Less Miser Ables
After weeks of increasingly giddy expectation, I finally saw the Les Miserables movie last night. Since I've been so looking forward to it and because a lot of people I know like the musical, I decided I'd post a bullet point review.
I grew up with the music ever since my grandfather lent me one of his cast recordings when I was in fourth or fifth grade. I've only seen one stage production of it, a really good high school production (it sounds ridiculous, but it's true!) I saw in eighth grade. Recently I've been listening to various cast recordings and watched the 25th anniversary concert. I haven't read the book or seen a professional production, but I still consider myself very familiar with at least the music and the story.
Overall, I enjoyed the movie, but I wish I hadn't gone in with so many preconceptions and expectations because I spent most of my time and energy comparing and contrasting, rather than watching the movie with fresh eyes and an open heart. I had many feels, which I have outlined under the cut in my characteristically wordy fashion.
Oh, and I write with the assumption that whoever is reading is familiar with the story and music, and I make absolutely no effort whatsoever not to spoil things. You have been warned.
First, some general remarks:
All of these people on Tumblr who’d already seen the movie kept talking about all the FEEEEEEEEEEELZ they got, posting flailing and wailing gifs to describe their reactions, saying to bring tissues. I really, really wanted to get FEEEEEEEEEELZ, but honestly I got so distracted by trying to see if things lived up to expectations, how things were different, what things weren’t there, etc. that I didn’t have the emotional involvement that I had wanted to. And that’s not really the film’s fault so much as my own for having preconceptions that I spent the whole time matching it up to. I’m hoping that a second viewing, in which I know exactly what I’m in for, will make me feel more involved.
I had heard about the heavy use of close-ups in this film, yet the cinematography was the thing that stood out the most and contrasted the most with my expectations (in a good way.) Close-ups are indeed prevalent, but the other notable fact is that there is almost never a conventional steady, straight-on shot. The handheld camera, 45 degree angles, and tilted shots are exploited to great effect, and it is rare that a single character is placed in the center of the shot (they are almost always on one side of the shot, next to empty space, background, a wall, or some other space of little note.) Also, unless I zoned out, “I Dreamed a Dream” was one take. To be honest, I haven’t really seen any other film that looks like this one. Despite sometimes feeling a little unbalanced, the cinematography gave the film an immediacy that worked excellently with the thematic material as well as providing a completely different experience from the stage production.
- The soundtrack is one that needs to be seen in the movie before it’s heard by itself. Between the heightened reality of the acting and the varying levels of training of the cast, it’s not always going to sound pretty. Anne Hathaway’s “I Dreamed a Dream,” to name one, is harrowing enough on film but it’s not the most aesthetically pleasing choice of background music. Anything with lots of extras, on the other hand, is going to sound more polished.
- 95% of everyone sounded different than I normally imagine them. Some of the cast, despite having singing ability, don’t have quite the levels of training that you normally hear on your West End, Broadway, international, anniversary, etc. cast recordings; others did have that level of training but a different voice than I normally associate with the character.
- To my chagrin, not everything in the stage score makes it to the film. Most of what gets skipped is recitative, one or two songs that aren’t super-central to the plot, etc., but still stuff that I miss (“Dog Eats Dog” and that scene where the police try to get the Bishop of Digne to confirm that Valjean stole the silver). There is also some tinkering the order of the songs and certain plot points; most of that, however, I felt was effective.
- The visuals of this film are incredible. I saw an interview with the production designers who said they were kind of going for an elevated reality - that is to say, realism with a dash of stylism - and it was to good effect. The set design and makeup departments especially impressed me.
And some more specific remarks…
- The first few bars of the overture at the start of the movie are just thrilling.
- Hugh Jackman doesn’t have the same richness of voice as Colm Wilkinson or the best-known Valjeans; nonetheless, I felt he was convincing enough that I got attached to him, and wound up tearing up in the final scene (which I normally don’t do.) Also, I enjoyed his first soliloquy and “Who am I,” both of which are important to me. As long as “Jean Valjean is nothing now - another story must begin!” is done right, there is always hope.
- Russell Crowe and Anne Hathaway fared better than I feared. Actually, up until seeing this movie, I wasn’t aware Russell could sing at all. So I was pleasantly surprised, although I have to agree with my coworker that the range of most of the songs was a strain for his voice, which seems to be a natural bass; his tone improves once he hits those lower notes.
- In tonight’s performance, the role of Sgt. Doakes will be played by Javert, and the role of Dexter will be played by Jean Valjean. There were at least two instances in the movie - most notably at the start of “Confrontation” - where Javert appeared out of nowhere and started singing, and I couldn’t help thinking, “Surprise, motherfucker!”
- My unexpected favorite was Gavroche. One of the highlights of the film for me was his introduction, when he sings the “How do you do, my name’s Gavroche” bit right to a posh old gentleman in a carriage, then performs a bunch of exposition while riding on the back of the carriage, looking straight at the camera that follows him all the way to a rally held by the students. I don’t know what it is, but there’s something about that staging that makes me geek out, and he’s enjoyable without being annoying like some Gavroches can be. Due to certain events being switcherooed around, he also winds up getting a bit larger role than I remember him having in the stage production.
- Speaking of switcheroos, at one point, they scared me to death because I thought they were going to completely bypass “Do You Hear the People Sing.” Then, just as I’d forsaken hope, it finally happened, and I loved its use even more than in the stage version.
- Eddie Redmayne = perfect. A genuine and engaging performance of a character I normally want to slap a bit. (Still did. But nonetheless.)
- Sam Barks = perfect. Eponine’s my girl anyway, but her playful interactions with Marius were what really made me feel like I know her.
- Certain young men in the cast are visually appealing. A grand total of one of them doesn’t die. Of course, my personal object of ogle gets shot in front of a second story window, falls backwards, and dies hanging upside down, but hey, it’s not called The Happies, now is it?
- I did enjoy Colm Wilkinson (the original Jean Valjean) as the Bishop. Apparently the original Eponine, Frances Ruffelle, also cameos as a prostitute, but I was looking for the wrong face and didn’t recognize her.
- Nerd note time: one of my pet peeves is when people change the keys of songs that I like. As people close to me will know, I have a very strong attachment to certain minor keys and, although I understand the change may have happened for range and/or stylistic license reasons, it’s still a disappointment when things that were in certain intense scenes are done in less intense keys. I’m glad I was prepared for “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables” to not be in A minor (it is in some productions and not in others.) That could have been a nasty shock.
- I have a suspicion that the following line is original to the movie; somebody please tell me I’m right because it was so goddamn stupid on so many levels that it made me cringe.
o OFFICER: (approaching the barricade) Who’s there?
o ENJOLRAS: The French Revolution!
o *commence the gunfire*
- There is a new song in the film called “Suddenly,” and fortunately it’s written by the original composers of the musical. I went to the bathroom when it started, so I can’t really comment much on it. As it was starting, it seemed to be about Valjean suddenly finding himself beset with the responsibilities of being a father.
So "at the end of the day": it's a good movie, and it's well-filmed, if not always well-sung. I plan on going to see it again. One just has to go in knowing that it's not going to be a silver screen translation of the polished cast recordings we grew up with.