The Wretched Lift Their Voices: Anne Hathaway & Hugh Jackman in 'Les Misérables'

[brianr]

I wish I could have had a career making money by writing such drivel.
I hope to see the movie on Thursday when it opens in NZ. I watched the 10 year performance on youtube last week. I only just found out the complete performance was there (I only have the CDnot DVD.) It was a wonderful few hours. I do not know about the film as yet but I woud go and see the stage performance over and over again if money allowed. I like Rigoletto but once every 5 years is enough. Like most operas there are great parts but long boring parts while I marvel at how Les Mis is just marvellous from start to finsih. I had to rush to the bathroom as I was not sure if I stopped youtube it would start again at the same place.

[Jeff Wrangler]

I wish I could have had a career making money by writing such drivel.

Maybe you ought to specify which is the "drivel," Brian, the reviews or Les Miz? 

Sheesh, I can't believe how much some people are hating on this film. Never mind that I have no intention of seeing it. I also can't believe that Denby never saw the show on stage. Heck, even I've seen in on stage--road company at the Forrest Theater here in Philadelphia--and I didn't think it was that bad--though once was enough.

The decision to record the singers "live" for the movie does seem kinda dumb, though. I wonder how many "takes" some numbers took.

[brianr]

I have just seen it.

I went to the very first session in our city. Met 3 ladies with whom I hike every week so had company. Not sure a good idea as I had tears streaming down my face at the end. That probably confimed their suspicions of my sexuality.  
It was far more realistic than the stage performances. I found this a bit off putting at first but adapted to it. I thought Russell Crowe was better than expected but agree Hugh Jackman would not go down as the greatest Jean Valjean voice wise. Possibly the makeup did not help but I think he is ageing like us all  .

I did not think Anne Hathaway was the best singer of "I dreamed a dream" that I have heard but her acting was superb. Probably I have listened to "I dreamed a dream"so often that it no longer affects me so much.  It is "A heart full of love" and "Bring him home" that always causes the tears to flow now, closely followed by "Empty chairs at Empty tables".  I think "Red and Black" is one of the most stirring songs I know. I missed being able to clap wildly as in the theatre.  I was impressed with the voices of both Eddie Redmayne (Marius) and Samantha Barks (Eponine).
I do not think Eddie is the most handsome Marius I have seen. I wondered where I knew his face and find he was  in "My Week with Marilyn" where I thought he was good and his lack of stunning looks, more the boy next door, helped in that part.

I am keen to go again perhaps in 2 or 3 weeks, or I might just wait and buy the DVD.

[Jeff Wrangler]

"Empty chairs at Empty tables"

Now that you mention it, I remember that one from the road company/stage production I saw. I remember thinking it was a very affecting song.

[Meryl]

For the record, Oscar nominations out today include Anne for Best Supporting Actress, Hugh for Best Actor, the picture for Best Picture, but Tom Hooper missed out on the Best Director category.  The site I was looking at predicts Anne will win. 

[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]

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.

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.  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. 

[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]

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!

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. 

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.