Les Misérables (2012) [Blu-ray]

Yes, it's all sung. Les Miserables is two hours and forty minutes of song. There's no real spoken dialogue the entire way through. Every minute is sung live as well. And if this bothers you, please skip "Les Mis" and enjoy watching something like "Twilight" or "Jack Reacher". Tom Hooper made this film a game-changer for the way a movie-musical is supposed to work. Lip-synching a pre-recorded studio version seems economical, but today, can allow for auto-tuning and editing a singer's voice. It doesn't feel personal. The voices in "Les Mis" sound raw and real. The actors sang live onset with earpieces playing piano accompaniment, with a 70-piece orchestra being added in in post production. The music sounds extraordinary. There sure as hell isn't any auto-tuning going on.For example, take Anne Hathaway's rendition of "I Dreamed A Dream". At this point in the story, we don't know Fantine very well, but we see the struggle that she's put through. She's at her lowest point. Hathaway half-belts and half-sobs the iconic song, the entire thing being filmed in one take. It's an extremely emotional performance that will bring any person with a heart, to tears.Criticism that I've been hearing of the film mostly revolves around the performances of Russell Crowe and Hugh Jackman, as Javert and Valjean. I think both of these guys did fantastic jobs, quite frankly. Crowe isn't the best singer in the world, but his voice fits the part of Javert very well. As for Jackman, well, it could be argued that he carried the entire film. I think he did a splendid job; the role of Jean Valjean is a giant undertaking, and I think he nailed it.However, the real excellence of this film lies in the supporting cast. Everybody is perfectly cast, but particularly Samantha Barks in the role of Eponine. She played the same character in the 25th Anniversary performance of Les Miserables, only two years ago. One small criticism; my favorite part of Eponine's solo (and theme song to self-loathing masochists everywhere) "On My Own", the beginning part, is cut entirely. However, once you see what Barks does with this song it's easily forgiven.Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen, who look like they're in "Sweeney Todd 2", are great comic relief as the Thenardiers. Cohen is the only cast member in this Paris-set film who sings in a French accent, however... I find that strange. Eddie Redmayne and Aaron Tveit are perfect as Marius and his colleague Enjolras. Redmayne's "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables", near the end of the film, will make you cry. His voice goes to extraordinary places, and in such an emotional number, where he's telling the story of his friends who are no longer with him, this is a place where the live singing truly shines.The live singing, itself, is a huge undertaking, cinematically. Director Tom Hooper certainly had alot at stake with this project, however, there are still things that he could have done better. There are so many close-ups in the film. While they work for solos like "I Dreamed A Dream" and "Empty Chairs", they don't work for others. I also kind of feel like Hooper used the fish-eye camera lens a little too often, but these are inconsequential criticisms that don't make the film any less powerful. I saw this movie a week before it came out because I won advance screening tickets and I have known the song I Dreamed A Dream my whole life but I have never seen the musical on stage or any of the adaptations before. I went into this with no expectations at all. At first I thought the movie started off kind of fragmented and I figured because it had to introduce everybody and I was right. The film ended up as it went on drawing me in more and more and making me fall in love with it and by the end i was mesmerized with how wonderful and amazing the movie is. I believe they picked perfect roles because after i saw the movie i listened to the Broadway soundtrack and i believe they did very well on picking out the cast for their vocal ranges and capabilities. I think anyone who loves the musical or is a musical person should defiantly see this movie because they will not be disappointed one bit by how amazing it is.

The good news is that the score is intact, beautiful scenery, great costumes, great story, the actors are physically good in their roles.The bad news is that most of the actors CANNOT SING with the exception Samantha Banks. Hugh Jackman was wonderful in Oklahoma etc. but Les Miserables is NOT his thing and Russell Crowe is just awful (sorry I think he is a great actor but NOT A SINGER).I had a hard time watching it because the singing annoyed me. I bet if they had made it as a non-musical it would have been great.If you listen to the Broadway and English recordings of the musical you have singers who can act NOT actors who cannot sing (as someone said in their review).. I guess it takes special stage performers to pull this together. Look to the 25th Anniversary stage performance (okay, Nick Jonas being the one weak member in the cast) - it's much more enjoyable and has absolutely great singing. The 10th anniversary musical recording is actually better BUT it is a concert version and not an actual stage production. I would compare this movie vs. the stage production to another fiasco "A Chorus Line". Some stage productions should not be made into movies. By the way, if you want a wonderful NON SINGING movie version of Les Miserables get the one with Liam Neeson and Geoffrey Rush.Top 5000Samantha Barks

After seeing "Les MiZ" at least three times on stage, I do not always expect the film to live up to by expectations, but this film was a wonderful surprise when I first saw it in the theater because I wanted the big screen. I had the score (music/lyrics) memorized and tried to lip sync along, but at times, found myself, singing along. My near seat mates critiqued my performance afterwards as they said with a smile that I must have enjoyed the movie as they could tell I was enraptured. I was. I rarely buy a DVD. As a Music teacher, I am happy with the CD, but I must save this memory in my collection and rewatch.

No, it's not perfect. No, it's not the stage show. But it is still magic and heart-rending. As a matter of fact, even though most of the singing was not what we're used to with this work, cinema allows us to appreciate the acting up close. For example, when Anne Hathaway as Fantine is dying, the breaks in her voice are utterly appropriate and bring a more powerful dimension to the iconic song. She won an Oscar for this performance, and she earned it. I loved the whole production and glad I purchased it.

Outstanding from start to finish.I am not a fan of Lloyd Webber and Rice musicals, I would normally far rather listen to 70s punk or watch Terminator 2 however this was simply fantastic!I bought this because my daughter needed to do a review on elements of the play for her philosophy studies and my wife has wanted to see it for some time. We all sat down together, son and I fully expecting to just tolerate it. We could not have been more wrong. The acting is brilliant and the singing outstanding. None of us had ever seen the stage play or film before and we were all completely blown away by it.I simply cannot understand the criticism levelled at Russell Crowe who I though was magnificent. In fact all of the actors were.

Ich bin kein Musical-Fan. Ich habe mich nie für diesen Film interessiert. Ich wollte ihn eigentlich nie sehen. Habe ihn mir gekauft, da ich Sweeney Todd gesehen habe u. ihn ganz o.k. fand. Dann habe ich mir heute mal gedacht an meinem freien Tag, schau ich mir halt mal Les Miserables an. Ich muss jetzt aus tiefstem Herzen schreiben: Mein ab heute absoluter Lieblingsfilm. Ich habe Rotz und Wasser geheult, ich war so im Film drin, dass ich enttäuscht war das er irgendwann vorbei war. Voller Emotionen, die Schauspieler schauspielern m.E. nicht, sie leben Les Miserables. Es hätte keine bessere Besetzung geben können. Hugh Jackmann grandios. Russell Crowe MEGA, die emotionale talentierte Anne Hathaway schuldet mir 10 Packungen Taschentücher. Die Nebendarsteller hatten es im Film schon sehr schwer :). Mussten sich richtig ins Zeug legen um emotional Ansatzweise an die 3 grandiosen Hollywood Sterne zu kommen. Schaut ihn euch an. Ich liebe diesen Film.

I should explain I'd never seen this movie or a stage production or indeed taken any interest in musicals after West Side Story. But I love musicals from Showboat, Oklahoma, 42nd Street and even further back. I'd seen a couple of modern musicals, Starlight Express being one, but they seem to depend on a repetition of just one tune. I like some of the songs from Cats and Phantom but had never seen a stage production. So I sat down to watch the movie. The scenery and the sets were first class. But correct me if I'm wrong in a musical it might have been a good idea if some, or at least one of the characters, had been a professional singer. It was almost embarrassing to watch Russell Crowe trying to sing. The only character who really pinned the role was Ann Hatherway although I Dreamed a Dreamed was a film version which could not have been done on stage. The film was very dark with little to make it positive. Twenty-five minutes into the movie I felt like slitting my wrists.After watching the movie I went to YT to watch some of the stage versions. I was amazed. Why didn't they employ some of these singers in the film? Colm Wilkinson, Alfie Boe or Ruth Henshall. But of course they are not world famous.

This arrived whilst I was out and was waiting for me when I returned home.Having seen the 25th Anniversary, the Cameron version, performance on the TV and taping it on VHS I tuned in on the TV when I saw that 'Les Miserables', with Russel Crowe and Hugh Jackman starring. Having seen the 1998 film with Liam Neeson and Geoffrey Rush, which seemed to be truer to the book, I was pleasantly surprised to find the 2012 version followed the stage play with all of the vocals interspersed with the filmed locations and background.Having seen the 2012 version on TV I immediately ordered the DVD and watched it as soon as I returned home. It was marvellous and a complete justification of the comment on the box of 'The Musical Phenomenon'.I have only one gripe.The start is delayed by trailers for other films and DVDs which, may be of interest to some and indeed make good marketing sense hold no interest for me. However, the film soon made up for the trailers though.Having seen the 25th Anniversary performance, the 1998 and 2012 films I intend the get the Victor Hugo book even though I know the films and stage play will bear no resemblance to the book.

The story itself could hardly fail to grip. Embittered by twenty years' hard labour for stealing bread, parole-breaker Jean Valjean is transformed by a bishop's kindness, resolving from now on to make something of his life. Instead for decades officer Javert pursues, he blinkered by duty and regarding Valjean as unfinished business. The two are on collision course. Meanwhile France is in turmoil, another revolution seemingly on its way....Visually the film is stunning. The plot is so strong, it disappoints (at least for a while) that the singing of the two leads is not more powerful. Anne Hathaway heartrendingly makes impact with "I Dreamed a Dream" - a raw outpouring of anguish from one now without hope. "Master of the House" proves perhaps more muted than usual - accompanying "business", although amusing, rather a distraction. "Do You Hear the People Sing?" appropriately stirs. Much in the film's later stages proves genuinely moving.Viewers' reactions may well be determined by the route so far taken. Mine is via the original London cast album and the two lavish anniversary celebratory concert versions (the 10th one preferred because of its power, involvement and truly awesome, memorable climax). Hopes would understandably thus be high for film performances that at least matched or even surpassed those previously experienced.Despite initial disappointments, the film offers much to applaud. In many ways it does justice to a musical so successful all over the world. The plight of the oppressed is always one that strikes a chord, stirring emotions. On stage and screen "Les Miserables" is more to experience than simply to watch - audiences often reduced to tears, emerging uplifted.Here again many will fall under its spell.