Les Miserables: Movie Review

Les Miserables: Movie Review

Cast: Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Russell Crowe, Eddie Redmayne, Amanda Seyfried, Sacha Baron Cohen, Helena Bonham Carter.

Director: Tom Hooper

Anne Hathaway as Fantaine in Les Miserables

After countless years of stage shows and several cinematic attempts, it's time for another take on the Victor Hugo story, Les Miserables.

In this latest set in 19th Century France, Hugh Jackman takes on the role of Jean Valjean, who's served his time after stealing bread to feed a family member. Under the watch of beastly Inspector Javert (Russell Crowe), Valjean is supposed to report in for parole, but he doesn't.

And that sets off decades of pursuit from Javert as Valjean tries to turn his life around - but the pair's dogged back and forth all culminates in the tragedy of the 1832 French revolution in Paris....

(Relatively) fresh from Oscar success, Tom Hooper returns with this, which makes much of the music and song being sung live rather than recorded and redubbed within the confines of the studio. And yet for all the plaudits that it should deserve for being brave, it's somewhat of a hollow experience.

Don't get me wrong - Les Miserables is certainly a hell of a visual spectacle. The sets and settings are incredibly evocative and hit the right note all through out.

Russell Crowe as Inspector Javert in Les Miserables

Talking of hitting the right note, it's really all about the singing, with maybe only 20 words all up being spoken throughout. (Which will tell you whether you want to see a film where every last word is sung at you for narrative purposes).

Of the main cast, all have varying degrees of success, all having some pedigree of musical history. Hugh Jackman gives his all and manages to imbue his singing with some level of emotion throughout - as opposed to Russell Crowe, whose staunch visage is emotionless as he barks his way through his dogged pursuit. It means you never really fully get his state of mind throughout and I can't for the life of me begin to explain why he's pursued this man for so long after he broke parole after being jailed for stealing a loaf of bread....

As Fantaine, Hathaway runs the gamut as her tragic journey plays out and certainly does a belter of a performance for I Dreamed a Dream. But, here's the curious thing - I never really felt any sympathy for her plight. And it's an odd discrepancy with this version; there's a real lack of an emotional connection through its somewhat overly long duration. I don't know whether it's the fact the action is on celluloid so you're more disconnected than you would be with a stage version but I never got the heart in my mouth moment at any point that I would have been expecting during any of the revolution scenes, various character demises and so on.

Perhaps, because there's so much music and musical on show throughout, you never really get a moment to catch your breath and wallow in the spectacle before the next iconic musical morsel is boisterously blasted in your direction and in quite extreme close ups in some cases.

After the unrelenting misery of the start, Sacha Baron Cohen brings some much needed humour to the proceedings as the innkeeper, but it's short lived as the main story continues. Eddie Remayne is a little squeaky as the love interest too; but Amanda Seyfried makes up for it, giving them the stronger bond and making them a likeable pair.

Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean in Les Miserables

It could be the fact I'm a cultural slob and have consequently not seen Les Miserables before so it may resonate with others more. Whilst it is technically and visually dazzling, in my humble opinion the entire film remains a curiously detached experience. Some of the set pieces are brilliantly pulled together by Hooper but there's so many moments thrown one after another, that there's just not the letting up in pace which is sorely needed.

Its ensemble cast, overall, do good work (and I'd expect the production of Les Miserables to be Oscar nominated) but the lack of relative emotion and overly long running time (a few songs could have been trimmed) mean Les Miserables remains unfortunately thwarted by its ambition and doesn't quite hit the high peaks you'd have expected.

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