Les Misérables

Release Date: Dec 25, 2012
Runtime: 2 hr. 38 min. 
Director: Tom Hooper 
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Sacha Baron Cohen, Helena Bonham Carter, Eddie Redmayne.

There are songs that get stuck in your head, popular songs you know by heart and replay like a broken record. Then there are songs you just know innately, like a fleeting memory that ebbs in and out of subconsciousness. "I Dreamed A Dream" is audibly one of them, and if you don't know it by now then you've been sorely missing out. Deeply rooted and emotionally stirring, it is the heart and soul of "Les Misérables," the world-renowned Broadway musical based on the novel by Victor Hugo. Sung by Anne Hathaway in what could be deemed as the role of a lifetime, her singular performance can only be described as completely riveting. Case in point: the audience remained silently transfixed through her impassioned rendition, at which point the conclusion was met with a collective sigh. While credit duly lies in the intimate capture by director Tom Hooper, it's all Hathaway when it comes to invoking heavy despair, a justification for the Oscar she's inevitably set to win. That's not to say the rest of the cast is completely outshone. Hugh Jackman as central protagonist Jean Valjean is terrifically on point, while Helena Bonham Carter and Sasha Baron Cohen make for a rousing duo. If anyone gets a second tier rating amongst the thespians, it's Russell Crowe, who does give a concerted effort for the most part. Despite his domineering presence as antagonist Javert, his vocals get lost in the grandiosity of the film, neither projecting nor leaving much of an impression. It may be due to the fact that all of the singing is performed live, an aspect that Hooper is all too proud of; but it does add a quality of realism and rawness that extends beyond the borders of the silver screen. In a way it's like watching an actual production of a show, with greater the capacity and special effects. Moreover, the transitions between scenes are seamless in scale, moving from one height of perspective to another. It's evident that film editing is key in telling a story of such proportions, especially one as cherished as "Les Misérables." Albeit, the film does lose its stamina by the last hour of singing and bereavement, it does spark a revival of a genre that's all too often forgotten. Even if you aren't a fan of plays and musical now, it may be time you pay a visit to your local theater.
 
Rating: 4 stars