Les Misérables - The Musical Phenomenon
I'll start this off by saying that I didn't think the movie was a musical. It makes sense that it is, of course, but I didn't give it much thought before I actually saw the movie. That said, the movie completely blew my mind. I usually hate musicals too, they make me uncomfortable, but the raw acting that came from actors we know and love, mixed with the heart wrenching tale of Les Misérables worked.
Where do I even begin? Anne Hathaway's heartbreaking portrayal of Fantine was beyond magnificent and easily my favourite aspect of the entire movie. I already liked her as an actress, but watching her reach the depressing depths of Fantine's life and listening to her rendition of I Dreamed a Dream made me fall for her all over again.
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Isabelle Allen was a wonderful Young Cosette. She quickly and sadly captured the hearts of everyone watching. Her soft voice and teary eyes were perfect during Castle on a Cloud. My unpopular opinion would probably be that I enjoyed Cosette's scenes when she was younger more than I did when she was older and played by Amanda Seyfried. Amanda is also a favourite of mine, but her portrayal of Cosette was good, nothing more. This could be because I don't really like Cosette as much as say, Fantine, Valjean and Eponine. She was good, her voice was soft and nice to listen to and her character charming and beautiful, but she doesn't appeal to me as much as the others.
A second unpopular opinion would be that I didn't care for Marius too much. Again, Eddie Redmayne was great, but Aaron Tveit's Enjolras was a lot more memorable for me. I remember his face and his passion for the revolution and I preferred his scenes to Marius's. Although, it has to be said - Eddie Redmayne broke my heart singing Empty Chairs at Empty Tables.
The revolution itself is a little fuzzy for me. It was all enjoyable to watch and my interest didn't falter once, but I could definitely do with not seeing anybody covered in that much crap.
Eponine. I loved her. She's sad and starving for love and completely and utterly friendzoned. On My Own plays constantly in my head, it's words touching me every single time. I don't get how singing in the rain suddenly leads to her dressing as a boy and joining the revolution but there's no reason to question it.
Loved Gavroche the little boy in the revolution, played by Daniel Huttlestone. He was just a little angel and I was incredibly impressed by him.
Hugh Jackman's portrayal of Jean Valjean also impressed me. His voice was above average, his acting excellent and his character one of my favourites.
Voice-wise - Russel Crowe was my only disappointment. His acting was phenomenal as usual, but his voice was subpar. It wasn't bad. It really wasn't - and the rawness of it was endearing and despite his character being hateful and persistent, I liked Javert. His voice wasn't something bad digging into the side of a brilliant movie. Far from it. He was just average in his singing compared to the rest.
Nothing, however, compares to The Thenardiers. Helena Bonham Carter and Sasha Baron Cohen, you perfect people. Amusing, hilarious and disgustingly pathetic, this vile couple definitely brought the comic relief.
Go watch the movie. Let the singing wash over you and listen to the story. These actors surprised me in these roles and it's officially made it onto my favourite movies of all time list.
Until next time x
