (Seyfried) and Marius (Redmayne). It feels like rebellion was only a
trivial pursuit for him that didn't go so well. Worse, I don’t believe one
second of this romance to begin with. Sure, I can make allowances for love at
first sight in movies, but this feels especially under baked. The whole thing
is too sudden and they’re too immediately overwhelmed by the other. It’s
reminiscent of what happens when Romeo meets Juliet, but without any of the
same weight. It’s clearly a subplot, but pushed out front as if it is what we
should be focusing on. I've no clue whether or not this works on stage. Here, I
couldn't quite be convinced.
My lack of belief in the blossoming love of the couple in
question leaves the core of the last few scenes a bit hollow for me.
Fortunately, Jackman pulls me back in with his final number. It’s a fitting
close to the story. This man who has been through so much finally appears too
tired to continue. Since he is the reason we watch, it’s only right that he
sends us off with one last heartfelt song. When that song ends we have what is,
in my opinion, the best musical in several years, probably since the
terrifically morbid Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet
Street. It’s certainly the best of a strangely crowded field. That
said, if musicals aren't your thing, steer clear. After all, it’s…like opera or
something.
