Les Miserables

When it was released, I was very keen to see Les Miserables, but unfortunately didn't get the chance to see it. When I did get the chance to see it I was looking forward to what promised to be a fantastic film adaptation of a musical that I have never been fortunate enough to see. However, by the time I had sat through the entirety of the film I was bitterly disappointed.

There is no denying that the plot is fantastic, and would look absolutely incredible in the theatre with the right direction. However, the film was, in my opinion, a very poor adaptation of this. It was long, and very drawn out, and I didn't think that it flowed very well at all. It was disjointed and difficult to see how it all fitted together. When Anne Hathaway appeared at the end of the film I felt it had been so very long ago that I was watching her struggle with the life she was confronted with. There was no explanation for many of the character’s actions. For example, why was Javert chasing Valjean for stealing bread and breaking his parole at least twenty years after the act had occurred? The film started really well, and I was very enthusiastic about what seeing the rest of the film. However, I thought it went downhill quite quickly. I’m well aware that I face the fury of the mega-fans of Les Mis, and am probably going to come across as uncultured in my criticism of this film, but I really didn't enjoy it.

Hugh Jackman is a fantastic actor, and this should not be news to many. In Les Miserables, he does not disappoint, and lives up to his acting past. He has an acceptable voice, but the main problem is that I didn't think he had any gravity to his character. There was no sense of him ‘owning’ the screen in my opinion, whereas there was with, and I cannot believe I am going to say this, Russell Crowe. Whenever Russell Crowe was on screen there was a certain level of tension. However, I was rooting for Valjean in his attempts to do what was best for Cosette. Now I’d like to point out that Russell Crowe having a presence on screen does not mean that I think he was especially good in this film. Actually, as ever, he royally annoyed me. He cannot sing for toffee, and was a poor choice to be cast as Javert for this reason. Recently it was pointed out to me that I can’t criticise the actors for being unable to sing in this film, because they are not singers. I think this is rubbish. While the film should have been cast more towards singers than Hollywood stars, the actors still accepted the role. Russell Crowe appeared similar to many of the previous characters he has played and was wooden and staunch in a role that deserved much more character.

The big talking point of this Les Mis film was Anne Hathaway, and she was incredible as Fantine. However, this was spoiled for me by the fact that she wasn't on screen for very long. No obviously this is not something that can be helped, because that’s the story. The emotion that Hathaway puts into ‘I Dreamed A Dream’ alone deserves the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, and there is very little criticism that I can bring to Hathaway for this role. She was the main reason that I enjoyed the first half hour of the film so much, but by the time she makes a re-appearance it seemed like half a lifetime ago that she was singing.

Both Amanda Seyfried and Eddie Redmayne do well in this film, and Redmayne in particular has a cracking voice on him. However, the film did not give enough time for me to care about the outcome of their relationship. Throughout their ‘courting’ I found myself thinking ‘But didn't they just look at each other?’ Now I’m sure this adds to the romance of their relationship, but I just felt sorry for Eponine, who had been in love with Marius before Cosette glanced at him. Nonetheless, Amanda Seyfried (who has a surprisingly difficult name to type) is actually quite perfectly matched to the role of Cosette and does a very good job.

In my opinion though, by far and away the best performances of the film come from Sacha Baron-Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter. Both actors provide light relief and a touch of humour from the monotony of much of film. The moment when Baron-Cohen calls Cosette ‘Courgette’ was wonderful, and both characters are clearly meant as a more light-hearted addition to the cast. Having sat through much of the film, I was delighted to see Baron-Cohen and Bonham Carter re-appear at the wedding of Marius and Cosette. Anne Hathaway aside, I think these two characters were the two I enjoyed most.

There is no doubt that the whole soundtrack is exceptional, and the scale of the musical adaptation is incredible. But I just didn't enjoy it at all. I’m probably spoiled somewhat by the fact I haven’t seen the theatre production, but I thought the whole thing was poorly done. Just because a film has a grand scale, fantastic cast and wonderful costume and set design does not mean that it is fantastic, and after looking forward to seeing the film so much I was very disappointed by this version of it. Ultimately, a film should not have to rely on its audience having previously seen the production or read the book in order to understand who is who and what is going on, and this is the main criticism I have of this film.