Let's start off by saying that I am a little bit of a Les Mis purist. I fell in love with the stage show overnight and was involved with a community theater production this year. Therefore I am VERY familiar with the exact order that songs are sung. So early on I was a bit confused when they changed a few lyrics, added a few scenes, changed the order of songs, and omitted one song almost entirely. These changes are forgivable and understandable considering this is a movie and not the actual stage show, but for those of you out there that expect it to be a direct adaptation, be ready for a few curve balls. There are a few things that they add to the movie that come from the book that they usually omit in the stage show, so that was a nice addition for people who like the book as well.
When it comes to actor performances, I will start off by saying that all the hype spoken about Anne Hathaway's performance is spot on. She is truly the best part of the movie, hands down! Hugh Jackman is also pretty good, though he doesn't ever sing falsetto, which takes away some of the beauty of the moment in one of his songs. Samantha Barks is really good as Eponine, though she was slightly better suited for the role in the 25th Anniversary concert version.
Russell Crowe, while a surprisingly decent singer, just doesn't fit as Javert. He lacks a lot of the depth and emotion that I have seen in other Javerts and his singing is too "clean". He is ultimately better than I expected, but still sticks out as a weak link in this movie. I'm curious if Paul Bettany could have done better. Also, Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter as the Thernardiers are also "not quite right". They are not as comical and over the top as they needed to be. Then again, maybe that's the purist in me speaking.
Overall, this movie is a really good adaptation of the stage show. They add a few good things, place Fantine's signature song in a more logical place, and convey a lot more subtleties and raw emotion that the stage show can not convey. However, it's not a "perfect" adaptation.
I suspect someone who hasn't seen the stage show would like it a bit more than myself.
When it comes to actor performances, I will start off by saying that all the hype spoken about Anne Hathaway's performance is spot on. She is truly the best part of the movie, hands down! Hugh Jackman is also pretty good, though he doesn't ever sing falsetto, which takes away some of the beauty of the moment in one of his songs. Samantha Barks is really good as Eponine, though she was slightly better suited for the role in the 25th Anniversary concert version.
Russell Crowe, while a surprisingly decent singer, just doesn't fit as Javert. He lacks a lot of the depth and emotion that I have seen in other Javerts and his singing is too "clean". He is ultimately better than I expected, but still sticks out as a weak link in this movie. I'm curious if Paul Bettany could have done better. Also, Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter as the Thernardiers are also "not quite right". They are not as comical and over the top as they needed to be. Then again, maybe that's the purist in me speaking.
Overall, this movie is a really good adaptation of the stage show. They add a few good things, place Fantine's signature song in a more logical place, and convey a lot more subtleties and raw emotion that the stage show can not convey. However, it's not a "perfect" adaptation.
I suspect someone who hasn't seen the stage show would like it a bit more than myself.
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