Tell us what you thought of 'Les Misérables'
Tom Hooper's musical adaptation finally comes out into the spotlight
"Les Misérables"
Credit: Universal Pictures
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The wait is over for those heavily anticipating the transition of "Les Misérables" from stage to screen as the film hits theaters this holiday season. I'll be very interested to know how it plays for our readers. It's been a funny thing, watching such split reactions. Critics are mostly lukewarm but Academy members eat it up. I'm somewhere in the middle there. I cried a bit, cringed a bit, and mostly enjoyed the enterprise. But do tell us what you thought. And feel free to rate it above.
Kristopher Tapley has covered the film awards landscape for over a decade. He founded In Contention in 2005. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Times of London and Variety. He begs you not to take any of this too seriously.
2012-2013 OSCAR PREDICTIONS
UPDATED: FEB 25, 2013
Best Picture
Best Director
Best Actor
Best Actress
Best Supporting Actor
Best Supporting Actress
Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Original Screenplay
Best Cinematography
Best Costume Design
Best Film Editing
Best Makeup And Hairstyling
Best Original Score
Best Original Song
Best Production Design
Best Sound Editing
Best Sound Mixing
Best Visual Effects
Best Animated Feature Film
Best Documentary Feature
Best Foreign Language Film
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December 25, 2012 at 2:56AM EST Reply to CommentKris, are you still predicting this for the win? Or is Lincoln pulling ahead?
Kristopher Tapley I am. I just hear more passion for Les Mis than I do for Lincoln. Granted there are those who hate Les Mis and most at least admire Lincoln, which helps the latter, but I'm sticking with Les Mis. It makes people cry and is about to be the latest box office story. If it fails to pick up nominations for director and/or editing, then I'll reconsider.
December 25, 2012 at 12:53PM ESTDave B.
December 25, 2012 at 3:13AM EST Reply to CommentSaw it at a "midnight screening" and thought it was great. Anne Hathaway could draw tears from a rock. Hugh Jackman was excellent, and was totally surprised at how good Eddie Redmayne was. I think that the play is one of the great musicals of all time. Though I can't say that this is one of the greatest film musicals of all time. Look for lots of nominations, but right now my money is on Lincoln.
Jonnybon Saying "the play is one of the great musicals" is as inaccurate as saying "the moon is one of the great stars". Rant over. Les Mis for the win.
December 25, 2012 at 6:13AM ESTTim Jonnybon, If you liked Les Mis, your analogy makes no sense.
December 25, 2012 at 8:44PM ESTJonnybon Yes it does. A musical is not a play.
December 25, 2012 at 8:48PM ESTValerie It was wonderful! They could not of done better! Excellent Performance!
December 25, 2012 at 10:18PM ESTarod Jonnybon, a musical is a type of play, if you wanna get technical.
December 26, 2012 at 12:44PM ESTJonnybon Or not. You get plays, plays with music, musicals, operas, etc. Don't confuse musical theatre with plays.
December 26, 2012 at 6:47PM ESTValerie WOW! Is all this that important? The film was really good and they are at the top for films starting the 25th of Dec 2012. That says quite a bit.
December 26, 2012 at 8:02PM ESTKristopher Tapley Remember, this was the guy obsessing on commas in "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" last year. Best to ignore.
December 27, 2012 at 2:55PM ESTJonnybon But I was right, and your crankiness is unbecoming.
December 27, 2012 at 2:58PM ESTSamuelM
December 25, 2012 at 8:45AM EST Reply to CommentI thought it was largely terrific. It sags a bit in the middle (probably a remnant of it being a two-act stage musical - an intermission hides the sluggishness) and it's certainly visually, uh, bold. I really, really enjoyed it though. Hathaway had me weeping, Eddie Redmayne was a surprise standout. Crowe's singing was better than I expected, but still wasn't great - can't fault his acting though.
They've been hammering home the 'live singing' thing, and it's a decision that really pays off. There's an immediacy and energy to the songs that might have been lacking otherwise. I assume, incidentally, that the live singing is why there are relentless close-ups. It probably restricted Hooper's visual choices. I didn't mind the close-ups for the most part, but it might've been nice to get a wide shot every so often.
I think fans of the musical will eat it up. Others...not so sure. There was applause at the end of my screening and that's not something I see often. I think it could easily be an Artist/Kings Speech type BP winner - but it also feels like the competition might be too strong.
Anonymous To be honest, the whole movie was sort of a disappointment to me. They casted Colm Wilkinson but only let him play the Bishop. Casted Hadley Fraser but only let him play the Army Officer? What a waste of real talents! The pacing and transitions between songs and scenes was very off throughout the whole film. The establishment of relationships among the characters were very rushed and confusing. Songs were cut off at unusual places, making lots of parts seem incomplete and weird. (the whole film flows really badly) However, I need to point out the outstanding job of the new orchestration made for this edition of les mis. It catches audiences attention immediately at the start of the film and sets the mood well. To sum it up, if they were to make a movie out of a musical, they need to consider the 'music' aspect of the film. As a movie, the 1998 edition makes MUCH MORE sense (storyline-wise) and has much better flow than this one. As a musical, any stage production is better than this one.
December 25, 2012 at 9:51PM ESTKristen
December 25, 2012 at 9:32AM EST Reply to CommentAs an ardent Les Mis fan for my entire life, all I have to say to you is.. Bravo. This movie expounded on the limited visuals a stage production can provide. This film has finally given true fans what we have been waiting for and begging for from Hollywood - a soul stirring cinema feat that can only be described as Magical. Describing it as anything short of stellar is a diservice to the remarkable actors in this film and to Les Mis itself.
Sheila
December 25, 2012 at 10:09AM EST Reply to CommentLes Mis is boring!
Glenn UK How old are you? 14? Have you seen the film?
December 25, 2012 at 12:29PM ESTSHEILA Yes, I've seen the film and it's boring!
December 25, 2012 at 8:51PM ESTKristopher Tapley LOL. Greatest exchange ever.
December 25, 2012 at 11:04PM ESTPhantom Phan It was sssoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo boring and it had no tune whatsoever except i dreamed a dream and castle on a cloud and the one that they sing in battle... the rest seems like they made it up off the top of their head...I don't know how they knew to sing it with so many random notes to memorize.... PHANTOM IS STILL NUMBER 1
December 26, 2012 at 12:32AM ESTGlenn UK So Sheila, I guess you are 14 then. Shame you could not expand on why the film did not work for you if you did indeed go see it .... which I sincerely doubt.
December 26, 2012 at 8:28AM ESTGlenn, the film was boring if you are not into hardcore musicals like this and repetitive sounding songs. I thought it was going to be more like the sound of music with dialogw as well not what it was. There were ridiculous parts where they could have spoke instead of sing something like "I am goooooing to waaaalk doown theee road nooow". This movie is not for everyone and defiantly not for me. I had to walk out half way through because I couldn't bare it anymore.
December 26, 2012 at 11:37AM ESTyawnfest yawnnnnnn
December 27, 2012 at 8:35PM ESTAnna I agree. It was tiresome. I can't believe the length got past the producers. I thought it was going to end in multiple spots but never did. 2 hrs 38 mins seriously? I think it would be more bearable if not every word was sung, but more like a musical where it is spoken but then breaks out into song. Boring pretty much sums it up for me.....
December 30, 2012 at 6:05PM ESThaileyburygirl You are right, it was boring. I liked the little girl singing I dreamed about a castle in a cloud and also the patriotic song...other than that,why did I sit through it all! Ugh.
January 26, 2013 at 11:55PM ESTExcellent
December 25, 2012 at 10:23AM EST Reply to CommentBeware of anecdotal "evidence," Kris. It's assured a nomination, but Academy members have also chastised Les Mis for the zero dialogue/100% sung-through approach.
I understand why you're predicting it for the win, though. You don't want to put your chips, eggs, hope, what have you behind something else you love and then end up disappointed when another mediocre Hooper film wins.
m1 "another mediocre Hooper film wins."
December 25, 2012 at 11:58AM ESTWhat was the first one?
Chris138 Aside from Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush I agree that The King's Speech was a pretty mediocre film. But I'm willing to give this one a shot, even though I'm not much of a musical fan in the first place.
December 25, 2012 at 12:33PM ESTMurtada
December 25, 2012 at 12:44PM EST Reply to CommentIf you are a fan of the musical you will love this movie version. However if you are unfamiliar with it, you might go ''huh?"' several times. There are plot gaps as they had to get the movie in under three hours. The rebellion is front and center then forgotten, the jump between the years is sometimes jarring and might confuse some. The never ending close ups might give you vertigo. However there is enough emotion to carry you through. Most comes from Hathaway who gives the kind of big emotional performance that musical theater fans dream of.
Crowe was great too. That he brings pathos and gravitas to his villain are no surprise. But who knew he could belt out with such gusto making us completely understand his conflicted righteous character. I think the dismissive chatter about his performance is because he does not do well with the sung dialogue, his voice comes out as off tune in those instances. However he completely sold his two big numbers.
Kyle Really? Crowe looked deeply uncomfortable to me, like he was rushing to the end of each his numbers and emoting very little while in song, but that was just my impression.
December 25, 2012 at 7:27PM ESTKristopher Tapley "However if you are unfamiliar with [the musical], you might go 'huh?' several times."
December 25, 2012 at 11:05PM ESTAlas, I didn't.
Paul Outlaw
December 25, 2012 at 2:44PM EST Reply to CommentIncredibly ambitious and often very moving. Impressive performances by all except Crowe, whose timid and weak singing will be the Kryptonite to this film's award success, I believe. Redmayne a revelation. The biggest problem, however, is the reliance on close-ups, which has many people faulting the actors (like Hathaway) for being "over the top" or "playing to the back of the audience." Hooper pushed it a bit too far.
Jackman might have been a threat to DDL, but now I see him as more of a vote siphoner. Still think Hathaway has it in the bag, unless a late-in-the-race spoiler surprises.
RichardZ I had problems with the close ups too. I got aware of it during 24601's Bring Him Home.
December 25, 2012 at 9:42PM ESTIt's possible that the Hathaway win will be reward for the whole production, should LesMis lose steam.
Laura Stewart Crowe and Kryptonite - I see what you did there Paul Outlaw... touche, good sir, touche.
December 25, 2012 at 11:20PM ESTPaul Outlaw Laura, that was purely unintentional, consciously anyway. ;-)
December 26, 2012 at 3:12AM ESTDean
December 25, 2012 at 2:48PM EST Reply to CommentI think it's the most movie bang you get for your buck since Avatar. Before anyone takes the critics' reactions too seriously, check out the metacritic for Moulin Rogue! and consider the reputation it has now, making many best of the decade lists. Musicals just aren't "cool" I guess. http://www.metacritic.com/movie/moulin-rouge!/critic-reviews
Laura Stewart Moulin Rouge did not bore me and was impressive on every level. Crowe and company are no Kidman.
December 25, 2012 at 11:21PM ESTsara Moulin Rouge was awful though...
December 26, 2012 at 12:07AM ESTLaura Stewart By awful you mean amazing. Indeed.
December 26, 2012 at 2:39PM ESTMykill Moulin Rouge was awfully amazing ;-p. It is definitely one of my favorite films of all time and 100,000% better than Les Mizzzzzzz
December 26, 2012 at 3:05PM ESTarby
December 25, 2012 at 4:58PM EST Reply to CommentMan, this movie is bad. Tedious, turgid, old-fashioned,
clunky, boring as all get-out. Jackman frowns for three hours, Crowe is awful, the music is painful --
it's a real endurance test.
JJ1 Sheesh
December 25, 2012 at 11:27PM ESTHeather I have to agree. I was really looking forward to it, but was very disappointed. I love musicals, and I love this story. Boring beyond words, except for Hathaway. The only other emotional moment for me was when Javert pinned his medal to the dead child's jacket. Otherwise it left me wishing I'd gone to see Life of Pi instead.
January 14, 2013 at 1:41PM ESTSarah Thompson I don't know about "old fashioned." I love 30s a and 40s musicals, but I hated Les Mis. As one critic put it, every line is sung, which can be tedious anyway, but here the lines are sung in the most "droning, tuneless way"! And the lines/lyrics were not poetic enough to be put to music, however droning and tuneless.
February 5, 2013 at 4:43AM ESTdaveylo
December 25, 2012 at 7:23PM EST Reply to CommentI was expecting some turgid mess but was pleasantly surprised. I loved it but then I liked the show. I was moved by most of the cast and found myself in tears at the end. If Day-Lewis weren't in the running, Jackman would probably win the Oscar. The hatred by some toward this film surprises me.
JLPatt
December 25, 2012 at 7:40PM EST Reply to CommentSold out. Dammit. Will see this weekend.
Valerie
December 25, 2012 at 8:18PM EST Reply to CommentWonderful!! Fabulous!! "Touches the heart" AND actors were EXCELLENT! A+++++
Valerie I could hardly believe that at the end of it people were actually standing and clapping! Lots of them! WOW!
December 25, 2012 at 8:44PM ESTAnnoymous528
December 25, 2012 at 8:21PM EST Reply to CommentI could say that this was sort of a disappointment to me. Like come on! you cast Colm Wilkinson but only let him play the Bishop? Cast Hadley Fraser and let him play the Army Officer? What a waste of real talents! The pacing of the whole movie was extremely off. (so was the transition). They cut songs off at weird places. Establishment of relations among the characters was very rushed and confusing. However, I need to point out that the new orchestration for this edition was very nicely done. It catches the audiences' attention immediately and establishes the mood very clearly.
RichardZ The problems with the transitions are in the show also. The movie just made it more obvious. I agree, but the director really should have solved it some how.
December 25, 2012 at 9:45PM ESTValerie
December 25, 2012 at 8:22PM EST Reply to CommentIt's a sell out! brought me to tears along with my husband. Well put together! Oscar winning!
raschuette
December 25, 2012 at 8:58PM EST Reply to CommentNot a great piece of art but one hell of an effective piece of entertainment. I started crying during "In My Life" and didn't really stop until the credits rolled. Hooper's direction is a liability -- it just sort of hurdles pell mell from scene to scene -- and Crowe is easily the weakest vocal link, but I'm floored after seeing it that Barks and Redmayne aren't further up in the respective categories. Both are exceptional. Yet, if Anne Hathaway isn't a mortal lock for a win in her category, then something is wrong. Her single-take rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream" is what Oscar is made of.
I do want to take issue though with the IC article that refers to Anne having her Jennifer Hudson moment. While that was a performance aided in no small part by its aggressive editing -- not Ms. Hudson's acting chops -- Anne sells her show-stopper with no where to hide. A completely different situation.
JLPatt Like editing isn't a contributing element to every single performance ever. You're kidding yourself. Ludicrous statement.
December 25, 2012 at 9:35PM ESTRichardZ
December 25, 2012 at 9:38PM EST Reply to CommentI really liked the movie and the crowd was cheering at the credits, clapping! Russel Crowe was much better than the clips. Crowe's Javier is not the stage version of singing and made a real interpretation of the role. Hugh Jackman was a remarkable 24601. Redmayne's Marius was as believable as a character as I've seen in all staging of the musical. Anne Hathaway's Fantine was the grittiest version I've seen making it much more revelatory in the narrative. The cinematography and art direction is pretty much what I'd expect--both had an epic scale to it.
All in all, I'm hoping nods for: Best Picture, Director, Actor for Jackman, Supporting for Hathaway, Supporting for Redmayne, Cinematography, art direction (production design), sound and sound mixing, and costume.
Gosh, Lincoln was so long ago.
Don
December 25, 2012 at 10:13PM EST Reply to CommentI saw it tonight and was somewhat disappointed. Jackman's voice wasn't strong enough and I didn't care for his interpretation of some of the songs, but I got used to him. Crowe, on the other hand, was horrible. His singing(?) was a complete distraction. Hathaway gave an emotional rendition of Dream, but it's certainly not the best version. Banks and Redmayne (and the guy playing Enjolras) were amazing. Visually, the movie was great though.
Forrest Cardamenis
December 25, 2012 at 11:11PM EST Reply to CommentI gave a review that, in retrospect, is maybe a bit too generous, despite being negative.
http://forrestinfocus.wordpress.com/2012/12/09/les-miserables-tom-hooper-2012/
Forrest Cardamenis
December 25, 2012 at 11:12PM EST Reply to Commenthttp://forrestinfocus.wordpress.com/2012/12/09/les-miserables-tom-hooper-2012/
Laura Stewart
December 25, 2012 at 11:18PM EST Reply to CommentI went to back to back showings of Les Mis and Django. Did not care for the former and LOVED the latter. Granted, I never saw the musical and am not a die hard fan but I do have a soft spot for musicals in general (BIG fan of Moulin Rogue and Sweeney Todd). Anne H is quite good but the film really really falters without her around. Walked out of Django already thinking of the DVD release.... walked out of Les Mis wishing Tom Hooper would go back to directing television. Joy to the world.
Mykill I completely agree with everything you've just said - Les Mis wasn't terrible, it just had really wonky moments and I left it feeling kinda meh. A lot of the problems I had with the film were due to Tom Hooper's direction, so I think he wasn't really the best person for the job.
December 26, 2012 at 3:32PM ESTraschuette
December 25, 2012 at 11:21PM EST Reply to Comment@ JLPATT: Considering there is not one piece of editing during "I Dreamed A Dream" -- perhaps it's you who doesn't understand the concept of a "single take" -- your response is in and of itself wrong.
Be that as it may, the simple point I was trying to make is that the power of Hudson's show-stopper "And I Am Telling You" is as much about the editing as it is her performance. Hooper, on the other hand, relies entirely on Hathaway to deliver the goods.
JLPatt And the simple point I was making is that EVERY performance on film, whether it's Hudson in "Dreamgirls" or freakin' Katharine Hepburn in "The Lion in Winter," is made in part by editing.
December 25, 2012 at 11:34PM ESTJJ1
December 25, 2012 at 11:36PM EST Reply to CommentI must say, I am a bit confused by the "I hated it" and "it confused me"s.
I went into this with trepidation because I liked (not loved the musical) and read criticism about the close-ups and some direction .... But I thought this was one of the best movies of the year.
Unless I've lost my mind, I only remember jarring close-ups a couple of times. I remember lots of expansive shots. And Crowe did not make me cringe. In fact, the only time I cringed was Jackman singing "bring him home".
Hathaway was, indeed, excellent. But I echo someone above who thinks that Samantha Barks and Eddie Redmayne are definitely getting the shaft, at least, to this point.
Loved little Isabelle Allen and the boy who played Gavroche.
Crowd report: sold out. People of all ages and races, which surprised me for some reason. No claps after songs, but sniffles a lot. And loud, steady applause at the end. I heard people praising Jackman and the movie as I walked out. The only negative I heard was from a teenage girl who seemed annoyed by all the, ahem, singing.
Really admired this; flaws and all. Highly recommended.
amylorraine Really, strongly disliked it. The crowd was cheering and crying so I'm obviously in the minority but it was just so messy I couldn't enjoy it. Hooper's style and editing was all over the place and took me right out of the film. The acting was fine with the obvious standouts, some of the singing didn't hold up with the live singing but it was really Hooper that killed it. For the record I am a fan of the stage musical, this adaptation was just piss poor.
December 25, 2012 at 11:54PM ESTandrea
December 25, 2012 at 11:56PM EST Reply to CommentThe Critics can go kiss my you know what.
I loved it. I cried several times. Hathaway will indeed win.
If there is ever an example of the double standard of awards season when it comes to young females vs young males it's in Les Mis. Hathaway a lock but Redmayne totally shut out and can't beat out Alan Arkin in Argo? Give me a break. There is def a bias against young good looking up and coming actors. Redmayne was just as impressive as Hathaway and Jackman.
JJ1 Excellent point, andrea
December 26, 2012 at 12:12AM ESTCaptainCanada
December 26, 2012 at 12:10AM EST Reply to CommentIn a way, reading all the negative reviews of Crowe's singing helped, because he was nowhere near as bad as one might have expected based on what some people were saying. I'd rate his contributions as ranging from adequate to good, depending on the song; he's no Philip Quast, but he serves well enough, and in a few places (the arrest of Fantine and "The Confrontation" I thought he was really standout; the latter number is really well-staged).
Jackman, Hathaway, Barks and Redmayne were all terrific. I thought Amanda Seyfried was good too, though Cosette is a pretty thankless role in a lot of ways (her reaction to Valjean's death at the end was wrenching).
There's one bit that was in the script that I'm a little disappointed didn't really come across in the movie, though perhaps it would have been difficult to convey onscreen. The script at the reprise of "Do You Hear the People Sing?" playing during a flashforward to the 1848 revolution that toppled the July Monarchy (which the revolt depicted in the movie failed to do).
Putting the Bishop in at the end of "Valjean's Death" was a wonderful decision.
"Les Miserables" as a musical is a challenge to film in some ways, because it's full of long, angsty solos that aren't especially cinematic. Hooper eschews what I suspect would have been most directors' instincts, to incorporate montage elements into them, in favour of continuous extreme close-up, which has proven controversial, but I think really works (in a way it seems like can't win, either he's being called too conventional or too unconventional). "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables", for instance, I suspect in many people's hands would have been turned into a montage of Marius imagining past happy times with his friends, but Hooper just focuses on Marius the whole time.
newenglandgirl21 Excellent post. You captured my sentiments about the movie! I loved it -- as a movie. Still prefer the stage musical but thoroughly enjoyed the movie. I had such low expectations of Crowe, that I was pleasantly surprised that he wasn't as bad as I had expected.
December 26, 2012 at 11:38AM ESTPHANTOM OF THE OPERA FOREVER
December 26, 2012 at 12:41AM EST Reply to CommentWrite a comment...Today, I went to see Les Miserables with my friends. I hated it, They loved it. Today, I learned my friends are insane.
daveylo Or maybe you're friends have the right to disagree with you.
December 26, 2012 at 2:07AM ESTGlenn UK Or maybe the clue to your feelings could be in your profile name!!!!!
December 26, 2012 at 8:38AM ESTJ.L.
December 26, 2012 at 5:58AM EST Reply to CommentMuch of the praise of this film centers on Jackman, Hathway AND Redmayne. What do you think of Redmayne's Oscar chances, Kris? I keep hearing people say how wonderful he is but that he won't get nominated. Does he have any shot?
Kristopher Tapley I think he's great but I don't know. Maybe they would have needed to focus there or something, but it's hard to do that with Crowe in the pack, too.
December 26, 2012 at 3:28PM ESTx
December 26, 2012 at 7:37AM EST Reply to Commentwhy should i tell you what i thought of anything? get a life, go back to flipping burgers.
Kristopher Tapley Bravo.
December 26, 2012 at 3:29PM ESTKane
December 26, 2012 at 10:12AM EST Reply to CommentThe only reason I'm not predicting this to take best picture at all is because, so far at least, there has not been one perfect score on the movie from any critic I've come across. On Metacritic, out of 37 reviews, the highest score is a 90 (it's sole 90). Even Crash had a perfect 100 from Roger Ebert.
mikey67
December 26, 2012 at 12:47PM EST Reply to CommentMy reaction has been largely covered by earlier commenters: Redmayne is a revelation, Crowe is not a great singer, but he was adequate and the man can still act, SBC and HBC gave more than expected, the kids were great, especially Isabelle Allen, and Anne was riveting her entire half hour. The closeups weren't that problematic, and the only time I was bothered was during Bring Him Home, but better that than weird montages. This is difficult musical to film -- no dancing to add visuals, it's more like an opera. I think Hooper deserves a lot of credit for pulling it off. Everyone in my group loved it, including the grumpy rare filmgoer who had never seen the musical before.
mikey67 Also, even though she doesn't have much to do, I thought Seyfried was great, and I'm glad someone decided to through a little bit of teen/parent fighting into In My Life -- on stage it's never felt like an argument. I liked that added touch.
December 26, 2012 at 12:52PM EST- 1
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