blaud
Posts: 722
Joined: 13/12/2007
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Not being familiar with the story or the music of Les Mis, I was greatly anticipating going to see this and adding another slice of culture to myself. The film itself is well realized, with some exceptional cinematography and direction. Tom Hooper is fast making a name for himself in terms of his filmic direction and his style. The off-centre mid range camera shots he swears by suit the tone of this film perfectly, and there's even some impressive long takes during some of the slower songs. As most people are aware, the songs were sang live my the actors and not mimed, as is usually the case. This definitely creates a more firmly established sense of intimacy, in comparison to, say, Schumacher's The Phantom Of The Opera, or Burton's Sweeney Todd. This captures certain moments of despair perfectly, most notably in 'I Dreamed A Dream', where Anne Hathoway bares her soul in a beautiful and emotional long take. Vocally, all the performers do well, with the notable exception of Russell Crowe, who was clearly chosen for his acting ability rather than his singing voice. This is understandable, as he does portray the character semi-decently. It's just unfortunate that his tone is completely flat throughout the whole film. Elsewhere, the film looks sumptuous. Baron Cohen and Bonham Carter provide the comic relief, Jackman supplies the moody, and the group of young actors playing the French resistance are excellent. Unfortunately, however, it does wallow a little in its' own emotion and multiple times throughout I found myself wondering whether the long contemplative leaps were there to wring as many tears as they could out of audience's red-raw eyes. I'm sure for many, however, this won't be such a problem, and in conclusion, it's a wonderful film with spectacular setpieces, memorable characters, and phenomenal music. (yes, even if you don't like musicals)
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