Written
December 26, 2012
A Valiant Effort
I have to preface this review by saying I am a huge fan of this musical. It is my absolute favorite, and I have seen it countless times on tour, on Broadway and regionally-big theaters and small. The film reminded me of one of my favorite staged productions which was in a small theater in the round. Hard to imagine if you have not seen it, but being so close to the actors and in such an intimate setting provided a much more intense experience emotionally. The film succeeds on this level, with the right amount of agnst and emotion, particularly in Hathaway's big number, "I Dreamed A Dream", and Redmayne's "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables". Not a dry eye in the house. Where the film was less successful was in the rest of its casting. Big names sell movies, but did Les Miserables need this when millions upon millions world-wide have seen and love this show? Crowe was awful, Jackman strained, Seyfried-why? Also, where was the gorgeous score? It never seemed to get off the ground.
-
10
out of
15
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