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Les Miserables

Discussion in 'Entertainment and Technology' started by lawRAWR, Jun 1, 2013.

  1. lawRAWR

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    I watched Les Mis for the first time yesterday, I bought the DVD as a gift for my Mum's birthday. It was amazing, me and Mum would sing everything that would be in normal conversation for about 10 minutes after watching the film. I had never really watched a film like that before, where the singing is throughout the whole film, yet I really enjoyed it. :icon_bigg

    It was really sad, though, but very insightful.

    I think that Anne Hathaway did an amazing performance, I was, however, kind of dissapointed with Russell Crowe. :eek:

    Has anyone watched this film, and how did you find it?
     
  2. Dublin Boy

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    No, but I want to watch it :slight_smile:
     
  3. Fiddledeedee

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    In the film, I actually didn't care for "I Dreamed a Dream". Hathaway did a good performance, but the camerawork ruined it -- I get what they were going for, but it didn't turn out well in my opinion.

    I remained dry-eyed in the first act (which ends at "One Day More") but was tearful throughout the second. Gavroche was beautifully handled.

    What's that song that Cosette sang, "In My Life"? I can't find the full recording on YouTube, but I think they may have added the first section about how "there are so many questions and answers that somehow seem wrong". If so, they did a really good job, and it helped Cosette's character. Not sure, though.
     
  4. lawRAWR

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    That was the scene which I thought was the best during the whole film :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:
     
  5. Fiddledeedee

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    Yup; I always cower when I say I didn't like it, because so many people do!
     
  6. DelFelidae

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    I totally agree, I thought everyone was good except Russell Crowe, he actually quite annoyed me. I love the movie and went to see it at the cinema, but I went with my mom, and 2 sisters who were weeping throughout the entire movie, so, I genuinely felt like my tears were somewhat stolen from me as they were quite literally sobbing.....I was fighting back tears when Eponine started singing "On my own" until the very end......by the end I was crying too!:tears::tears::tears:

    For the rest of the car ride home we were all singing....:eek:
     
  7. lawRAWR

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    Ahaa, yes.

    Me and Mum keep singing the line "I dreamed a dream in time gone by" , but then stop as we don't know any other lines yet :lol:
     
  8. DelFelidae

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    My mom and sisters just kept on singing "On my own" over and over, but had to keep asking me for the lyrics because they kept forgetting.:icon_bigg
     
  9. ANightDude

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    I've always been confused as to why people didn't care for Russel Crowe in this film. I thought he was fantastic.
     
  10. PurpleRain

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    I've only gotten to see part of it, but I got to perform it with my choir and it was wonderful! I got to do a duet with an incredible girl on Bring Him Home and it was magical. Brought tears to the audience. :grin:
     
  11. caughtbywitness

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    I really liked it when I saw it in the cinema and downloaded the album because I loved Master of the House that much. Need to get it on DVD now
     
  12. Dublin Boy

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    I think I might buy it tomorrow :slight_smile:
     
  13. Eponine

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    [YOUTUBE]xXiTPXh6Vlc[/YOUTUBE]

    It's actually part of the stage production, as you can see here:

    [YOUTUBE]Txp6kWuNYGQ[/YOUTUBE]

    I believe it wasn't in the Original West End Production, when she had a song called "I Saw Him Once" there instead. It was changed with the addition to the beginning of "In My Life" with the Broadway Production.

    I think the only thing that was completely original in the film was the song "Suddenly." There were lyric changes to a number of songs though, including "In My Life."
     
    #13 Eponine, Jun 2, 2013
    Last edited: Jun 2, 2013
  14. Candace

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    I read the book in French. :grin:

    But I haven't seen the movie since I fear it will butcher whatever I read previously, haha.
     
  15. Boyfriend

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    I saw it (months ago, in cinema) with my boyfriend and we both cried.
     
  16. theJosephDean

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    I feel like this is appropriate for this thread. I had my doubts in the beginning, but this video had me dying from laughter after about a minute.

    [YOUTUBE]P3fjFtlSz3Q[/YOUTUBE]
     
  17. Music Heals

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    I love the movie! I saw it three times when it was still in theatre, then bought it pretty soon after it came out on DVD. We're actually watching it again right now in my French class... Garvoche is the cutest little thing ever, but I hated Russel Crowe in it. The guy seriously cannot sing, and he pretty much butchered the slow pretty songs that Javert has! His acting was fantastic, but his voice.... I'm almost ashamed to say I haven't cried once during it!
     
  18. tardiskitty

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    Aaah I have found my people! Haha I'm a huge mizzie, but I much prefer 25th anniversary concert to the movie. Either way, though, it's a sob fest for me xD
     
  19. Aussie792

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    Yeah, that concert was amazing. I preferred the 10th anniversary, but I wasn't born for one, and both were on the other side of the world, so I have to satisfy myself with the recordings on YouTube.
     
  20. IrishEyes1989

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    I quite enjoyed the film. Though it should be said that I had never seen or read the musical before. I kept meaning to try and seek out a production of it nearby or at least watch one of the versions posted on YouTube, but I never got round to it. The film was spectacularly done, I thought. From a cinematography standpoint, it was stunning. The costumes were gorgeous as well.

    Anne Hathaway, for such a short amount of screen time, gave a wonderfully affecting performance and deserved the Oscar she received. I don't understand why so many people hate her. I'm not a massive fan of hers, but I do think she's a good actress and that credit should be given where it is due.

    I agree with the OP on Russell Crowe's performance though...if you can even really call it a performance lol. I'm sorry but that guy can't sing to save his life. It was like Pierce Brosnan in Mamma Mia all over again! XD I suppose I'm biased because I've never liked Russell Crowe. He's a pompous jerk in real life and he's not even that great of an actor, if you ask me. Aside from him, the performances in Les Mis were quite good I thought.

    Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen were BRILLIANT as the swindling couple who took in Cozette. I love those two so much!!!:lol: Hugh Jackman also gave a wonderful performance as Jean Valjean. Just the opening scenes where he was emaciated and singing his lungs out were astounding. I was very impressed. Of course, it's well known that he's a song and dance man and is just as at home on the stage as on screen. That in stark contrast to Mr. Crowe, who clearly had never sung a note in his life prior to signing on for this film. Anyway, no point in dwelling on the one negative aspect of an otherwise stellar production.

    The only other complaint I might have about this film (and I don't even know if it qualifies as a complaint so much as a constructive criticism) is that there was absolutely no dialogue. The movie was entirely singing from the very beginning to the very end. It was a musical in the truest sense of the word. Now, having acted in musical theatre for years and being a huge fan of the genre, I am the first person to stand behind it as an art form. However, when you're sitting in a movie theatre for the best part of 3 hours and it just goes from one song to the next to the next to the next, you don't get a chance to breathe, if that makes any sense. It's just not what we're used to seeing at the movies. Not that it's a bad thing. It's just different. In this case I do think it was used to good effect. Certainly wouldn't be the case for every musical though.

    Lastly, this film must be commended for the sheer fact that all of the singing was real and live. That was incredibly refreshing and, from the perspective of someone who has acted and sung for many years, I can appreciate the amount of talent and effort that goes into the performances the actors in this film gave. Overall, a beautiful production that I would give an 8.5 or 9 out of 10.