Kelly, now that I finally saw the movie, I can comment on here. LOL I saw Les Miserables on opening night in LA many many years ago - having no idea what I was going to see. Got a little confused then with the characters. When we lived in Reno/Tahoe, we played Do You Hear the People Sing to the kids every Sunday during our short drive to go hiking. Kids were about 2 and 4. Then on our 5 day drive to Chicago, DH played the soundtrack the entire way. I usually listen to the soundtrack once a month - and my favorite night was when I discovered the 25th Anniversary show one night on PBS. I was glued to my chair. All that being said, I couldn't help but think about the people in the audience who knew nothing about the show, like the girl next to us. From the comments on FB etc, looks like it was loved. (Though the Chicago Tribune gave it 1 1/2 stars. Really?) I wonder if it's like people seeing the film version of a book without reading the book VS huge fans of a book seeing the film version... i.e. Harry Potter? I totally agree with your comment about Hugh's voice. He seemed to get less nasally as the show progressed. I had to come home and play for my daughter the Colm Wilkinson - Bring Him Home version. That makes me tear up every time. Loved Sasha Baron Cohen - never was fond of the Master before. Loved Samantha Barks (kept thinking "where have I seen her before?"), Eddie Redmayne (daughter is upset that he's 10 years older than her) and I liked Russell Crowe - based on reviews I was expecting a lot worse. LOL And, yes, Annie Hathaway's performance was amazing. Reviews have commented on all the close ups. We sat in the second to last row because of that. But, this is the film version. A different format, a different vehicle of the show. Sorry for the long comment... just had to "chat" with someone about my thoughts. XO
Film is a completely different story-telling vehicle than stage, even though they have a lot in common. It's more about nuance and the personal performance, and the details matter so much more.
I thought Tom Hooper got that just right, and honored a much-beloved play as best he could with some of the shots (Javert's two solos, for instance, with their big backdrops, and the death of the students, where the guy falls out the window with the red flag - a direct echo of the barricade in the stage show).
My brother was thrown by the fact that Russel Crowe's pieces were done in a lower key than the original soundtrack to accommodate his baritone. (He listens to it so much that he knows the relative pitch of things, and marked the difference.)
Did you realize it was Colm Wilkinson as the abbott who gave the candlesticks to Valjean? Because I didn't at the time I saw it, though I kept thinking "I know that guy!"
All that being said, I couldn't help but think about the people in the audience who knew nothing about the show, like the girl next to us. From the comments on FB etc, looks like it was loved. (Though the Chicago Tribune gave it 1 1/2 stars. Really?) I wonder if it's like people seeing the film version of a book without reading the book VS huge fans of a book seeing the film version... i.e. Harry Potter?
I totally agree with your comment about Hugh's voice. He seemed to get less nasally as the show progressed. I had to come home and play for my daughter the Colm Wilkinson - Bring Him Home version. That makes me tear up every time.
Loved Sasha Baron Cohen - never was fond of the Master before.
Loved Samantha Barks (kept thinking "where have I seen her before?"), Eddie Redmayne (daughter is upset that he's 10 years older than her) and I liked Russell Crowe - based on reviews I was expecting a lot worse. LOL And, yes, Annie Hathaway's performance was amazing.
Reviews have commented on all the close ups. We sat in the second to last row because of that. But, this is the film version. A different format, a different vehicle of the show.
Sorry for the long comment... just had to "chat" with someone about my thoughts. XO
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I thought Tom Hooper got that just right, and honored a much-beloved play as best he could with some of the shots (Javert's two solos, for instance, with their big backdrops, and the death of the students, where the guy falls out the window with the red flag - a direct echo of the barricade in the stage show).
My brother was thrown by the fact that Russel Crowe's pieces were done in a lower key than the original soundtrack to accommodate his baritone. (He listens to it so much that he knows the relative pitch of things, and marked the difference.)
Did you realize it was Colm Wilkinson as the abbott who gave the candlesticks to Valjean? Because I didn't at the time I saw it, though I kept thinking "I know that guy!"
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