Les Miserables: A Review

When I heard that the musical Les Miserables (or Les Mis to its legions of fans)  was going to be made into a movie, I wasn't sure what to think. I've always loved musicals, and Les Mis has been one of my favorites for years. I’ve seen it on stage twice, and at one point I had the original Broadway cast album practically memorized. I’m definitely a fan, but I wasn’t sold on the idea of a film adaptation. As much as I love musicals, I don’t care for the way they’ve been treated by Hollywood over the last several years. Between non-singing celebrities being cast in lead roles to movies that just seem to lack the energy of a live performance, most recent movie musicals just haven’t done it for me. I remained cautiously optimistic about the movie adaptation of Les Mis, but I was fully prepared to be underwhelmed.

Well, after seeing the movie for myself, I can honestly say that my fears were unfounded. It’s not perfect, but I think this version of Les Miserables will please fans of the stage show.


For those unfamiliar with Les Mis, it tells the story of Jean Valjean, an ex-convict in 19th Century France who violates his parole to create a new life for himself. Over the course of several years, Valjean befriends the dying prostitute Fantine, raises Fantine’s daughter as his own and gets caught up in the failed June Rebellion of 1832, all while being pursued by the fanatical police inspector Javert. It’s a story that covers a period of nearly two decades and involves several supporting characters, but the main focus is on Valjean’s journey of redemption and the lives affected by it.


Director Tom Hooper famously made some interesting choices as the director of this movie, the most significant of which was his decision to have the actors sing their parts live on set as opposed to lip synching to pre-recorded music. This may seem like an insignificant change, but it helps the film stand out from other musicals. The actors may be singing their lines, but since they’re doing it “live” they dictate the rhythm and timing of what they are singing and make it sound more like natural spoken dialogue. It also allows for far more emotional performances, which is a plus considering that Les Mis has always had a reputation of being a powerful tearjerker of a musical.


Another interesting decision that was made was to shoot most of the big musical numbers in close-up using long, uninterrupted takes. It seems like an odd choice, but it puts the focus on the performers and the emotions that their songs are supposed to convey. For example, Anne Hathaway’s much talked-about rendition of “I Dreamed a Dream” probably wouldn’t be as poweful as it is had the camera not focused so closely on her. The song has always been about Fantine breaking down and losing nearly all hope, but because it’s shot in close-up we feel every bit of her pain and heartbreak. It gives the number a more intimate feeling that turns an already powerful performance into something that people will be talking about for a long time.


As for the performances themselves, they are quite good for the most part. Hugh Jackman isn’t the best singer to ever play Jean Valjean (he has to strain to hit the high notes), but he has a strong and expressive singing voice that lends itself well to the role. It also helps that he seems to be an actor first and a singer second. He seems to be more concerned with conveying emotion than with singing perfectly, and it helps him carry what is a very emotional musical. As Valjean’s adopted daughter Cosette, Amanda Seyfried reliably hits all of her high notes and is likable enough, as is Eddie Redmayne as her romantic interest, the revolutionary Marius. Samantha Barks brings a Broadway-honed singing voice to her role as Eponine, a street urchin in love with Marius. She’s easily one of the best singers in the movie, and I found her far more likable and engaging than Cosette. Meanwhile, Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter bring some much-needed comic relief as a pair of crooked innkeepers.


All of these actors are good in their roles, but the real scene stealer is Anne Hathaway as Fantine. She actually has little screen time compared to many of the other characters, but to say that she leaves her mark is an understatement. Everything she does tears my heart out, and as strange as it sounds I’m kind of glad that she makes an early exit from the movie. I found myself caring for her enough to want her suffering to end, even if that means seeing her die in a hospital bed. She really is that good, and the fact that she can convey such deep sadness and despair while singing and hitting every note is pretty damn incredible.


The only real complaint that I have about this movie is that I didn’t care much for Russell Crowe’s Inspector Javert, which is a shame because Javert was my favorite part of both live performances of the stage show that I’ve seen. To me, Javert should have a menacingly deep baritone voice and an intensity that borders on psychosis. Valjean spends the better part of two decades running from him, and I like to think that part of the reason is because he’s a little afraid of the guy. Javert is scary in his fanaticism and single-mindedness, and that should be conveyed with an intense performance that demands the audience’s attention. Sadly, Russell Crowe doesn’t deliver the goods. Instead of being frighteningly intense, he just comes across as too nice, a little weary and too boring. Plus, his singing voice isn’t anything special. It’s pleasant enough and he does manage to stay on key, but any actor who plays Javert needs to do more than that.


Yes, Russell Crowe is a little weak as the story’s villain, but fortunately it isn’t enough to ruin the movie. Overall, the film version of Les Mis manages to hit most of the emotional highs and lows that the stage version does. I’m not sure I’d recommend it to those who don’t like big epic-length musicals, but die-hard Les Mis fans should be pleased.