Movie Review: Les Miserables (1998)

This is a fascinating version of Les Miserables starring Liam Neeson as Jean Valjean.  This version is not a musical.  Geoffrey Rush portrays Javert, and makes an interesting contrast; strength against finesse.  However Valjean proves he is a changed man, when he exposes himself to save a man he didn't know.  Cosette is also well done as played by Claire Danes.  It is interesting the way Valjean confesses his past to her.  Fantine is portrayed by Uma Thurman, and the scenes where she is hallucinating of her daughter, and passing away are very nice.  Peter Vaughn portrays the bishop who sets Valjean on a righteous path.  This story is very poignant, and this version does it justice.

****Disney Movie Review: The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)

This is an animated musical version of the Hunchback of Notre Dame a Victor Hugo story.  The Hunchback, Quasimodo (Tom Hulce) looks down on the city, but never is able to join in because of his confinement to Notre Dame, put on him by his master Frollo, the Minister of Justice (Tony Jay).  Frollo is obsessed with ridding the city of gypsies.  Frollo resents the sanctity of the Church, but had been forced to accept it when he killed Quasimodo's mother, a gypsy, and wanted to do the same with Quasimodo.  the Archdeacon (David Ogden Stiers) had intervened.  One of the people Quasimodo watches is Esmeralda, the gypsy dancer (Demi Moore and Heidi Mollenhauer.  Frollo also watches her, and is filled with passion which haunts him.  The last character is the Captain of the Guard, Phoebus (Kevin Kline).  He helps her escape from soldiers harassing gypsies.  Quasimodo finally ventures out of the church on All Fools Day.  Esmeralda discovers him, and promotes him for King of Fools, thinking it is a good thing.  However the people tie him up, and start pelting him with fruit.  He cries for relief from his master, who insists there is a lesson be learned.  It is Esmeralda who shows compassion, and challenges the Minister, freeing Quasimodo.  The Minister orders her arrest, and the Captain reluctantly pursues her.  She enters the church to hide, and when he The Captain finds her there, insists she claim sanctuary.  In this way she spends time with Quasimodo, who helps her to escape.  The reaction from the minister is to burn the city looking for her.  He is obsessed.  Either she is his, or she is dead, he cannot see any other way.  The final can only be tragic with such obsessive compassion haunted the Minister.
The highlight of the movie is the song from Esmeralda as she prays for nothing for herself but for her people the down trodden:
Esmeralda
I don't know if You can hear me
Or if You're even there
I don't know if You would listen
To a gypsie's prayer
Yes, I know I'm just an outcast
I shouldn't speak to you
Still I see Your face and wonder...
Were You once an outcast too?

God help the outcasts
Hungry from birth

Show them the mercy
They don't find on earth
God help my people
We look to You still
God help the outcasts
Or nobody will

Esmeralda
I ask for nothing
I can get by
But I know so many
Less lucky than I
Please help my people
The poor and downtrod
I thought we all were
The children of God
God help the outcasts
Children of God

Alan Menken wrote the music with lyrics by Stephen Schwartz.  The production was nominated for several Academy awards including best music.  The colors of the show make this film a work of art.  they use stained glass, and colors of the street, and the fire very effectively.  Also effective are the miniature figures and scene the Hunchback produces. 

Movie Reviews: ***^Les Miserables (2000)

This is not the version currently in the movies, but a 2000 miniseries version which is available through instant Netflix.  It has an international cast with Gerard Depardieu, a French actor, as Jean Valjean and John Malkovich as Javert.  Malkovich is eerie in his roll of Javert, as he is so persisitent in his pursuit of evil.  
This version does not have the music, and has a couple of plot twists different than the musical.  These mostly involved the Thernadier family, as Thernadier ended up in prison after his first experience with Valjean for selling a child.  His other experiences were just as distressing, and lead to his harboring great bitterness.  By this we understand more his motivation to rob Valjean when they meet again in the city.  The emotions are in this movie, as in the other versions I have seen.  They make Eponine to be uglier, and with less of a crush on Marius.  However Marius is the neighbor to Thernadier.  It is he who warns Javert of the robbery of Valjean, and puts Javert on the trail of Valjean again.
Marius' grandfather has a larger roll.  And takes his grandson in after the barricade.
My only complaint was the suicide.  Javert walks into the river.  Could you really complete a suicide that way?  Cosette (Virginie Ledoyan) is truly beautiful, and could easily steal a man's heart at one sighting.  This movie is entertaining.

Movie Review: ****^ Les Miserables (2012)

I have seen a few opinions about Les Miserables from--the best movie ever to too dark.  And after visiting the theater yesterday, I can understand both remarks.  Les Miserables is a dark story to begin with.  However with all the expectations, many were predisposed that it was going to be the best ever even before seeing it.  I wave watched the ten year, and 25 year anniversary concerts over and over.  And granted those were concerts not theatrical productions but they music from those far surpasses that in the movie.  The movie was going for character and story, and took the risk of casting theatrical actors in musical parts.  Sometimes it worked, and others it didn't.  So the pluses and minuses.
Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean worked.  His singing does not compare to Colm Wilkinson, but he carried the roll.  "Hear my Prayer" is the highlight of the show, and although I would have liked to hear Colm Wilkinson, Jackman delivered the emotion of the song such as to be effective.  It is just so beautiful the way Wilkinson holds that last note.
Russell Crowe as Javert did not work.  The song "I Swear by the Stars" sounded more like some one singing in the shower than a prayer to the stars.  Crowe did  make the suicide scene more believable than I had seen it.
The added song of Valjean singing his love to Cosette added depth to the character.  You also can love instantly.  Being a foster/adoptive parent I know this is true.
The three young people, Cosette (Amanda Seyfried) Eponine (Samantha Barks) and Marius (Eddie Redmayne) were the highlight of the show.  They carried their trio and other performing parts with energy and gusto.  I left the theater humming "heart full of love."  "On My Own" was also well done.  However keeping with the dark theme of the director, was done in the rain. Marius sang "Empty Chairs," with such beauty and emotion, I think everyone who has seen this has cried with him.
Fantine (Anne Hathaway) was somewhat of a controversy.  Lea Salonga sings which much greater skill, energy and professionalism.  However, in the mood of the film, Hathaway did an incredible job.  The song "I Dreamed a Dream" was presented later in the movie, after arriving at the bottom, rather than just starting the slide, so there was a different tone (darkness) to the song.  I especially like her in the death scene at the end. 
The innkeepers are a welcome comic relief.  The must have worked so hard at coordinating everything.  I especially like their entrance through the carriage to the wedding. 
So there are more things to like and love about this version of Les Miserables than there are to dislike.  The music is worth going to see, the action is well done, the characterization is good, and the sets are effective (except for the sewer which is over the top) and the theme that when we show love to each other, we show love to God is timeless.  Oh Colm Wilkinson does have a cameo as the priest.  His baritone voice resonates, and somehow he is in the final scene at the pearly gates.  A nice touch.  I recommend this movie, but don't go so far as to say it is the best ever.
I would not recommend this movie for children.

Theater Review: Les Miserables: San Francisco (2012)

Les Miserables 

Charity took me to see Les Miserables last week.  She had been able to get tickets through the Butler family, who had purchased at the group rate, and had some extras. First off, I must say it is an incredible show.  The colors and the scenes, costumes and set pieces going back and forth, make it truly a work of art and a visual delight.  The music adds the auditory delight.  I love the song, “Bring Him Home.”  And it was performed beautifully.  “I dreamed a Dream” is also a favorite, and it was well performed.  My only regret is that they jumped into it so fast, I missed the first part of the song.  The Timpani covered over some of the vocals which was frustrating, and Javert was hard to understand when he sang “Stars.”

The play clarified some points.  The song “Who am I” has a part sung before the court, where Valjean reveals himself.  Eponine and Cosette were play mates at the inn.  That was something I hadn’t realized.  One song really stood out in terms of the blocking, this being “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables.”  They had a light representing the friends who had passed away at the barricade.  The friends come out and take their light.  At the end they were all dimmed, with the exception of the light Marius held.  It was very effective. 

Another moving part is the death of Gavroche.  The students were much affected by this.  Eponine did a very good job of singing “On My Own.”  That she gave her life, so her love could have someone else is very moving. 

Another place where they really did a great job with set, and making things move when they really weren’t was in the sewers, including Javert’s suicide.
Even with all the grandeur,  I had a feeling something was not quite right.  I think it had to do with the morality.  On our way home Charity expressed that she enjoyed it all except a couple of side things. She noticed that there were a couple of times in the side business, that people were pretending to be engaged sexual relations.  I had missed this, but had the feeling everything was not right.  I do not think such beautiful things should be used as a forum to promote irreverent and immoral behavior.

Movie Review: ***Les Miserables (1952)

This version of Les Miserables is on instant Netflix.  I like all the versions of this story, including the musical presentations.  The story as presented in this version is very uplifting, even with the suicide of Javert at the end of the movie.  Michael Rennie (Klaatu in "The Day the Earth Stood Still") portrays Valjean.  The actor playing Javert, Robert Newton, is familiar from portraying Long John Silver in Treasure Island.  This version shows the changing of Valjean, who very easily could have gone the way of a criminal lifestyle, but over came, after the admonition of a priest.  The love story between Marius and Cozette is very well done.  It does not present the innkeepers in this version.  It does show how Valjean becomes mayor of the town.  Valjean does have a dear friend in the movie who stands by him, even though he knew he was a convict from first meeting him.