Les Miserable Review

Les Miserables- Did you dream a dream of this movie?

 They dreamed a dream, and now it’s come true. It’s been a long time coming — 27 years since Les Miserables opened in London — but it’s worth the wait.

 ‘At the end of the day’, Les Miserables is a film to see. The Oscar nominated cast of the films £8 million grossing from the opening weekend, singing live was bold but a mistake for some. It’s a bit peculiar for a Burberry model and Bellatrix Lestrange (Harry Potter) to be singing along live to songs about being ‘Master of the House’.

Ex-convict Jean ValJean turns his life around, and becomes a pillar to society during early 18^th century after visiting a local church, when he is given a positive outlook on life.  He becomes a successful business man and steps into the role of a father after finding a young Cosette to whom he adopts- after her mother Fantine (Hathaway) gets fired from her job and becomes a prostitute but sadly dies very early on in the movie. Throughout the years we see Jean ValJean’s life unfold during the final years of the French revolution, with villain Javert following his every bad move. An all singing, intense acting cast, Les Mis has struck controversy worldwide. I was mesmerised by the compelling film, featuring an intelligent performance from Hugh Jackman and the big grizzly man we all call Russell Crowe. Not only do you follow ValJean with his life, you watch Cosette (Seyfried) grow in to a young women and fall in love. With the final number ‘Do you hear the people sing’, you walk out of the movie theatre with a sense of achievement and power  as the actors sing proudly looking to the sky,-with the draping French flags burnt and teared and standing upon their very own homemade barricades.

Every line, every  note, every scene shows a great sense of passion and power, even if you are the iconic gladiator (Crowe) who was given a lot of criticism over his live, unedited ‘singing’ voice. As Crowe retorted when American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert dared to criticise the cast’s performances – resulting in hundreds of bile-filled tweets – the singing wasn’t meant to be technically perfect, but “raw and real”. Well, I’m fine with raw and real. I don’t believe singing has to be technically perfect but it does need to express emotion, The physical strength of the movie is impressive, just like ValJean when he lifts the flagpole to the intro of the song ‘prisoner 24601’.

A tear runs down the faces of the audience when a young boy with the bravery of a grown man- as he lays out cold in a line of the lost souls of young revolutionists (age 20-30) who risk their lives for freedom as they protect their homes literally with pianos and chairs. A touching part, of which continues when evil Javert has a moment, he does the cliché looking up to  the light and finds a place in his heart, to which he places a medal on the young boys chest, in bravery and honour of protecting his friends. The music gets louder and become a powerful part of the scene. Then a positive uplift to which brings the whole theatre to tears.

 Although other moments are less successful, it’s sad and all that a ten year old has died for his country and all,-when he has hardly lived, but it’s a bit peculiar when a strong cockney accent is in the mist of the French revolution, on top of that no one has a French accent, not one of them.

But if you are ready for a sing off between Wolverine and Gladiator, be prepared for 158 minutes of melodramatic French revolution movie, with a touching and pride holding side to it. One way or another you NEED to see this this is a magnificent tribute to Working Title and Cameron Mackintosh, whether you beg to by the movie or watch it online somehow-Seeing a movie this terrific is a truly thrilling experience.