What a great year for cinema. We've been waiting for the musical version for how long? I'm cautiously optimistic, but it looks like they might be doing it justice. And in case you didn't catch it, this is in 3D as well.
Great music. Great play. Bring on the movie. Just please don't be another Phantom. At least we know this cast can sing (or at least Hugh Jackman, Amanda Seyfried, and apparently Anne Hathaway can).
Posted by Bella Bee (Member # 7027) on :
Hathaway doesn't strike me as a really great singer, but the trailer is excellent and the music is good enough to make up for a lot.
Phantom was pretty terrible really - although I have the DVD of the dubbed version in Italian where they replaced the singing with some fantastic voices - and the film suddenly becomes a thousand times better.
Posted by C3PO the Dragon Slayer (Member # 10416) on :
Ooo, this came out of left field. I'll have to keep an eye on this! Les Miserables is one of my favorite stories of all time.
Posted by MattP (Member # 10495) on :
Ooh... this looks like it might not suck. I'm excited!
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
I haven't been excited about this since I heard who was cast. After hearing Hathaways I Dreamed a Dream, I'm even more underwhelmed.
I will say that visually it looks spectacular. They really did a number on the design and what not. But I have a feeling the music is going to have me leaving the theater shaking my head.
Posted by JonHecht (Member # 9712) on :
I'm with Lyr here. Hathaway's singing was unimpressive for the song, and the other actors are not appropriate for the difficulty of the material.
But it might be great. I hope it is.
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
They needed to be a lot more imaginative in their casting. They just went out and snagged all the names who'd recently been in a couple musicals here and there.
Lame.
They should have looked for the best combination of voice and acting, and that might just mean casting some relatively unknown actors in the lead roles. But that's too big a risk for Hollywood, so they cast the same people over and over.
Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
Having never seen it, I'll go without expectations.
Also, I understand that Hathaway does not have a great technical voice for that song, but there was an earnestness behind it that attracted me.
The hardest thing about that song is it sounds so hopeful and triumphant, and yet the lyrics are all about how hopeless everything is. I don't see how one could ever sing it without bursting into tears.
[ May 31, 2012, 09:05 AM: Message edited by: BlackBlade ]
Posted by Dr Strangelove (Member # 8331) on :
Yeah, I'm with BB here. Hathaway's version worked for me. We'll see how it all actually comes together, but the trailer got me really excited. I just saw the musical a couple of months ago in London and even there I was disappointed with some of the songs (notably my favorite song, On My Own), so I don't have any hopes for perfection. I just want it to be good and, for lack of a better word, in earnest. And I think that all of the actors they chose for the parts have that ability to make me buy it. To compare it with Phantom, Gerard Butler is just nowhere near the overall quality of actor as Hugh Jackman. In my opinion, he's at least one level, possibly two, beneath Jackman and possible Russell Crowe (I'm not Crowe connoisseur, but I've never been upset at him for taking a role). So in the case of the Phantom, I think they got a guy who was a reasonably big name but couldn't sign at all and really isn't that great of an actor. In the case of Les Mis, I think they got people who can do the singing well (Anne Hathaway case in point - not extraordinary, but she pulls it off in my book), but they also got people who can do the acting.
And, for the record, Eponine is a relative no name in film, at least as far as I know, so she fits your bill, Lyr. And since "On My Own" and "Little Fall of Rain" are my favorite songs (yeah, I'm a glutton for tragedy), she's who I'm most looking forward to seeing/hearing.
Posted by Scott R (Member # 567) on :
I've become increasingly soured on the musical because so many folks look to it as a faithful interpretation of Hugo's masterpiece.
It's fine for what it is, but it isn't the book. Grr.
Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :
I was more interested in this movie when I thought it was an adaptation of the book, not the musical.
Posted by Scott R (Member # 567) on :
Adaptations of the book have been done. Not well, mind you, but they exist.
Posted by JonHecht (Member # 9712) on :
Samantha Barks is fantastic. I recall being impressed by her Eponine during the 25th anniversary special, and I think I may have also seen her live (I can't remember whether I saw Les Mis at the end or the beginning of June in 2010).
quote:I've become increasingly soured on the musical because so many folks look to it as a faithful interpretation of Hugo's masterpiece.
Huh. I've never run into such a person. I do want to read the book, and part of the motivation is my experience with the musical, but I'd never assumed there was more than a tenuous association.
Posted by Dr Strangelove (Member # 8331) on :
quote:Originally posted by Scott R: I've become increasingly soured on the musical because so many folks look to it as a faithful interpretation of Hugo's masterpiece.
It's fine for what it is, but it isn't the book. Grr.
I definitely agree that more people need to read the book (here's to hoping the movie will accomplish that!), though I don't think that has soured me on the musical at all. I've watched a few musicals and listened to the soundtracks of more, and in my humble opinion it just doesn't get better than Les Mis. I'm probably a bit biased since I grew up listening to the Les Mis soundtrack, but its something special, and it definitely can and should be adapted cinematically.
The book also is something special. Easily one of my favorites. But in all honesty I'd much rather see an adaptation of the musical. There's just no way to do the book justice. It would be like actually trying to do justice to "The Count of Monte Cristo" - it really just isn't possible. Maybe with an incredibly high budget miniseries, but never a film.
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
I doubt this movie will get many people to read Les Mis. It takes a hundred pages just for the Bishop of Digne to open the book.
Maybe some people will get to the abridged version...but someone not inclined to read it to begin with won't make it 100 pages if the movie is the only reason they are interested. It's a good book, but it's really, really not for everyone.
quote:And, for the record, Eponine is a relative no name in film, at least as far as I know, so she fits your bill, Lyr. And since "On My Own" and "Little Fall of Rain" are my favorite songs (yeah, I'm a glutton for tragedy), she's who I'm most looking forward to seeing/hearing.
Samantha Barks is the one exception I see on the cast, since she actually performed Eponine on the West End stage and for the big 25th anniversary concert. She's good. I like Lea Salonga better, and probably even Lea Michelle, who was cast in the Les Mis revival before leaving for Glee.
I grew up listening to the 10th Anniversary cd, which is still my favorite. Nothing will ever probably satisfy me (except older Cosette, I never liked her), so maybe I have to take this movie with a grain of salt, but I grew up listening to great singers, not great actors who can passably sing, so I have a higher standard.
I just wish they'd gone a little further afield in their searches.
Posted by Dr Strangelove (Member # 8331) on :
quote:Originally posted by Lyrhawn: I doubt this movie will get many people to read Les Mis. It takes a hundred pages just for the Bishop of Digne to open the book.
Maybe some people will get to the abridged version...but someone not inclined to read it to begin with won't make it 100 pages if the movie is the only reason they are interested. It's a good book, but it's really, really not for everyone.
Yeah... I really love those chapters about the Bishop. But I suppose my tastes are not necessarily run of the mill.
quote:I grew up listening to the 10th Anniversary cd, which is still my favorite. Nothing will ever probably satisfy me (except older Cosette, I never liked her), so maybe I have to take this movie with a grain of salt, but I grew up listening to great singers, not great actors who can passably sing, so I have a higher standard.
I just wish they'd gone a little further afield in their searches.
I don't really disagree. The 10th Anniversary cd is the one I grew up listening to as well. My mom was a huge fan and played it over and over again. I was actually disappointed at times when I saw it in London in 2005 (except with Eponine in that case. Who was playing her then?), and this past time when I saw it I was happy with everyone except Eponine (I seriously dislike the current one).
So I guess what I'm saying is that I know the movie isn't going to be perfect, but then neither are the shows, and I don't think they made any huge errors with the casting. I'm sure they could've found better people by raiding Broadway or the West End, but even then I'd probably still have criticisms. I'm mostly just happy that the movie exists and Gerard Butler isn't in it.
Edit: As an aside, my google-fu is failing me and I cannot find a list of the London cast in 2005. Anyone have any suggestions?
[ May 31, 2012, 05:04 PM: Message edited by: Dr Strangelove ]
Posted by Aros (Member # 4873) on :
<Message redacted due to inaccuracy....doh!>
[ May 31, 2012, 10:50 PM: Message edited by: Aros ]
Posted by Amilia (Member # 8912) on :
No, that was the Broadway show. The London show has been running non-stop since 1985.
In looking for those links, I came across lots of news articles about Taylor Swift not getting Eponine. Yeah, I think the casting director made a good call there.
That said, I loved Hugh Jackman in Oklahoma!. Yes, I know Curly is no ValJean. But for that beautiful Oklahoma!, I'm willing to give him the benefit of a doubt.
Also, I agree with Card's review of the Phantom movie. It wouldn't have been so bad that they cast actors instead of singers, if it hadn't been that the plot absolutely depended on spectacular singing.
Posted by Dr Strangelove (Member # 8331) on :
Thanks Amilia! I don't know why I couldn't find those lists. I'm pretty positive I saw it in July, so Shonagh Daly it is. And yes, I definitely concur about them making the right choice not to include Taylor Swift.
Posted by Teshi (Member # 5024) on :
Wow, this doesn't actually look like it's going to suck. I've been avoiding watching the trailer because I've been afraid that it would, but it looks decent.
Also, I was just thinking that I hadn't seen Russell Crowe out and about recently.
quote:I don't really disagree. The 10th Anniversary cd is the one I grew up listening to as well. My mom was a huge fan and played it over and over again. I was actually disappointed at times when I saw it in London in 2005 (except with Eponine in that case. Who was playing her then?), and this past time when I saw it I was happy with everyone except Eponine (I seriously dislike the current one).
I agree that the 10th Anniversary is the best I've heard.
Posted by JonHecht (Member # 9712) on :
Javert in the 25th has one of the most incredibly powerful voices that I have ever heard.