[ss397]

I am a huge fan of this story. If you want the best experience, read the book, it is extremely good. Having read the book, seen the play on Broadway, and seen several previous film versions, I find this latest version disappointing. It is essentially a cinematic version of the Broadway musical, with much worse singing. I have great respect and admiration for the cast, they are all first rate, and they can sing proficiently. But there are no great singers in the bunch, and that becomes an issue, as most of the score is music. The cinematic production looks like a play, so they really dropped the ball there, where they could have made it great with effects, transitions, flash backs, etc. My wife cried through the entire performance, she loved it. I thought it was so so.

[galyons]

I enjoyed it very much.  The fact that they kept it to a more theatrical performance, IMO, was a huge positive. I would not have wanted any more cinematic chicanery than was presented.  Once I stopped doing the mental comparison to the London and Broadway productions, I was fine with the cast's performance.

Cheers,
Geary

[launche]

If your wife cried during the whole movie then I can think of no greater endorsement, thanks I'll put it on the list.

[santacore]

I'm watching it right now, and it's waaayyyyy to much musical for me. I didn't know what to expect, but I was hoping it was a bit more movie, then musical. Whoops.

[wilsynet]

Anne Hathaway's interpretation of I Dreamed a Dream was so startlingly tragic and human that I sobbed through most of the song.

Have there been better singers who've played Fantine?  Yes.  But I don't think anyone has given a better *performance*.

I'll be surprised if she doesn't win an Oscar; that's how good it was.

[galyons]

Anne Hathaway's interpretation of I Dreamed a Dream was so startlingly tragic and human that I sobbed through most of the song.

Have there been better singers who've played Fantine?  Yes.  But I don't think anyone has given a better *performance*.

I'll be surprised if she doesn't win an Oscar; that's how good it was.

+1...an amazing performance. Totally agree!

Cheers,
Geary

[S Clark]

Saw it tonight- a very well done film of one of the top musicals of all time.  I've seen it in London and NY with fantastic talent, and this holds up very well.  Any movie version of a musical is really a different animal than the original.  Some things are better done onstage, others with the magic of Hollywood.  It has a great opening that the stage can't match, but some of the barricade scenes are more moving from the 4th row of a great stage performance.  All in all, it a great story, very good music, and personally moving (esp for us fathers).
Go see it.  And take a hanky.

Scott

[Rob Babcock]

I thought it was a little uneven.  Jackman and Hathaway are very good singers IMO.  I understand Hugh Jackman did a lot of musical stuff before he became a hollywood star.  Siefried was pretty fair, too.  But while he's a great actor Russell Crowe is a pretty poor singer, at least for a musical.  His range is very limited and he lacks expressiveness.  The film really drags in some spots.  I would probably give it 2.5 stars out of 4.

That said I'd say that the Oscar should come down to Jackman vs DDL.  DDL may have the edge by virtue of starring in a far better film but Jackman's performance was just a worthy.  Anne Hathaway certainly is deserving of the Oscar for supporting as well.

I caught the film a few days ago in a late showing.  There were maybe 25 people in the theater at the beginning and just four of us left by the end.

[wushuliu]

Anne Hathaway's interpretation of I Dreamed a Dream was so startlingly tragic and human that I sobbed through most of the song.

Have there been better singers who've played Fantine?  Yes.  But I don't think anyone has given a better *performance*.

I'll be surprised if she doesn't win an Oscar; that's how good it was.

I hope she doesn't win. She can't be hot, able to sing, date a  good looking jet setter who gets thrown in jail without so much as a blemish (seriously, it's like it never happened), and win a freakin' Oscar.

Then I'll never get her number. Ever.

As it is I still have a chance.

[wushuliu]

I thought it was a little uneven.  Jackman and Hathaway are very good singers IMO.  I understand Hugh Jackman did a lot of musical stuff before he became a hollywood star.  Siefried was pretty fair, too.  But while he's a great actor Russell Crowe is a pretty poor singer, at least for a musical.  His range is very limited and he lacks expressiveness.  The film really drags in some spots.  I would probably give it 2.5 stars out of 4.

That said I'd say that the Oscar should come down to Jackman vs DDL.  DDL may have the edge by virtue of starring in a far better film but Jackman's performance was just a worthy.  Anne Hathaway certainly is deserving of the Oscar for supporting as well.

I caught the film a few days ago in a late showing.  There were maybe 25 people in the theater at the beginning and just four of us left by the end.

I haven't seen Les Mis but unless Jackman has managed to show something he has never, ever shown before there is no way he can top DDL. None. It doesn't matter because first he would have to get past Joaquin in The Master. I like Jackman, and he is super talented. But against Phoenix and DDL? Pfft.

That said, it's the Oscars. Which means, he'll probably win. Like when Crowe won for Gladiator instead of The Insider and Denzel won for Training Day instead of oh, every other damn movie he'd done (like 'X'). In fact the Oscars so FOS that my money is on Bradley Cooper.

[Rob Babcock]

Silver Linings Playbook is one of the few nominated films I've yet to see.  I think Jennifer Lawrence is a fine actress but I'm having trouble imagining Cooper as a serious actor.  We shall see.  I'm planning to catch it eventually.

[Rob Babcock]

Anne Hathaway's interpretation of I Dreamed a Dream was so startlingly tragic and human that I sobbed through most of the song.

Have there been better singers who've played Fantine?  Yes.  But I don't think anyone has given a better *performance*.

I'll be surprised if she doesn't win an Oscar; that's how good it was.

Yeah, if she doesn't get an Oscar then it will be a crime.  Superb performance on her part.

[thunderbrick]

Borrowed the DVD tonight.  Loved the entire production and Anne Hathaway was everything people say and more.

Anyone else notice that Russell Crowe sounded like he was lip-synching to a William Shatner tape?   

[Rob Babcock]

An oldie!   Looking back at the last couple posts it's interesting how last Oscar season shook out.  I did go see SLPB bu I walked out before the end; it's simply a dreadful dreadful film.  I commend anyone that survived til the end.

[wushuliu]

Everytime I try to watch it on cable I just end uo thinking what a waste. The whole movie shot with that ridiculous close up camerawork, completely undermining the whole movie. I thought people were exaggerating but every scene I saw looked it was ghost directed by Terry Gilliam. It just makes me want to watch the dramatic version with Liam Neeson instead. THAT should have been the musical.

And I have no words for Russell Crowe's butchery of 'Stars'.

[BobM]

Crowe is a fine actor, but he can't sing worth a damn. He kind of ruined it for me.