*SPOILER ALERT*
Les Miserables (2012)
Director: Tom Hooper
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway etc. etc.
RATING: 3/5 stars
It is my humble opinion that Tom Hooper likes to play it safe. Producing a winner with the crowd-pleasing The King's Speech was never going to be difficult, and likewise, should all else fall flat on its face, the incredible score of Les Miserables was always going to save the day. It is tempting to bestow a generous 4.5/5 star rating, simply because this was an exhilaratingly intense, deeply stirring cinematic experience. I loved it! It's just that a lot of that love is directed at the music itself, and not necessarily the making of the film.
That's not to say I'm not sympathetic. Theatre-to-film adaptations are fraught with difficulty. For a start, you have to find screen actors who can sing, and, in the case of Les Mis, sing pretty damn well. In addition to this the director must face the challenge of conveying a story not designed for the subtleties of film. Stage productions are not meant to be put under the microscope - not just because stage make-up is garish and hideous at close proximity, but because drama requires elbow room to accommodate its sweeping gestures. Unfortunately, it is here that we meet my first criticism: the camera trampled all over the performer's personal space.
Although the scenic cinematography was spot-on, it's clear Hooper has absolutely no idea how to film theatrical solos. Opting for intense facial close-ups almost every time, the mise en scene invaded the 'larger than life' stage aesthetic that is so necessary to the large scale of Les Mis. Keeping the actors' nostril-hair in sight, the shots jump awkwardly from angle to angle in a nervous effort to maintain some sort of cinematic interest - in fact upstaging the number instead. Constantly cramming huge solos into small spaces, Hooper creates a claustrophobia that had me wanting to punch Anne Hathaway halfway through I Dreamed A Dream and wishing that the clearly amazing set in many other scenes was actually...you know...in focus?! I'd kind of like to slap Hooper for not backing off and trusting the music a bit more. Because it was pretty spectacular.
I'll admit it: Russell Crowe and Anne Hathaway weren't high on my list of 'Actors I want to hear sing'. They weren't even on it. But did they prove me wrong? Happily, yes. The one thing I will praise unreservedly is the casting, which is superb. I was suitably impressed with (and yes, surprised at) the vocal ability of the cast - lay off the disappointment you Hugh Jackman critics! That the actors were able to go about their usual job, seemingly unfazed by the addition of singing, was a credit to their professionalism and talent.
Essentially however, this was not an instinctively musical production. The sung-through nature of Les Mis showed cracks in the actors' musicality as they awkwardly rushed recitatives with little emotion, favouring the explosive sustained notes over nuance. And by some weird phenomenon (I won't blame this one on Hooper, but it better not have been intentional) no one, no one, NO ONE seemed able to hold a last note long enough. There are times when this is effective, or even appropriate, in a musical; but not when it makes the end of every number about as exhilarating as a damp rag.
Luckily, everything else in between was spot on - and speaking of damp rags, let's talk tears. Yes, I nearly came a cropper when Aaron Tveit - sorry, Enjolras - turned to face his death (if that scene had lasted 2 more seconds I would have lost it); and I got a lump in my throat when Javert bestowed his medal on the dead Gavrouche.
But it wasn't until right at the end that I had a quiet weep, at Jean Valjean's dying scene. Not particularly because of Jackman's sensitive portrayal of a broken man (and definitely not because of Hathaway's Fontaine singing over his shoulder and leading him into the clouds), but because I have always had a profound admiration for the fierce faith and hope of Jean Valjean's character.
Director: Tom Hooper
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway etc. etc.
RATING: 3/5 stars
It is my humble opinion that Tom Hooper likes to play it safe. Producing a winner with the crowd-pleasing The King's Speech was never going to be difficult, and likewise, should all else fall flat on its face, the incredible score of Les Miserables was always going to save the day. It is tempting to bestow a generous 4.5/5 star rating, simply because this was an exhilaratingly intense, deeply stirring cinematic experience. I loved it! It's just that a lot of that love is directed at the music itself, and not necessarily the making of the film.
That's not to say I'm not sympathetic. Theatre-to-film adaptations are fraught with difficulty. For a start, you have to find screen actors who can sing, and, in the case of Les Mis, sing pretty damn well. In addition to this the director must face the challenge of conveying a story not designed for the subtleties of film. Stage productions are not meant to be put under the microscope - not just because stage make-up is garish and hideous at close proximity, but because drama requires elbow room to accommodate its sweeping gestures. Unfortunately, it is here that we meet my first criticism: the camera trampled all over the performer's personal space.
 |
| Les Mis cinematography: rivalling The Bold & The Beautiful. |
I'll admit it: Russell Crowe and Anne Hathaway weren't high on my list of 'Actors I want to hear sing'. They weren't even on it. But did they prove me wrong? Happily, yes. The one thing I will praise unreservedly is the casting, which is superb. I was suitably impressed with (and yes, surprised at) the vocal ability of the cast - lay off the disappointment you Hugh Jackman critics! That the actors were able to go about their usual job, seemingly unfazed by the addition of singing, was a credit to their professionalism and talent.
Essentially however, this was not an instinctively musical production. The sung-through nature of Les Mis showed cracks in the actors' musicality as they awkwardly rushed recitatives with little emotion, favouring the explosive sustained notes over nuance. And by some weird phenomenon (I won't blame this one on Hooper, but it better not have been intentional) no one, no one, NO ONE seemed able to hold a last note long enough. There are times when this is effective, or even appropriate, in a musical; but not when it makes the end of every number about as exhilarating as a damp rag.
Luckily, everything else in between was spot on - and speaking of damp rags, let's talk tears. Yes, I nearly came a cropper when Aaron Tveit - sorry, Enjolras - turned to face his death (if that scene had lasted 2 more seconds I would have lost it); and I got a lump in my throat when Javert bestowed his medal on the dead Gavrouche.
 |
| Shush your criticism: Jackman was amazing. |
So I suppose, somehow, this film managed to make that come to life for me. Which is quite enough to seal its success in my books.
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So that was my opinion...what's yours? :)