Les Miserables (2012)

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nTitle: Les Miserables (2012)

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nDirector:  Tom Hooper

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nCast: Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Russell Crowe, AmandanSeyfried, Sacha Baron Cohen, Helena Bonham Carter

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nReview:

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nPoverty stricken times call forth films about povertynstricken people and no other film is more suitable for today’s borderline depressionnera days than Les Miserables, a film that truly explores the sadness and desperationnthat comes with being less fortunate, actually, to be more accurate it trulynwallows in it. But I’m of the mind that even the sadder parts of life have tonbe explored, life is bitter sweet and to say that life is all peaches and creamnsimply isn’t true. There’s a lot of sadness out there in the world we live innand it is important we talk about these sad parts of life, it is important thatnwe don’t ignore the darker issues, for how are things to get better if we ignorenproblems? Les Miserables focuses in on one of the saddest elements of society:nextreme poverty.

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nOn this one we meet Jean Valjean, an ex-con who went to jailnfor stealing bread. On the particular day we meet Valjean he is set free andntries looking for a regular job, but due to the fact that he’d been in jail, hengets rejected left and right. He soon ends up in a church, screaming at god innanger, asking God why his life so miserable. But then a twist of fate makesnValjean reconsider his life and so he decides to reinvent himself and a fewnyears later, Valjean becomes the owner of a sewing factory. Unbeknownst to him,nFantine, one of his female employees gets fired for no good reason. Unable toncare for her little baby child, Fantine ends up on the streets, selling hernbody in the seediest parts of town. It isn’t long before death comes knockingnat Fantines door and Valjean, feeling guilty for her death swears to take carenof Fantine’s little baby daughter,  Cosette.nWhat happens when Cosette grows up and wants to live her life, apart fromnValjean? 

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nRight away, from frame one you know this movie is epic; wensee Jean Valjean and hundreds of other prisoners pulling a boat into shore withnropes as they sing, and I just knew this one was going to be special. Firstnthing you notice when you see this film is that the actors are singing fornreal, the songs aren’t dubbed or pre-recorded, which takes a little gettingnused to because normally musicals pre-record every song and actors are simply lip-synchingnas they sing and dance, but not on Les Miserables; here the actors really singnon set, live and this is the way you’ll hear it. I was pretty blown away bynJackman and Hathaway specifically, but really, everybody does a bang up jobnhere. Anne Hathaway sings a song that just might bring you to tears, and win her an Oscar. I’d say maybe Russell Crowe was the only one a little off at times, butneven he did a commendable job. So be ready for a musical that feels just anlittle bit more realistic then others, every breath, every sob between songs isnheard, the pain and the feeling in the performances is projected more efficientlynbecause of this technique.

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nAs I watched this version of Les Miserables, I noticed how similarnthe story is to films like Annie (1982) and Oliver! (1968). All of these films are musicals and all three are about little orphan kids living in poverty. All three films have kidsnliving with horrible step parents who want to take advantage of the child, andnin all three films, the child is rescued by a genuinely good person looking tongive the child a chance at a better life. But I guess in scope and tone, LesnMiserables is closest to Oliver! The only thing that makes Les Miserables a bitndifferent then these other two films is the element of romance, a love trianglenthat developes and the French revolution! The people of France in LesnMiserables are on the verge of rebellion and this theme of the oppressed beingnsick and tired of being treated like garbage is an important one on this filmnbecause the misery of the people is often simply a reflection of what’s goingnon with its government. Are people just gonna sit back and let their governmentntrample them? Or are they willing to die fighting for their freedom?nInteresting themes no doubt. I found the character of Javert, the policemannfollowing Valjean interesting. He is torn between serving the government andndoing what his human side is telling him is right. This character has an interestingnduality there.

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nThe Oscar nominations are in and both Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathawaynhave been nominated for their work on this film, which isn’t really a surprise.nLes Miserables has also been nominated for Film of the Year, so this lets younknow there is something special about this film. Plus with a cast like thisnone, wow, who wants to miss this show? Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena BonhannCarter who worked together previously in Tim Burton’s Sweeny Todd: the DemonnBarber of Fleet Street (2007) reunite here with great comical effect, playingnthe evil step parents of poor little Collette. But screw the Oscars, The FilmnConnoisseur is telling you this one is awesome, a cinematic experience of thenhighest caliber; a film that will move you to tears. Not to be missed!

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