Film Review: Les Misérables

As musicals go, Les Misérables is considered among the best. It was previously adapted into a film in 1998, starring Liam Neeson and Geoffrey Rush, however that version wasn't generally as well-conceived or received as this version. Directed by The King's Speech director, Tom Hooper, this version of Les Mis is as personal as it is epic. Full of grand emotion and many a goosebump moment, this film does not disappoint at all.

The story is very familiar to any musical afficionado: set in revolutionary France, Jean Valjean, after serving a 20 year sentence for stealing some bread, breaks his parole and assumes a new identity. Whilst evading the clutches of ruthless policeman Javert, he takes parental custody of Cosette, a young girl to the down-trodden Fantine. Fast forward 8 years, Cosette is grown-up, falling in love with Marius, who has also caught the attentions of Éponine, while helping to rekindle the revolutionary flame. It is an epic tale, but it stays very personal and has a core of emotion that could easily have been lost during some of the grander set pieces. Yes, it's a familiar story, but even to a person who may have seen it countless times, it feels fresh and newly explored. This is mostly thanks to the direction of Tom Hooper. Usually, a musical film would have pre-recorded the musical numbers and had the actors mime them on set. Here, Hooper has the actors sing in front of the camera and the rest of the cast, on the set, and it brings a rawness to the film, especially in two songs in particular, firstly Fantine, played by Anne Hathaway, singing I Dreamed A Dream (which instantly erases all memory of Susan Boyle, which can only be a good thing really), and secondly when Éponine, played by Samantha Barks, who plays her on stage on Broadway as well, sings On My Own. In both instances, Hooper keeps the camera close to the actresses' faces, no cuts, one single take, and it works really well in delivering the emotional impact that the songs deserve. The voices echoing on the sets, instead of sounding studio fresh, give a much needed gravitas to the film, and when the chorus sing, it really is awe-inspiring.

The casting is pretty much spot-on. I say pretty much because, naturally, the roles are handed to actors and not singers, and this is evident with Russell Crowe, who plays Javert. Alongside such, frankly, amazing singing voices as Anne Hathway's, who is tragically beautiful as Fantine, Amanda Seyfried, playing older Cosette, and stage star Samantha Barks, Crowe falls a bit flat, though not through the odd bum note. He's pretty spot-on with his actual singing, he just can't seem to crank up the volume and blast his way through the songs when it's needed. Hugh Jackman, portraying Jean Valjean, has already proven to the film world that he can sing, doing a musical number while hosting the Oscars in 2009 (see below to watch) with Anne Hathaway, and he performs these songs pretty well. His voice is better than Crowe's when comparing the two, and he captures the essence of Jean Valjean incredibly well, possibly becoming the definitive Valjean for modern audiences. Every actor seems perfect for the roles they're given, and they all come together to deliver a fantastic, rousing film, but it's a shame that Crowe's vocals couldn't reach the volume of some of the other actors. A special mention must go to Eddie Redmayne, playing Marius, whose voice is, quite frankly, exceptional. It's powerful, and just magnificent, and his performance doesn't let his singing down either, giving  us a likeable revolutionary and a convincing romantic lead. Even the chorus are fantastique, and it is a real goosebump moment when they all sing Do They Hear The People Sing.

The general look and feel of the film is grand and glorious, transporting you and immersing you into the French Revolution, thanks to the production design by Eve Stewart and the costume design by Paco Delgado. The sets are as cinematic as they are theatrical, making it feel like it's being shown on a very big stage rather than a film set, though the certain battle scenes are incredible cinema, staying personal and making every character's death a personal loss as they've all been established well enough to be considered a 'favourite extra' (we all do it).

All in all, this is a fantastic effort of transferring one of musical theatre's most treasured possessions onto the silver screen, brought to life by some amazing performances and brilliant sets and set-pieces. A must-watch for fans of musical theatre or cinema, but bring your tissues, cos it's a weepy! (Though this particular reviewer did not cry, I did come bloody close at some points. Anyone who doesn't is a robot.)

Score: 8.5/10