MOVIE REVIEW - Les Miserables

After 25 years of huge stage play success, Les Miserables has come to the big screen in this 2 hour and 40 minute 100 percent musical for 2012.

This of course has been decorated in about every fashion possible as a play, but now it's the movies turn.  So far, this has been a huge success financially, and has picked up numerous award show nominations.   But I think it's time to slow down and catch our breath a bit, and recognize this is the kind of movie that Hollywood loves to pat itself on the back over.   It's art, becoming a new kind of art.   And they just can't help but honor themselves for this.

First off, if you really want to see Les Mis, go see it on the stage.  It is are more powerful and works far better in about every regard.  I seldom think that it's a great idea to adapt these kind of monster shows into movies.  In an attempt to gain much, much more is lost.  It is simply more moving to see live players on stage sing this powerful music, than a list of Hollywood A and B-listers.  The story is told better in that forum.

This stars Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne  Hathaway, and Amanda Seyfried.  Simply put, this is a complicated, and heavy story told over about a 20 year period during the French Revolution in the early 1500's, dealing with class warfare and those wanting freedom and equality.   It's told exclusively with singing dialogue.   But this version is getting far more attention for the groundbreaking way the movie was constructed.  The actors (all of them) did their own singing, and did it live as the movie was being filmed, virtually unheard of in Hollywood.  Usually all of the singing is done months in advance and later dubbed in.

It is a very revolutionary way to do it, and it has been met with good industry chatter.   The singing is not always polished, and that's OK.   It adds to the realism of the whole thing, and overall is effective.   The sets are fantastic and the costuming is amazing.   This film is edited very skillfully, and the beauty of the orchestral arrangements at times are breathtaking.  This film will win a bunch awards somewhere, and these are the areas that are worthy.   To the public, the "who cares" categories.

But the trouble with Le Mis is this.   No matter what kind of bells and whistles they toss at you, you still see Russell Crowe, and Hugh Jackman singing show tunes..be it good ones.  They do a ton of singing, and it's not their fault they are not polished vocalists.  Their star power, especially Crowe's gets in the way.  You spend as much time wondering how they are getting through the songs, as opposed to seeing them totally in character.  There is an awful lot of these two singing in this movie and they are not hacks by any means.  But seasoned stage actors can bring more power and emotion to these large roles and in the end make them far more believable.

Hathaway is very good and steals the show with her amazing performance of I Dreamed A Dream. Trouble is, that climax is about at the 30 minute mark.  Seyfreid, who is the best vocalist here, along with Samantha Barks are both stunningly good, sadly in roles that are crucial just smaller.   Should be mentioned too that there have been new songs added to this rendition in addition to the original score. 

Also keep in mind this will feel very long at times.  No intermission here, which could actually pick up the pace of your experience.  This for many, will get fatiguing with this format and length.   Les Mis, is a far, and I mean far better show on stage than can be caught in the movies.   This is a different experience to be sure, but this is an not mainstream.

Les Miserables.  Sometimes a fantastic stage play should stay exactly that.  This for me, in the grand total of all works is not very effective.  And now sadly, and possibly the biggest shame of all, this will be the only way the majority of the public will every know this show.