Les Miserables (2012)Movie Reviews

  • Must Go! Based on 37,654 reviews
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  • Must Go!
    Written December 26, 2012

    Open Your Mind

    Having seen the stage version of Les Miz 5 times, I was concerned that this phenomenal musical might be butchered by Hollywood studio suits seeking profits above all else. The casting of BO names such as Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway and Russell Crowe did nothing to dispel my angst. But, I must say the movie was a great cinema feat. It was much more than just the transposition of the play to screen. The director and actors took serious artistic and creative risks to produce a real film. That's why I say approach the film with an open mind. If you're expecting the mere re-creation of the play on screen you may be a bit disappointed. But, if you open yourself to have a unique experience distinct from the live play experience, you should find this movie an exceptional display of acting, directing and cinematography. And, by the way, the singing's not bad either!

    • 4 out of 4 found this review helpful.
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  • Must Go!
    Written December 30, 2012

    Bitter Sweet

    We thought the movie was great. We have seen the stage production and this is the first time we really understood the story. The sets, costumes, and casting were all amazing. We were surprised it was all "sung". Everyone should see it.

    • 4 out of 4 found this review helpful.
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  • Must Go!
    Written January 6, 2013

    The cast was superb!!!

    by

    Every once in a great while, you'll see a movie that really leaves an impact . Les Miserables was one of these movies. The cast was superb! We were most struck by a solo segment done by Anne Hathaway. I was moved to tears. Ms. Hathaway has proven without a doubt that she is a huge mutli talented actress. My opinion is that in time Ms. Hathaway will be anothe Meryl Streep and enjoy a very long lucarative career. Hugh Jackman is wonderful as was Russell Crowe. Eddie Redmayne ( Maruis) also had a segment that was so moving. A story of Conflict, Love, Hope and Dreams done in a supebr way!

    • 4 out of 4 found this review helpful.
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  • Must Go!
    Written December 31, 2012

    Les Miz is a must see.

    If you're a fan of the musical stage production, then this movie is for you. Hugh Jackman was phenomenal. Anne Hathaway and the rest of the cast were amazing. The only weak spot was Russell Crowe. Inspector Javert required a performer who could really convey the depth of his emotions through song. He did his best and the rest of the cast made up for what he lacked. I would definitely recommend this movie to anyone who loves musicals.

    • 5 out of 6 found this review helpful.
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  • So-so
    Written January 14, 2013

    Serious Theater Lovers Only

    The story line was awesome. I actually felt the angst and struggle that the characters were going through. If you are a sometime musical lover, this is not the movie for you to see. There is about 20 normal words that are not sung by the cast. From the time that they come onto the screen until the movies goes off it is non stop constant singing.

    If you are a big musical lover you will definitely appreciate the story line, performances, and songs.It was nice to experience a piece of artistic history. I found myself wanting it to progress more towards the middle and there were some things in the story line that I wanted further explanation on that I didn't get from the songs and visual presentation.

    • 4 out of 4 found this review helpful.
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  • Must Go!
    Written December 29, 2012

    I Went Twice

    The best review that I can give is, "I saw it twice and I left in tears."

    Les Miserables is a story about a man who found a guide, overcame his darker side, and contributed to the people that he loved.

    This is a great film with great music, great acting, and immense feeling. I already own the sound track and I will purchase the DVD as soon as it's available.

    The film closely follows the stage play and the book by Victor Hugo. It may be beneficial to read a synopsis of play or moview. Doing so will improve your understanding and it will not diminish the emotional impact.

    • 4 out of 4 found this review helpful.
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  • Must Go!
    Written January 2, 2013

    Ridiculously good movie

    by

    I have never seen Les Mis before and knew nothing about the story, except it was tragic. What a wonderful introduction to this classic story! The movie lived up to all the expectations and media hype. I thoroughly enjoyed it from beginning to end. The time passed quickly without feeling like it was 2.5 hours. Everything about it is superb! The acting and singing of the entire cast was amazing. Anne Hathoway and Russell Crowe should win Oscars. The directing, cinematography and sound were too notch.This is the best movie that I have seen in years. I highly recommend going to see it on the big screen.

    • 4 out of 4 found this review helpful.
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  • Must Go!
    Written January 16, 2013

    You Will Be Moved

    I'm a fan of musicals and sorta familiar with Les Miserables from an older non-musical version I saw many years ago. This adaptation was epic! I loved it! I was forewarned and prepared with plenty of tissue because I cried for about 85% of the movie. The actors were superb, most notably, Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Eddie Redmayne, and Russell Crowe. The cinematography was great as was the writing and directing. This movie is for musical lovers and people without short attention spans. Children over 13 yrs old can check it out if they meet the criteria I mentioned just a moment ago. The live singing helped in the telling of the tale more than I expected and I was not upset that the songs weren't studio recorded and jazzed up for the film. This movie has touched me much like West Side Story and The Phantom of the Opera have in the past. I will be adding it to my collection once the DVD is released. I would recommend all musical lovers check out this film, you won't be disappointed.

    • 4 out of 4 found this review helpful.
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  • Go
    Written January 4, 2013

    Good but not great

    Movie is good but not great. Russell Crowe is the weak link vocally. Anne Hathaway and Eddie Redmayne are the best vocalists in the show. Hugh Jackman was really good, but again not great as sometimes he over sings the music. Personally I think this is a show which is best seen live on stage.

    • 4 out of 4 found this review helpful.
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  • Oh No!
    Written January 11, 2013

    Horrible!

    by

    This movie is so long and boring. I ended up walking out a little over two hours in and don't even care how it ends.

    There aren't any lines, they sing through the whole movie. This combined with their french names and long drawn out words makes the story difficult to understand. The storyline isn't all that interesting and is very slow to develop. The part with Anne Hathaway is just the first half hour.

    At one point about two hours into the movie we realized that each word they were saying was taking 4-5 seconds each and myself and the person I went to see it with decided we couldn't take it any longer and fled the theater.

    Most of the movie is just close ups of whoever is singing. None of the actors are that pleasant to listen to, and there are many scenes that seem like the end (and you hope that they will be) and then they aren't.

    Don't see this movie.

    • 4 out of 4 found this review helpful.
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  • Must Go!
    Written December 27, 2012

    A masterful conversion from one art form to another

    by starbet

    A masterful conversion from one art form to another. We saw it in a theater with a surprisingly significant number of uninitiated people who were caught by plot twists, and they made it clear that a lot of things that are inferences in the stage production are made plain in the movie. But the changes aren't jarring for fans of the stage. I expected to be put off by the music changes, but wasn't. The new inclusions were done well, and even the big omission served the cinematic narrative flow.

    On the stage Anne Hathaway's Fantine would have completely stopped the show. Add in the 1 and 2 shots and she totally broke my heart. I think with this movie she moves into the top tier of working actresses.

    • 4 out of 4 found this review helpful.
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  • Must Go!
    Written December 29, 2012

    The Story is the Key

    To begin with, the book by Victor Hugo and the story is amazing. SO the material is great to begin with. Add good music and beautiful sets and great acting and you cannot go wrong.

    The movie of the musical was wonderful. But, I have to say that some of the singing really could have been better. I thought Hugh Jackman did a good job, but missed many musical opportunities.

    Russell Crowe simply does not have the technical ability as a singer to bring off Javert.
    What is the point of doing a musical version of this story with someone with no voice at all? Everyone says his acting pulled it off, but that makes no sense. It is a musical for heaven's sake. You have to be able to sing to play the role!

    Ann Hathaway was amazing and all the other leads were wonderful. The CHILDREN were stunning! Gavroche and little Cosette - perfection!

    • 5 out of 6 found this review helpful.
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  • Oh No!
    Written January 1, 2013

    Worst. Musical. Ever.

    by

    I couldn't wait for this movie to end. They should take away Tom Hooper's Oscar for The King's Speech for this. Closeup after closeup after closeup, and I didn't even like most of the music... Glad we saw an early matinee for the discount price. Hugh Jackman was excellent but Russel Crowe was completely out of place, H.B. Carter and S. B. Cohen were ridiculous, Amanda Seyfreid and Eddie Redmayne's voices made us want to laugh and shriek at the same time... Bloody awful mess...

    • 4 out of 4 found this review helpful.
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  • Must Go!
    Written January 2, 2013

    Breathtakingly Beautiful

    The anticipation for this film was palpable and well worth the wait. Anne Hathaway's rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream" was heart wrenching. I've already seen it twice and plan to go as many times as possible. It took the Broadway musical and turned it into an epic.

    As much as I was unsure about Russell Crowe as Javert, I was pleasantly surprised. Was he the best part of the show? No, but he held his own. Helena Bonham Carter and Sasha Baron Cohen were comically vulgar as the Thenardiers. The casting was inspired. Hugh Jackman deserves an Oscar nomination. The special treat for my fellow theater geeks was Colm Wilkinson (the original Jean Valjean) as the Bishop. How lovely!

    Go see this film You will not be disappointed.

    • 4 out of 4 found this review helpful.
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  • Must Go!
    Written December 31, 2012

    Outstanding!

    by skoienm

    Truly outstanding screen adaptation of the hit Broadway musical. While I might have selected a better voice for Jaubert than Russell Crowe, it did not really diminish the entire film/musical. A much more interesting cinematic view of this play versus whatever can be done on stage. A true delight to see and hear!

    • 4 out of 4 found this review helpful.
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Les Miserables (2012) Movie Reviews + Ratings

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JessicaMoir1 Just watched les mis! I can't cope. Everytime I watch that film I can't even- Omg #Lesmiserables #loveit #aheartfulloflove

1 days ago.

NiallGray The 2010 cast version of Les Miserables was so much better than the film #lesmis

1 days ago.

Laney_Geitgey Can't believe I just now saw Les Mis. Not ashamed to admit I cried my eyes out. The best movie ever. #LesMis

3 days ago.

SiobhanClark93 Watched Les Miserables last night for the first time.......I have never cried so much at a film in my life. Such an amazing movie! #lesmis

3 days ago.

Showtime_Surrey The Les Mis Film DVD was released this week! I wonder who already has theirs! #lesmis #lesmisdvd

4 days ago.

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Cast Interviews Exclusive Cast Interview Hugh Jackman on delivering the "most thrilling audition" director Tom Hooper has ever seen, plus Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Samantha Barks and Eddie Redmayne. Holiday Movie Guide Check out what other movies are opening during the holiday season! Awards Watch: Hugh Jackman Exclusive Interview More Films on Fandango's Awards Watch