Les Misérables (2012)
I think I should give a bit of history of me and Les Misérables. When I was about twelve years old, I came across a CD of the Original London Cast of Les Misérables in my a cabinet at my house. I asked my parents what it was and they said some to the effect of, “Oh, it’s a musical. It’s supposed to be good.” So, I took the first disc and started listening to it with my walkman. I was hooked. I had never heard music like this. I listened to it over and over and over. After several months of this repetition, I realized there was a second disc. Needless to say, at the time, it was one of the best things I had ever encountered. It took me a few years before I could fully grasp the story it was telling, but I knew the score was phenomenal. And as I grew older and learned more about how music is composed and I could dive into the lyrics, I realized how sophisticatedly written it is, as well as being nice to listen to. Once I finally got to see the show, I nearly died (figuratively). So, this is without question a film I have been waiting to see for quite sometime. I also should say that I am not the kind of fanboy who is overly precious about the material. I have no problem with them changing, adding, or cutting parts to the show. If it suits the film better, than I am all for it. If it is for its detriment, I will call it out.
I absolutely loved this film. Is it the best made film of the year? No. Do some of the changes hurt the pacing of the film? Yes. In the end, does my emotional response to the film outweigh its technical problems? Yes. Did I cry like a blubbering child at least five times over the course of the film? You're damn right.
Let me start with the most obvious high point of the film: the cast. This cast was badmouthed for months about how they were A-list actors and not traditional stage performers, which means they could not do this score justice. Instead, they add more truth and emotion to the lyrics than anyone could have possibly imagined. Hugh Jackman in the role of Jean Valjean delivers the performance he can take to his grave. He puts himself out there physically, emotionally, and vocally in ways he probably never imagined. Sure, in his upper register, the singing can get a bit nasally, but the rawness of it counters that technique to deliver some breathtaking gut punches. Anne Hathaway. I do not really think I need to say much here that has not already been said. It is a perfect performance. Period. Eddie Redmayne manages to take Marius, who is typically just a blank slate of a character, and turn him into a charming, quirky guy who you can root for. Amanda Seyfried makes Cosette lovelier than she has ever been, making the love triangle very credible. Samantha Barks, in her film debut, totally crushes it with her performance as Éponine. Though the film fiddles with her arc a bit, her forsaken heart hit me harder than it ever has. Éponine is my favorite character from the show and Ms. Barks is the best interpretation I have seen/heard. Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter add a lot of sinister fun as the second rate thieves. Aaron Tveit as Enjolras, though a bit smaller role than in the stage show, is a commanding presence as the rebellion's leader. Colm Wilkinson, the original Jean Valjean from the London and Broadway stage, adds so much gravitas and history to the Bishop that you can totally understand why he changes Valjean's life, not to mention his godly voice is still there. I also enjoyed seeing West End performers such as Daniel Evans and Hadley Fraser in bit roles. Frances Ruffelle also makes a cameo as one of the "Lovely Ladies". If you know what she sounds like, you'll easily be able to pick her out.
You will notice I have not mentioned a certain key member of the cast, being Russell Crowe. Inspector Javert is my dream role as an actor. Éponine may be my favorite character, but Javert is, in my opinion, the most interesting one. Yes, it is true that Crowe does not have the strongest of singing voices. I get that. What I do not get is the total dismissal of his performance as an actor. Crowe fully understands Javert's psychology. Javert is an Old Testament man living in a New Testament world. He does not believe that men can change. Good is good and bad is bad. That is how things are, and everyone must accept that. He is also a man devoted to his profession. As an officer of the law, he has the ability to uphold this moral philosophy he has built up for himself. When Valjean comes along to challenge that bad people can indeed become good, Javert can only bend so much before he breaks. Crowe, for me, sells this one thousand percent. Sure, he sings exclusively through his mask and his vibrato is nonexistent, but I still think his performance is pretty great.
Now I'll move onto the technical side of things. The costume design, production design, hair, and makeup are top notch. It manages to equally blend making you feel like your are really watching early 19th century France and like you are watching a stage musical. You can feel the mud on the ground, the grease in their hair, and the sweat on their faces. Yes, they do decide to use some CGI in various scenes and none of it ever really feels right. This film did not have the largest budget in the world for a film of this size (a reported $61 million), so I probably would have avoided its use and stuck with the practical sets that were pretty marvelous. I get that they wanted to make it "epic", but the story is epic enough. Thankfully, the CGI is not done that often.
I am not going to get out of this review without talking about the live singing. This is the first movie musical to use live singing with this kind of consistency, and it pays off. Big time. Letting the actors dictate the pace of the songs and allowing them to stay in the moment without having to adhere to a predetermined performance lets emotions run high, fragility come front and center, and allow for things that even a seasoned Les Misérables fan like myself would not expect. It is absolute proof that this is the way musicals should be recorded from now on.
Now, I want to move on to Tom Hooper. Even people who like this film feel the need to shit on Tom Hooper. I am not entirely sure where all this venom is coming from (though, it's probably still people being upset The King's Speech won Best Picture), and it certainly is not justified in the product. Hooper does not sit back and take a paycheck here. He instead tries to reinvent the movie musical, most notably by shooting the majority of the musical numbers in extreme close-up. Personally, I love this technique. He is shooting it as if it were just a drama rather than a musical. Had the film been entirely spoken, nobody would have said peep about the close-ups. However, people are not accustomed to this new way of shooting musical numbers and immediately feel alienated. I think the close-ups add wonders to the numbers. Getting right in the actors' faces forces the performers to never play it false. If there is a false moment, we will easily be able to detect it because the actor cannot hide. Just look at "Valjean's Soliloquy", "On My Own", "Empty Chairs At Empty Tables", "A Heart Full Of Love", "Bring Him Home", and especially "I Dreamed A Dream" to understand how powerful that shot can be. Yes, Hooper does get a little wonky from time to time. I am not sure what was going on during Crowe's two solo numbers with the camera. My guess is that he was afraid of Crowe's singing and wanted to add a distraction. That does not work. Crowe is a good enough actor. Let him sell it. There is also one really out of place dutch angle on a simple shot of Jackman and Redmayne standing that really made me head scratch. With Hooper's directorial camera decisions, I say around 92% of them work, whereas 8% do not. That seems like a fair trade off to me.
Is this a perfect film? Hardly. I am just one to get wrapped up in the earnest emotion and raw power this story and these characters have to give. The score is just as powerful as ever, the cast is incredible, and the film looks beautiful. The film had me right where it wanted me to be. I was applauding after musical numbers. I cried when they wanted me to cry. I laughed when they wanted me to laugh (though, it was not that often). Les Misérables manages to always get me swept up in it. I do not understand the cogs as to why, but it does. I cannot help that. Sure, technical issues are going to be here and there, but in the end, it never really mattered to me. The film had me in its care from the opening frame to the closing frame. I love Les Misérables, and I am not afraid to say it. Or sing it.
Grade: A++