I'm not doing this review because this movie is new. It's not. It came out two years ago. Nor am I reviewing it because this is my first time seeing it. It's not. I've seen this movie before. I've seen the Liam Neeson movie. I've seen the really old movie with Anthony Perkins. I've seen the stage production four times. I own the CD of the original London cast recordings. I've even read the book--the unabridged version of the book.
I guess you could say it's getting pretty serious.
I'm doing this review because I love this story. I'm an avid reader. I'm an English Language major. I'm a total geek when it comes to books, movies, and (good) TV series. And I can honestly say that Les Miserables is my favorite story. Ever.
I loved the pre-2012 movies, but I loved seeing the musical best. I was resigned to my fate of just watching the movie whenever I had Les Mis withdrawals, and praying that the musical would come to town again.
So when I came home from my mission and heard that the musical had been turned into a movie, I was thrilled! I could watch the musical whenever I wanted, without having to wait for a production to come to town, and without having to pay $20 for each viewing! It was a dream come true!
My family and I went to see it on opening day, which was Christmas 2012. The theater was packed full of people who were either rabid fans of the musical or who had just gotten sucked into the hype and wanted to see what all the fuss was about.
I'll admit that I was kind of disappointed when I first saw Les Mis in theaters. Not in the movie itself, but in the other people in the theater. There I was trying to enjoy the experience and listen to the message of the music, but half the theater was chatting with each other, criticizing the acting, or coming and going as if they couldn't care less about missing the show. It was like a mass case of trying to get someone interested in something you love and having them just give you a blank stare. And it kind of ruined the theater-going experience for me.
I saw the movie again several times, but each time it was with people who hadn't seen it before or with people who just didn't care enough to keep quiet and enjoy it. It wasn't until this last President's Day that I got to watch it (mostly) alone and drink in every detail.
I'm reviewing this now, because I watched it this weekend for the first time in like a year, and it made me cry as if it were my first viewing. Whatever people say to oppose this film, it made me cry. I love it. And here's why: Because whenever I hear that story, I end up feeling like I could be a better person. I have a stronger desire to forgive and forget--to be selfless and caring--to have conviction and strength in hardship.
How can anyone deny that the story is amazing? You've got Valjean and Javert (by far my favorite characters in all of literature), Eponine and Marius and Cosette, Fantine, the Thenardiers, Enjoras and Gavroche... All with a tragic story that shapes their lives and defines their characters and ultimately ends with a hopeful (if not happy) resolution.
But others don't see that!
I know so many people who don't want to watch the movie because it's a musical. And then there are those, like my grandma, who love musicals, but refuse to watch the movie because the actors can't sing as well as a Broadway performer.
Don't get me wrong, I love the music. I could listen to the music all day. But I didn't go to the movie because of the music. I went for the story. The story just so happens to be best conveyed through music. I didn't care too much that the actors weren't the best singers in the world. All I care about is that they are amazing actors.
When they sing those songs, their voices shake and falter, and I like that. There's real, raw emotion when they sing. You can't get that on Broadway--you can't see the pain in their eyes--Broadway actors can't cry when they sing, or they won't project loudly enough.
But here on film, you get Anne Hathaway singing "I Dreamed a Dream", start-to-finish, in one long take, where she starts out depressed, then conveys heartbreak, hope, outrage, and defeat from one line to the next. She's outright bawling while she sings.
Hugh Jackman does the same with "What Have I Done?", and even though I'm not the biggest fan of his voice, there's no denying his acting ability. His is my favorite portrayal of Valjean to date.
So they made a movie where the quality of voices was replaced with quality of emotion, and I think it made the music even more beautiful than before.
Haters gonna hate, but I love this movie. I wouldn't buy a CD of the songs by Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, and Russell Crowe, but I am thrilled to be able to see those songs in context whenever I need a Les Mis fix. Whenever I need to be reminded that "to love another person is to see the face of God."
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