Les Misérables

Another musical! They’re coming out of the woodwork. Okay I suppose three in on year isn’t that many. Les Misérables, the much anticipated film adaptation by director Tom Hooper, fills the story’s iconic roles with some of the biggest names in Hollywood. The plot follows Jean Valjean, played by Hugh Jackman, as he attempts to evade capture by a police officer (Russell Crowe) after he violates parole. When Valjean takes responsibility for the daughter of a dying woman, (Anne Hathaway) his situation becomes even more complicated. The film is an accessible version of the dense book for audiences who never brought themselves to read or view a play whose title translates to “The Miserable Ones.” That doesn’t really sound like much fun.

With Jackman’s extensive experience on stage and with big budget tent pole projects, it becomes clear very early in the film that this is a big moment in the actor’s career. He commits to the role of Valjean so completely that his past characters, which have gained him such a huge fan base, seem like a mere warm up. Hathaway’s vulnerability with the tragic character Fantine comes to a head with her performance of “I dreamed a dream.” Used heavily during advertising, the song is easily the film’s strongest moment and has earned Hathaway a real shot at an Oscar. An under the radar performance worth noting is Eddie Redmayne’s Marius, who like Hathaway delivers a tragic song in one continuous take. His “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables” is tough to watch (in a good way.)

The story is episodic in nature following Valjean at different points in his adult life. This format often toys with a film’s pacing and this is no exception. Les Misérables is a long film and resetting the plot and characters every 45 minutes is a tough device to employ. But I dare a filmmaker to turn 1,500 pages worth of story into a 90 minute movie. Two and half hours seems much more realistic. Overall, the spectacle and visual impression of the film puts it near the top of the list with this year’s best. Maybe they should make more of these musical things. This one was pretty good.

Each film earns either zero, a half or a full arrow in five categories. The categories are Acting, Writing/Directing, Emotion, Innovation and Overall Impression. The arrows are added up to equal the full score.