Les Misérables (Movie Review)

Argo beware. Les Misérables is now the favorite to win Best Picture at the 2013 Oscar Awards. Director Tom Hooper has created a cinematic masterpiece drenched in powerful performances. The film boasts stunning cinematography and memorable camerawork. It also features a haunting score sure to provoke tears of joy and sadness.

Based on Victor Hugo’s 1862 French novel, the story is set against the backdrop of 19th-century France. It is an enthralling story of broken dreams, unrequited love, and redemption. It remains a timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit.

A Timeless Tale of Redemption

Hugh Jackman plays ex-prisoner Jean Valjean. He is hunted for decades by the ruthless policeman Javert (Russell Crowe) after he breaks parole. When Valjean agrees to care for factory worker Fantine’s (Anne Hathaway) young daughter, Cosette, their lives change forever.

Cosette is played later by Amanda Seyfried. I speak for many when I say a great deal of people did not expect this film to be the masterpiece it is. Nor did they expect it to overshadow the acclaimed campaign for Argo.

Argo had such a fantastic operation going on that it needed a titanic tour-de-force to derail it. Les Misérables did exactly that.

Principally, what makes this movie so extraordinary is the presentation of so much emotional heft on screen. It sustains this tension for a prolonged time. No other movie, with the exception of Juan Antonio Bayona’s The Impossible, can manhandle your emotions as forcefully.

Live Singing Changes the Game

When you add the majestic scale of the production to the stylish cinematography, it truly becomes a sensorial experience. After his 2011 Best Picture Oscar film, The King’s Speech, director Tom Hooper raised his filmmaking craft to another level.

Perhaps his biggest impact is his decision to have the vocals from the actors sung live on set. He avoided the standard lip-synch playback. This technique allowed the actors to change inflections and include impromptu emotions in their roles.

Hooper also utilized many close-ups to capture the affecting singing scenes of the lead actors. But what brought everything to life was the cinematography from Danny Cohen. The vivid color hues of red and blues were icing on the cake for a beautiful-looking film.

Jackman and Hathaway Transcend

When you think of the central characters in a film, one usually thinks of the actors. But in this musical, the songs and score act as the protagonists. The actors themselves were only the vehicles for the magical lyrics of Alain Boublil, Claude-Michel Schönberg, and Herbert Kretzmer.

The music literally permeates every single frame. If you’re a thespian who can act and sing well, this is the role of a lifetime. Some of the most rousing scenes happen early in the film.

Jackman and Hathaway transcend the performances of “What Have I Done?” and “I Dreamed a Dream,” respectively. They sung it with so much pain and affliction that it is hard not to be moved to tears. Expect both to be recognized with nominations.

Overall, the music is as mellifluous as you can get. The vocal performances by many of the leads are heart-wrenching.

The Russell Crowe Problem

This is not to say that everyone sounded as beautifully as Samantha Barks did in “On My Own.” There were misses such as Russell Crowe in the role of Javert. His unmelodious singing and monotonous tone almost wrecked this work of art.

I also wasn’t praising Eddie Redmayne as Marius. Nice kid, just thought Hooper could have done better. Moreover, a must-know before seeing this film is that there is no dialogue.

The words are sung for the entirety of the movie. This can be vexing to many who are not used to it. It is an acquired taste and not for everyone.

Compared to other contemporary musicals like Chicago or Nine, Les Misérables is in a league of its own. You could say it is the best modern movie musical done so far. Nothing else rivals its combination of acting, music, and direction.

Not even Ben Affleck in Argo or Lincoln can compete. Les Misérables uses an unconventional storytelling method that the normal moviegoer might be averse to. But if you can put your personal tastes to the side, you will be introduced to a new experience.

The music stays with you to the very end. The performances linger in the crevices of your mind and heart. Les Misérables is, without a doubt, an experience you will cherish for years.