Those new to Les Mis will find it emotional and artistically beautiful.
Those who know other Les Mis productions will be happy that it stays very true to the Broadway performance.
Those who have only read Les Mis in CA — or even just the SparkNotes — will be interested to see what a great story it really is.
Originally a Broadway production, “Les Miserables” was made into a major motion picture and opened in theaters Dec. 25.
Almost the whole movie was in song — there were only a few spoken parts — and the live performances of the songs were recorded rather than the traditional lip-syncing to pre-recorded songs. With all the singing, the whole movie flowed together nicely.
All of the characters were chosen perfectly and fulfilled their roles well.
Anne Hathaway, who played Fantine, was true to her character and even cut her hair off in the movie — yes, that was her real hair being cut.
Hugh Jackman, who played Jean Valjean, was amazing. He packed so much power into his singing.
Amanda Seyfried, who played Cosette, is exactly who I would have pictured to play this role. She looks so sweet, innocent and loving, so that is the perfect look for Cosette. Her duet, A Heart Full of Love, with Marius (Eddie Redmayne) was beautiful.
Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen, who played the Thénardiers, were the perfect villains. Carter, who has come to be known as the evil Bellatrix Lestrange in the Harry Potter series, portrayed Madame Thénardier’s character amazingly. She successfully fulfilled another villainous role.
Russel Crowe, who played Javert, played his role of a powerful authority figure very well. His singing was great but he didn’t seem to be fully confident.
Samantha Barks, who played Eponine, had an absolutely beautiful voice. She sang with so much passion and really got to people’s emotions.
The highlight songs in Les Miserables include “I Dreamed a Dream,” “On My Own” and “One Day More.” These songs will be stuck in your head for a while after seeing the movie — and the soundtrack can be bought on iTunes.
This monumental musical movie is so true to the original Broadway production and helps uphold the respect that Les Mis deserves.