There isn't a genre of film more difficult to sell than the musical. Always turning into a complete farce or becoming an assault on the senses. This critic doesn't hold a particular distaste to the genre, however musicals have never sat with him easily. Musicals often have a horrific tendency to sing direct to camera, breaking that all important fourth wall like it's some kind of stage show. Include into that songs sung in a studio, and quite obviously not on set, and you've often got a recipe for a badly lip synced barf fest. Tom Hoopers take on Les Misérables seeks to breath new life into a well known musical and give movie goers an all together different experience of musicals on the big screen.
Les Misérables follows Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackson) in 19th Century France. Long on the run from the policeman Javert (Russell Crowe) Valjean creates a new life for himself and helps raise a child belonging to a factory worker. His decision to father the child alters both their futures forever as he fights to keep them both safe in the tumultuous world of revolutionary France.
The stage show is loved around the globe and well known to millions, but to many others you will probably have heard of it, but just never seen it. To musical lovers this is sacred stuff, a stupendous show that has run for a solid 27 years, so it arrives with much bridled anticipation. This viewer hadn't ever seen the show and knew little about the story, and nothing about the format, which may be a deciding factor as to whether you see it or not. Most musicals that you may have seen, like the more recent Sweeney Todd, have a range of dialogue and musical scenes. Les Misérables does the whole 2 hours and 30 minutes on song, with dialogue one liners for effect and transition. A brave but obvious decision, for this is how the show is done, and with many anticipated fans, why fix what isn't broken?
Film brings with it one huge advantage over the theater, the chance to expand and visualise the larger scenes and to be more intimate with the characters. The opening sets you up for the roller coaster that's about to transpire. A huge, impressive set piece, involving a ship being pulled into dock by hundreds of prisoners, bombastically throws you into the film, sparing no time in getting right to the singing. Jackman pulls with all his weary and wirey might, as he is drenched and battered, and here the effect of singing live is instantly appreciated. Having recorded all of the vocals live on set, you hear every gripe and grimace in his toil. Further scenes benefit massively from this way of recording, with Anne Hathaway proving the stand out as she trembles and impresses through I Dreamed A Dream. What it captures is the emotion, real acting through song and it has an enduring and devastating effect, with guarantees that even if you yourself are not moved by certain scenes, others in the cinema will.
Jackman is clearly the stand out, having cut his teeth in theater, and long before his turn as Wolverine shot him to fame, he starred in the filmed for TV Oklahoma. Other actors obviously don't have the experience, yet still their presence is felt. Poor Russell Crowe seems to come under the microscope every time he utters words in films these days (Robin Hood is Irish? Wait a Yorkshireman? Oh I don't know), but even though he clearly has the weaker voice, his casting as Javert is poignant and cleverly chosen. With such a stellar cast it's hard to pick out who stands tallest in this gargantuan production. Sacha Baron Cohen makes off with a number of scenes as the comedy relief Thénardier, and Helena Bonham Carter as his partner, looking and sounding much like her last musical character in Sweeney Todd. Isabelle Allen as the Young Cosette is also enchanting as she dreams of a Castle On A Cloud, it seems you're constantly reveling at the talent on show. However given the excited talk that followed the exiting of this packed screening, a great amount of praise falls on Eddie Redmayne, who dominates the final act of the film with his stirring performance of Empty Chairs At Empty Tables.
In bringing Les Misérables to the screen the Kings Speech director Tom Hooper has masterfully used his often intensely close and offset shooting style, that brings the performances to the fore. The sets and locations are fittingly excellent and gives the story a greater sense of scale than a theater ever could. The world created is rich and realistic, some times almost too realistic, with scenes that involve a sewer provoking quite the reaction among the audience, as Jean Valjean drags Marius through a river of shit. The shining jewel of the set production is greatly realised in the scenes as the Revolutionaries rise up in the final act. The length of the film gives rise to the potential for a bit of leg crossing, as if missing but a minute of the film would be a shame. There are some odd choices made, that are minor picks. In light of it being set in France, you can't help but let your brain wince when a child runs on with a wise cracking, cockney (cor blimey gavnar) accent. The singing will have its critics among the picky, it's not perfect, but then again theater never is, that's what is so brave about the film. In fact the keen eyed among you may notice that due to such intense scrutiny of the actors, the focus puller, whilst doing a brilliant job, is having a tough time with some performances as they move through the more intense scenes.
All together this makes for viewing that will stick with you, musicals have the added power to instill themselves into your memory through song. The girls will come out singing I Dreamed A Dream and the boys, well they'll have to put up with it. Many eye's will not be dry and new recruits to the story of Les Misérables may be booking tickets for the theater, or going to see the film again. It's an intense journey, and it might not strike a chord with everyone. Oscars nominations are deserved, however in terms of cinematic achievement there are others who I think deserve the wins more. Needless to say the excitement and praise for this film is repeated by myself, it's not the kind of thing I usually love at the cinema, but this time around, this film goer has been won over.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
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