AltonTowersNerd
TS Member
I just saw the epic and nostalgic musical... Le Miserables; the story of the French Revolution. Did anyone else saw this and what does everyone think of it, i'm hoping to see the theater version sometime.
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I saw Les Miserables!!!! at the cinema
- Thread starter AltonTowersNerd
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Yes, I saw it on the film set, cast and crew premiere and once at the Imax. Its very good, but Tom Hooper made a terrible decision in
post- production by adding so many close ups to the final edit.
Having a variation of different shots is more interesting. It keeps the audience engaged the whole time and shows the true scale of a film. The sheer amount of handheld, shaky closeups was a turn off.
If Working Title (the studio/production company) and Tom Hooper ever decide to revisit Les Mis for a directors cut, then they can start by losing most of the close ups.
post- production by adding so many close ups to the final edit.
Having a variation of different shots is more interesting. It keeps the audience engaged the whole time and shows the true scale of a film. The sheer amount of handheld, shaky closeups was a turn off.
If Working Title (the studio/production company) and Tom Hooper ever decide to revisit Les Mis for a directors cut, then they can start by losing most of the close ups.
DiogoJ42
TS Member
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It worked well having one, uncut close up for "I Dreamed A Dream", but otherwise I agree. Overall, I found the film nowhere near as good as the stage show. Though I will admit that the film did a better job of explaining what the hell was going on.
Harv
TS Member
^ Woah, Diogo... Was that... semi-positivity? 
Nah, tbh, I agree with your points. There's something great about the stage version that the film seems to lack. Can't 100% put my finger on what it was though. Still enjoyed the film thoroughly, and enough to buy the soundtrack earlier today.
Nah, tbh, I agree with your points. There's something great about the stage version that the film seems to lack. Can't 100% put my finger on what it was though. Still enjoyed the film thoroughly, and enough to buy the soundtrack earlier today.
Jonathan
TS Member
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I'm semi-ashamed to admit this, but after I saw it for the first time, I did write a very lengthy review of the film. :-[ A lot of it was taken up with the storyline, though.
The only previous experience I'd had was watching the 25th Anniversary version from the O2, and I was pretty impressed with it. I do need to see the stage show at some point when I'm in London.
I'm not going to post the entire review in here, as that could be rather boring, so I'll try and put in highlights and lowlights.
Highlights
+ Having Colm Wilkinson, the original Valjean, playing the part of the Bishop
+ Anne Hathaway's rendition of 'I Dreamed A Dream' - she fully deserved the awards for Best Supporting Actress that she received
+ Isabelle Allen's portrayal of Young Cosette. She was so sweet!
+ Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen as Monsieur et Madame Thénardier. I had reservations about them, but they pulled it off.
+ Daniel Huttlestone as Gavroche. I've got a soft spot for Gavroche for some reason.
+ Samantha Barks as Éponine, the daughter of the Thénardiers. She'd performed the role at the 25th Anniversary, and did very well, so it came as no surprise when she was selected for the film. And she did fantastically well, having me in tears on each of the four times I saw it. (Yes, I saw it that many times, giving the cinema about £25 in total, but it was worth it.)
+ Do You Hear The People Sing? I certainly did. The scene with General Lamarque's funeral had this song, and it was so atmospheric.
+ The final scene with Valjean (played very well by Hugh Jackman) seeing the Bishop and Fantine to help him go to heaven, followed by the characters all singing on the barricades.
+ 'Empty Chairs at Empty Tables'. Eddie Redmayne did this SO well. Probably the best version of this song I've ever heard. It's so raw and emotional - and it was Redmayne's decision to sing the first part a capella - a very good decision, IMO.. Plus it helps that Redmayne's pretty good-looking.
+ Tom Hooper's decision to get the performers to sing live on set. It worked brilliantly.
+ Putting 'I Dreamed A Dream' after 'Lovely Ladies' as opposed to the other way around in the stage version. It makes more sense in terms of the storyline to have it in that order.
+ Russell Crowe doing a better job of Javert than I'd expected. 'Stars' was perfectly decent, although not in the same league as Philip Quast or Norm Lewis.
Lowlights
- Some of the unnecessary changes in the lyrics.
- Cosette. I don't know why, but I just don't like Cosette's adult character very much.
- Enjolras was acceptable, but nothing more than that. I would've preferred Ramin Karimloo, if I'm honest.
I was very impressed with the film - hence why I saw it four times. Another point to note is that there's a completely new song after Valjean takes Cosette from the Thénardiers - Suddenly. It's an interesting decision that was made, but I thought it was quite good. It was pretty difficult to tell that it was filmed in 21st century England (and in Gourdon in France), but it was pretty easy to see that some bits were filmed at the Royal Naval College in Greenwich. Tom Hooper did a good job of putting the film onto the screen. My opinion of it all may well change when I eventually see the stage show.
The only previous experience I'd had was watching the 25th Anniversary version from the O2, and I was pretty impressed with it. I do need to see the stage show at some point when I'm in London.
I'm not going to post the entire review in here, as that could be rather boring, so I'll try and put in highlights and lowlights.
Highlights
+ Having Colm Wilkinson, the original Valjean, playing the part of the Bishop
+ Anne Hathaway's rendition of 'I Dreamed A Dream' - she fully deserved the awards for Best Supporting Actress that she received
+ Isabelle Allen's portrayal of Young Cosette. She was so sweet!
+ Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen as Monsieur et Madame Thénardier. I had reservations about them, but they pulled it off.
+ Daniel Huttlestone as Gavroche. I've got a soft spot for Gavroche for some reason.
+ Samantha Barks as Éponine, the daughter of the Thénardiers. She'd performed the role at the 25th Anniversary, and did very well, so it came as no surprise when she was selected for the film. And she did fantastically well, having me in tears on each of the four times I saw it. (Yes, I saw it that many times, giving the cinema about £25 in total, but it was worth it.
)+ Do You Hear The People Sing? I certainly did. The scene with General Lamarque's funeral had this song, and it was so atmospheric.
+ The final scene with Valjean (played very well by Hugh Jackman) seeing the Bishop and Fantine to help him go to heaven, followed by the characters all singing on the barricades.
+ 'Empty Chairs at Empty Tables'. Eddie Redmayne did this SO well. Probably the best version of this song I've ever heard. It's so raw and emotional - and it was Redmayne's decision to sing the first part a capella - a very good decision, IMO.. Plus it helps that Redmayne's pretty good-looking.
+ Tom Hooper's decision to get the performers to sing live on set. It worked brilliantly.
+ Putting 'I Dreamed A Dream' after 'Lovely Ladies' as opposed to the other way around in the stage version. It makes more sense in terms of the storyline to have it in that order.
+ Russell Crowe doing a better job of Javert than I'd expected. 'Stars' was perfectly decent, although not in the same league as Philip Quast or Norm Lewis.
Lowlights
- Some of the unnecessary changes in the lyrics.
- Cosette. I don't know why, but I just don't like Cosette's adult character very much.
- Enjolras was acceptable, but nothing more than that. I would've preferred Ramin Karimloo, if I'm honest.
I was very impressed with the film - hence why I saw it four times. Another point to note is that there's a completely new song after Valjean takes Cosette from the Thénardiers - Suddenly. It's an interesting decision that was made, but I thought it was quite good. It was pretty difficult to tell that it was filmed in 21st century England (and in Gourdon in France), but it was pretty easy to see that some bits were filmed at the Royal Naval College in Greenwich.
Tom Hooper did a good job of putting the film onto the screen. My opinion of it all may well change when I eventually see the stage show.
Jonathan
TS Member
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- Helix <3
That was one thing from the novel that was missing in the stage musical, though. Valjean hadn't loved anything since he was imprisoned in Toulon in 1796, and there was no realisation that he now had someone to love and care for in the stage show, with this being put back in the film. The film may have been better off without it, though.