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 Les Misérables (2012) 

What grade would you give this film?
A 32%  32%  [ 7 ]
B 23%  23%  [ 5 ]
C 32%  32%  [ 7 ]
D 5%  5%  [ 1 ]
F 9%  9%  [ 2 ]
Total votes : 22

 Les Misérables (2012) 
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loyalfromlondon
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Post Les Misérables (2012)
Les Misérables

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Les Misérables is a 2012 British musical drama film produced by Working Title Films and distributed by Universal Pictures. The film is based on the musical of the same name by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg which is in turn based on Les Misérables, the 1862 French novel by Victor Hugo.

The film is directed by Tom Hooper, scripted by William Nicholson, Boublil, Schönberg and Herbert Kretzmer, and stars an ensemble cast led by Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, and Amanda Seyfried. The film tells the story of Jean Valjean, a former prisoner who becomes mayor of a town in France. Valjean agrees to take care of Cosette, the illegitimate daughter of Fantine, and must avoid being captured again by Javert, a police inspector.

Development of Les Misérables began in the late 1980s. After the musical's 25th Anniversary concert in October 2010, producer Cameron Mackintosh announced that the film resumed development. Hooper and Nicholson were approached in March 2011 and the main characters were cast in 2011. Principal photography commenced in March 2012, and took place in various locations in Winchester and Portsmouth in Hampshire, England, as well as Paris in France.

Les Misérables premiered in London at the Empire, Leicester Square on 5 December 2012, and released on 25 December 2012 in the United States, and 26 December 2012 in Australia. It will be released on 11 January 2013 in the United Kingdom. The film has received favourable reviews, with many critics praising the acting of Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway, and has also won and been nominated for numerous awards. Before the film's release, it was nominated for four Golden Globe Awards, including Best Film (Musical or Comedy), Best Actor (Musical or Comedy) for Jackman and Best Supporting Actress for Hathaway.

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Wed Dec 12, 2012 7:59 pm
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Post Re: Les Misérables (2012)
may i post slant magazine's review, please?


Wed Dec 12, 2012 8:01 pm
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loyalfromlondon
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Post Re: Les Misérables (2012)
No.

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Magic Mike wrote:
zwackerm wrote:
If John Wick 2 even makes 30 million I will eat 1,000 shoes.


Same.


Algren wrote:
I don't think. I predict. ;)


Wed Dec 12, 2012 8:12 pm
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Post Re: Les Misérables (2012)
It's essentially a gorgeously-shot live performance of the show with some real sets and costumes and bad CGI. Could have used an intermission. But the ensemble is tremendous top-to-bottom (Russell Crowe was a rock god in another world) and all the big moments are still really effective. One of my favorite experiences of the year.


Thu Dec 13, 2012 1:16 am
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Post Re: Les Misérables (2012)
Well there's a surprise.

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Thu Dec 13, 2012 1:24 am
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Post Re: Les Misérables (2012)
Really fantastic. This was actually my first experience with the material as I've never seen the show and I found it completely engrossing and gorgeous. The performances are all out of this world. There isn't a weak link to be found in the ensemble. Hugh Jackman delivers what might be my favorite performance of the year thus far and is absolutely incredible and Oscar-worthy. Anne Hathaway isn't in the film much but absolutely lives up to the hype. Her performance of the film's best-known song 'I Dreamed A Dream' is done in one single take, and she puts so much power and raw emotion into it that it basically guarantees her Oscar win in a few months. She was also brilliant and heartbreaking in both preceding songs 'At The End of The Day' and 'Lovely Ladies.' I also thought Russell Crowe was great, which really surprised me as he seemed to be the weakest link from the advertising. His big solos were incredibly well-done. Samantha Barks was wonderful as Eponine and her 'On My Own' was incredibly heartbreaking - I expect to see a lot more from her. Eddie Redmayne, who I'm not a huge fan of, is fantastic and kind of steals the second half of the movie. Amanda Seyfried easily gets the least to do of the main characters but is perfectly cast and has a lovely voice that is used well throughout. Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter steal every one of their scenes and are absolutely hilarious. 'Master Of The House' is one of the best moments in the movie. The fact that the entire film was sung live is completely evident in the performances and makes them all the more impressive, as these are some very difficult roles to conquer. The production design is stupendous and easily some of the best I've seen all year - everything is on point from the sets to the costumes to the makeup and orchestrations. Tom Hooper's direction is a bit weird at first and takes some getting used to (he does use close-up shots a lot but in certain cases, such as Hathaway's big song, it works sensationally well), but it honestly didn't bother me after maybe 5 minutes or so. I would kind of agree that seeing this film is kind of like seeing the show - people applauded after almost every big musical number (namely 'Dream,' 'On My Own,' 'One Day More' 'Hear The People Sing' and the opening). It also is completely sung-through, which might be a bit jarring for those not familiar with the material. I think there are maybe two or three words of spoken dialogue in the entire film. But overall, this is a must-see. Despite being nearly 3 hours long it never drags, and by the rousing finale there won't be a dry eye in the house. One of the best films of the year. A


Fri Dec 14, 2012 12:36 pm
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Post Re: Les Misérables (2012)
Great to hear. Les Mis is my all-time favorite musical so I've been eagerly anticipating this for SO LONG.


Fri Dec 14, 2012 2:12 pm
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Post Re: Les Misérables (2012)
I imagine it must be daunting to take on a project with such familiarity, affection and expectation as Les Mis. There has to be confidence, talent and a certain amount of hubris and Tom Hooper certainly has those three things on display here, just in the wrong degrees.

Hooper's Les Mis is a chore. He's cobbled together some great talent both in front of and behind the camera but that confidence makes way for hubris far too many times in choices like extreme closeups so that we are 100% sure that everyone is singing live. Like incessant dutch angles (in fact, I hated about 90% of the cinematography) and chop-socky editing. Like thinking Russell Crowe had any right being within 10 miles of this set. Crowe is so far out of his league and strains for every note (most of which he can't reach) that I thought he was going to have a hernia or give birth every time he opened his mouth. While he's easily the worst of the bunch it's also partly because Hooper cast people with such a wide-ranging vocal style that almost no one seems like they're in the same musical at the same time. Eddie Redmayne sounds like he's in a Golden Age Hollywood musical, Amanda Seyfried sounds like a Disney princess. Hugh Jackman delves into vocal arrangements that are sometimes questionable and bizarre but he acts his ass off here. Anne Hathaway, for all her conviction and power sobs through 90% of her singing (but boy can she turn the tears off in a half second to get her belt on). But when she buckles down and sings she's brilliant.

But, it's not all bad by any means. The live singing absolutely works on every level and I'll hate to see another musical with lip-synched performances. The production design is great, I just wanted to see more of it (all of those close-ups seem like they're trying to hide it). Even through their faults Jackman and Hathaway are mostly superb and Redmayne is a show-stealer. Samantha Barks is good and she's done this part so many times that I didn't think she was able to create something different with it. But, her "On My Own" was a subtler and more emotional version than I've seen. Huge props to Daniel Huttlestone who plays Gavroche. That kid is a little pistol.

C

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Fri Dec 21, 2012 3:30 pm
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Post Re: Les Misérables (2012)
Magnus wrote:
dont you have to revoke your gay card or something if you dont love this movie


Ugh, tell me about it. I wanted so bad for this to be good but it's a pretty hefty disaster.

Redmayne is heaven though. :wub2:

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Fri Dec 21, 2012 3:50 pm
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Post Re: Les Misérables (2012)
Magnus wrote:
eh, I'd rather have Jackman.


Well, duh, as would I. I just thought Redmayne's singing was really perfect.

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Fri Dec 21, 2012 4:00 pm
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Post Re: Les Misérables (2012)
I can't stand Eddie Redmayne. He really annoys me. It will take a lot for him to win me over in this.


Sat Dec 22, 2012 3:37 pm
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Post Re: Les Misérables (2012)
I liked this. Wife & her friends LOVED this. Feel slightly less masculine for listening to the songs on youtube.

A-. 2012 is a ridiculously good year. Seeing this again tomorrow.

There not been an actress on Hatheways level in a long time.

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Tue Dec 25, 2012 12:33 am
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Post Re: Les Misérables (2012)
I do not mean just this movie. This is the 4th straight high profile role shes killed

After Catwoman and this what will be Oscar winning role, Anne Hatheway has had a year for the ages.

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Tue Dec 25, 2012 12:38 am
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Post Re: Les Misérables (2012)
Hathaway's absolutely incredible in this. 'I Dreamed a Dream' is breathtaking.

I liked it, but it has the same issues as the stage production of Les Mis -- the shift from Valjean and Cosette to Marius stalls the moment quite a bit for the back half of act two. I also felt it was over-directed. I'll never understand Hooper's absolutely obsession with dutch angles.

Other than that? Quite good. Every single member of the cast acts their ass off.


Tue Dec 25, 2012 8:41 pm
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Post Re: Les Misérables (2012)
This is a long film and a bad film, and it does not deserve a single Oscar nomination. The nonstop singing becomes, in my estimation, absolute torture. There are a few choice cuts--"Do You Hear the People Sing?," "I Dreamed a Dream," "One Day More"--but most of the 50 or so songs are generic and blend together to form a gigantic, one-note bore. The decision to have the stars sing live on set is an interesting experiment, but there is still a sense each performance exists on its own, over-the-top, Oscar-if-you-please plane rather than cohering into a single cast. Director Tom Hooper's established style, a strange blend of extreme closeups, hand-held camera, and unusual framing, denies the audience spectacle (locations and sets are almost never glimpsed in full) without creating the intended intimate sensation.

D

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Last edited by David on Tue Dec 25, 2012 11:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.



Tue Dec 25, 2012 11:02 pm
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Post Re: Les Misérables (2012)
I'll preface this review by saying Les Mis is my favorite musical of all time, so I was, ya know, geeking out for this. And...it really didn't disappoint. The musical is unapologetically bombastic and soaring, and a filmed version of that isn't going to change things. Does it lose some of its power away from the stage? Sure. But nothing can beat a live experience like that. I guess the main complaint a lot of people have been leveling at this is Tom Hooper's direction, but I really enjoyed a lot of the choices he made. Particularly the choice to have the actors sing live on set; it prevents some of the belting typically associated with the music, but many of the songs have become more intimate and personal. Hugh Jackman, aside from being vocally up to par for the demanding role of Jean Valjean, delivers his best performance ever. The same cannot be said of Russell Crowe, although he's perfectly fine and not deserving some of the criticism he's gotten. Amanda Seyfried and Eddie Redmayne have lovely singing voices to bring to Cosette and Marius, while a soulful Samantha Barks (reprising a role she played on stage) painfully essays Eponine's unrequited love. The Thenadiers have always been a good source of moderate comic relief, so the selections of Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen are solid for these purposes. And then, of course, there's Anne Hathaway. Her crushing, one-take rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream" is so stirring that it may just become one of the definitive versions right there with Patti LuPone's. Fantine obviously exits the film relatively early, but Hathaway leaves a tremendous impact. So stoked that a movie of the musical was finally made, and happy to say it more than does justice to the source material, which I have always been a passionate fan of. A


Tue Dec 25, 2012 11:03 pm
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Post Re: Les Misérables (2012)
lol @ David and I's diametrically opposed reviews being posted one minute apart


Tue Dec 25, 2012 11:35 pm
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Post Re: Les Misérables (2012)
You two should have a movie reviewing show like Siskel & Ebert. I'd watch ;).


Tue Dec 25, 2012 11:46 pm
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Post Re: Les Misérables (2012)
David wrote:
This is a long film and a bad film, and it does not deserve a single Oscar nomination.


You're right -- it deserves an Oscar win for Anne Hathaway.


Tue Dec 25, 2012 11:50 pm
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Post Re: Les Misérables (2012)
Also, "Do You Hear the People Sing" is legitimately the most rousing song ever. I feel like it makes everyone who watches both the show and film float out of the theater on a cloud.

Well, except David and Manohla Dargis, I guess.


Tue Dec 25, 2012 11:52 pm
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Post Re: Les Misérables (2012)
Hathaway is in fine form and obviously rips through "I Dreamed a Dream" with gusto, but she is not superior to her top competitors, particularly Helen Hunt and Nicole Kidman. In my opinion, of course.

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Tue Dec 25, 2012 11:55 pm
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Post Re: Les Misérables (2012)
^ The fact that Hathaway can still garner notice that she's "in fine form" from someone who hated the movie is pretty overwhelming, though.

I have a friend who has always hated her who saw the movie today and has been silenced.


Tue Dec 25, 2012 11:58 pm
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Post Re: Les Misérables (2012)
It's okay. Anne Hathaway deserves her Oscar. She is a lovely actress, though Hollywood insiders assert that she's a bitch in real life.


Wed Dec 26, 2012 1:47 am
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Post Re: Les Misérables (2012)
Also, David. Can you stop writing with a stick up your ass? You coulda just said..."Anne Hathaway was good, but I preferred Helen Hunt and Nicole Kidman.".

You just wrote a review using the phrase "in my estimation." Unless you have some honorary degree from top universities, sit on the Board of several companies, and have a stylish wardrobe of rare Richemont watches...you should not ever use that phrase and expect respect.

Thx


Wed Dec 26, 2012 1:49 am
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Post Re: Les Misérables (2012)
I will write however I fucking please.

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Wed Dec 26, 2012 1:58 am
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