Lots and lots of singing

I admit, this is not the type of movie I’d go out of my way to see in theatres, and a lot of people will probably be surprised I paid to see his. However, after seeing the trailer several months ago, “Les Misérables” became a must-see for me.

The funny thing is, I’ve never read the novel by Victor Hugo, or seem the stage musical. My only foray into the Les Misérables universe was the 1998 film adaptation starring Liam Neeson. A decent movie, but I would never call the 1998 film a “classic.” So what prompted me to see the 2012 adaptation?

 

 

To put it simply: The cast. An ensemble cast is nothing new in movies, but the cast in “Les Misérables” outdoes them all. This cast was perfect. Every cast member brought their character to life, and made the audience care about each one. In my opinion, “Les Misérables” is the best work Hugh Jackman has ever done. Chances are Daniel Day-Lewis will win an Oscar for “Lincoln”, but if Jackman doesn’t get at least a nomination for Best Actor, then the Academy has lost its mind.

Anne Hathaway is wonderful during her short time on-screen. In just a few minutes, she takes the audience through every emotion possible. Hathaway’s performance deserves all the accolades its been receiving, and this movie will likely win her and Oscar. Like I said before, every one was great. But the actor who stole the show, is not one of the big names. Not yet at least, but I think movie audiences will soon be seeing and hearing a lot about Samantha Barks. This young lady steals the show, and her solo is one of the best in the entire film.

Samantha Barks

 

“Les Misérables” is not for everyone, many people won’t like it. But I have to admit I loved this movie. I’ve seen online that critics don’t love the movie either, but I think I know why. In almost every review the critic says he or she has seen the stage musical. And this is where the problem lies, because all those critics are comparing the movie to the stage. That’s just stupid, because it will never live up to their expectations. I said before I’ve never seen the stage musical and I believe worked in my favor.

However you feel about the source material, I urge you to give “Les Misérables” a chance. I did, and it ended up being one of my favorite movies of the year, go figure.