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The Wretched Lift Their Voices: Anne Hathaway & Hugh Jackman in 'Les Misérables'
Front-Ranger:
If Anne was supporting who was the lead actress in Les Miz?
I must confess that I've never read the book, seen the play, and haven't seen the movie. The Francophile part of my education is woefully lacking. Growing up in the Midwest, we only had time to read one book related to the French Revolution and that was A Tale of Two Cities by Dickens, a Brit. I took five years of French and studied Le Petit Prince, which I thought kind of silly, and also the food writer MFK Fisher (who was American, but wrote about France). Come to think of it, a lot of the works about France I've read or seen are through the lens of foreigners, even La Boheme, an opera in Italian about mid-19th century Paris, and, of course, Midnight in Paris, by Woody Allen. For a time I was fasinated by the French New Wave directors but there again, some of them seemed kind of silly, such as Jules and Jim and Godard's Breathless.
Jeff Wrangler:
--- Quote from: Front-Ranger on January 11, 2013, 11:46:20 am ---If Anne was supporting who was the lead actress in Les Miz?
I must confess that I've never read the book, seen the play, and haven't seen the movie. The Francophile part of my education is woefully lacking. Growing up in the Midwest, we only had time to read one book related to the French Revolution and that was A Tale of Two Cities by Dickens, a Brit. I took five years of French and studied Le Petit Prince, which I thought kind of silly, and also the food writer MFK Fisher (who was American, but wrote about France). Come to think of it, a lot of the works about France I've read or seen are through the lens of foreigners, even La Boheme, an opera in Italian about mid-19th century Paris, and, of course, Midnight in Paris, by Woody Allen. For a time I was fasinated by the French New Wave directors but there again, some of them seemed kind of silly, such as Jules and Jim and Godard's Breathless.
--- End quote ---
Good question. Maybe it's the grown-up Cosette?
I can't remember that I've ever read the entire novel, either. I may have read parts of it. I know for sure I've read one excerpt that makes a very effective short story as "The Bishop's Candlesticks." I believe that's the story of the act of kindness that turns around Jean Valjean, and also gives him the money to make a new start.
I thought The Little Prince was kind of silly, too. As for Victor Hugo, I prefer Notre Dame de Paris, aka in English, The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
I've wanted to see La Boheme ever since Cher went to see it in Moonstruck. ;D I was reminded of Moonstruck when I read a comment, somewhere, about Anne singing while her character is dying in Les Miz. In Moonstruck, Cher says something similar about Mimi in La Boheme. ;D
southendmd:
I don't think there is a leading actress in Les Mis. Adult Cosette is also a supporting role.
Kinda like our film, there were wonderful supporting actresses, but no lead actress.
There is a lot of French culture that is not silly, but that's for another topic.
Front-Ranger:
Hmmm, now we've opened up a puzzlement that I'd like to explore. In the area of cuisine you would think the French reign supreme, but there again Julia Child was the foremost champion in modern times. And before her it took Catherine de Medici to start the French interest and expertise in food preparation. Before her the French didn't even have forks!
It seems to me the arena where the French are most supreme, IMHO, is in exploration and adventure. I am particularly thinking of Jacques Cousteau, Maurice Herzog and Jean Claude Killy, the skier.
brianr:
--- Quote from: Front-Ranger on January 11, 2013, 01:08:53 pm ---Hmmm, now we've opened up a puzzlement that I'd like to explore. In the area of cuisine you would think the French reign supreme, but there again Julia Child was the foremost champion in modern times. And before her it took Catherine de Medici to start the French interest and expertise in food preparation. Before her the French didn't even have forks!
--- End quote ---
I had to look up Julia Child in Wikipedia, the name was familiar, I now realise from the film Julie and Julia.
It says: "She is recognized for bringing French cuisine to the American public with her debut cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and her subsequent television programs, the most notable of which was The French Chef, which premiered in 1963."
So she just translated the supreme French cuisine for you Americans. ;D
Catherine de Medici was in the 16th century. She introduced the fork from Italy. It did not take off in England (and I guess the US) until the 18th century. I do not think I would like to watch the average Englishman eat in the 16th century.
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