Review - Les Misérables

Les Misérables is one of my favourite musicals. Although it is over a decade since the last of my four trips to see it, I still know huge chunks of by heart. I have, therefore, been looking forward to seeing the film version. I didn't necessarily intend to go on the day of release but, somewhat spontaneously, I decided to go last night.

Earlier this week, it received 8 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor (Hugh Jackman), Best Supporting Actress (Anne Hathaway) and Best Original Song. Good news, I thought.

The film has stuck almost completely to the stage version: a brave move given its length and the lack of an interval when viewing it on film. Consulting my copy of the Original London Cast recording has confirmed that only a couple of numbers were cut (although a few were abridged) - and that the running order has been varied.

As with the film version of Evita, there is new song, with music penned by the original composers Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil and lyrics once again provided by Herbert Kretzmer. I must confess to having been concerned about this but I was pleasantly surprised. It may have been a wee bit twee but it bridged a gap in the stage version and moved the story on.

So much for the good stuff, but what did I think of the film itself? Well, I was worried you might ask that... I'm afraid I couldn't get really get past Crowe's singing, and to a lesser extent, Jackman's. My immediate post show Facebook tweet sums up my thoughts in this regard: "When casting a Musical it would help if the lead actors could sing..."

Jackman's voice improved through the film but Crowe's didn't. The films unique selling point is that the singing was recorded with the action, rather than pre-recorded and then dubbed on. As I type this, I'm listening to the soundtrack (which was recorded after the film) and I don't think that capturing the singing as part of the performance is to blame - I really do think they were poor singers and this had a real impact on my enjoyment of the whole film.

Hathaway, on the other hand, was a revelation as Fantine and, in terms of the actors, head and shoulders above the rest. Her rendition of the "I Dreamed A Dream" was fantastic. Sasha Baron-Cohen was good as Thénardier, complete with comedic French accent. Helena Bonham-Carter was also good, as Madam Thénardier. Amanda Seyfried and Samantha Barks performed well in the roles of Cosette and Eponine, Barks was particularly good although the former was slightly patchy in places. Eddie Redmayne made a passable Marius.

It would be remiss of me not to mention the various numbers sung by the chorus - which were performed with the right level of joy and levity to lift the mood and the tempo. And, despite my earlier comments on Crowe and Jackman, the vocal (and physical) duelling track "Confrontation" between them was excellent.

Visually, the film captures the grit and grime of revolutionary France and the various sets are good (although the barricade not necessarily as impressive as the stage version). Those who have seen the stage show, though, may feel that some of the magic of theatrical sets and effects has been lost in the transition to the screen - although director Tom Hooper does make an effort to retain the impact of some of the deaths.

Hooper is keen to mine the emotion and expressions of the actors in the way that a singer projecting to the back of a Victorian theatre can't. In doing this, though, I found some of the camera angles and shots strange. There were also too many close ups of people almost (but not quite) singing to camera. It was also oddly notable that the female leads were considerably smaller than their male counterparts - and this was often accentuated by the choice of shots.

So, I came away singing (somewhat predictably, Do You Hear The People Sing) but disappointed. Ultimately the stars of the show - other than Hathaway - are the songs and the score. And they're available (in many versions) elsewhere. I would recommend going to see Les Misérables: but go and see it on stage!

Andrew

I should note that my review seems to be at odds with the Oscar nominations garnered and the generally favourable reviews elsewhere. There was also a small round of applause from some of the audience in the screening I went to, so maybe it's just me...

The Muppets - Film Review

Ladies and Gentlemen, I have a confession to make. 

For all my professed love of The Muppets, the truth is I've never seen much of them. I know I loved them as a child but can't truly remember them. Added to that, I've never seen a Muppet film (the cinema didn't feature in my childhood).

So, much as I wanted to see the latest Muppet film, I was also a bit worried it would disappoint. There were three main causes for concern. 1) I have a general dislike of "family films" - particularly American family films; and 2) I was worried about the mix of animation and actors, even if this is a long-standing Muppet technique; and 3) I am sceptical about film musicals.

Reader, I shouldn't have worried. Yes, the story was schmaltzy family fare. Yes, it had live action with comic actors. Yes it was an unashamed musical. But above all, it knew it was all these things. It knew it had to not take itself too seriously and it did this with aplomb.

The tone was set early when Gary (Jason Segal) and his Muppet brother Walter complete the first song and dance number (Life's a Happy Song). At the end, Segal presents his girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams) with a bunch of flowers pulled from his suit with words to the effect of "Sorry they're a bit crushed, that will be the number I've just done."

And so Gary, Mary and Walter head off to Los Angeles where Walter is keen to visit The Muppet Studios and see the place where his heroes trod the boards. The studios, though, have gone to rack and ruin and - even worse - the new owner plans not to turn them into a Muppet Museum but to drill for oil. Cue much maniacal laughter. Cue, also, an attempt to get The Muppets back together to raise $10m to buy back the studios.

The film has a lightness of touch and sense of humour which transcends the more sentimental moments. You'll come out singing "Life's a Happy Song" but here's the Oscar Winning "Man or Muppet":

Andrew

Film Review: The Artist

I finally got to see the multi-BAFTA, multi-OSCAR winning The Artist today. In this context, this review would only really be noticeable if I were to completely trash the film.

I won't.

It's an astounding and towering achievement. I understand it won't be to everyone's taste, but on it's own terms it is, quite simply, amazing.

The conceit, for anyone who has had their head buried in sand for the past couple of months, is that in telling the story of a star of the silent movie era, the film itself is silent. After 8 decades of "Talkies", could such a film find an audience?

Jean Dujardin plays George Valentin, a matinee idol whose life gradually falls apart as his marriage becomes increasingly strained, his Studio moves to making talkies, the stock market crashes and his personally funded "Tears of Love" is a box office flop when it opens against "Beauty Spot" starring Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo), a star of the new technology whom Valentin had met as an extra on  an earlier production.

It would seem that things couldn't get any worse from this low point but they can and do - will the former leading man be reconciled to the new age and will he accept the help of the world's newest star?

Michel Hazanavicius direction is superbly adapted to the silent medium, allowing the story to be told through the visuals (and occasional, but not too many, title cards) without over- or under-labouring points. The film is beautifully shot to reflect the spirit and look of films of the 20's and has a classy as well as classic feel. Dujardin gives a stunning performance, without the "mugging" Peppy claims is favoured by the silent actors... Bojo's performance is full of fun, vigour and vitality. 

Perhaps the biggest star of the film, though (other than Uggie, the Jack Russell) is the score. When you take out the words and background noise, you need a strong score. Ludovic Bourse's score is precisely this and encompasses (with a few brief exceptions) the whole film, expertly supporting the ebb and flow of the story and the changing pace and tone.

So, for once, believe the hype. And if you've not seen it yet, I'd thoroughly recommend it.

Andrew