Title: Les Misérables
Release Date: 25th December 2012
Genre: Drama, Musical
Director: Tom Hooper
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Russell Crowe, Amanda Seyfried
Synopsis
Inspired by the classic novel by Victor Hugo, Les Misérables tells the tale of Jean Valjean, an ex-convict hunted by a policeman, Javert after he breaks parole. Set in early 19th century France, Valjean spends years finding redemption, meeting various characters from a misfortunate prostitute, to a group of young idealists.
Our Review
Unlike the 1998 version (starring Liam Neeson, Geoffrey Rush, Uma Thurman, Claire Danes etc.), this year’s version of Les Misérables is adapted from the musical, well-known for its revival on Broadway.
Les Misérables takes place in 19th century France, with disease spreading among the poor, and elaborates on various themes such as poverty, morality, love, and hope, making it the perfect element for its release date on Christmas. While the story line stays true to the novel, the musical aspect of Les Misérables gives viewers the chance to capture the emotions of the characters.
Take Fantine for instance; a single mother who loses her job and becomes a prostitute to pay inn-keepers for the welfare of her daughter. Anne Hathaway portrays Fantine’s role with such finesse that it you will not be able to hold back the tears as she sings her way through I Dreamed A Dream (a song immortalized by Susan Boyle on X Factor).
Hugh Jackman was truly the perfect man for Valjean, carrying so much strength and emotion for the character that has to be his best work ever. Hathaway herself did a lot for the part, from shaving her entire head of hair while filming, and even sacrificing her diet to achieve her ‘death-like’ look as dying Fantine. Tim Burton fans will also be pleased to see Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen working side-by-side as the devious innkeepers, the Thenardiers.
Your hair will rise during the entire film, and don’t forget to bring the tissues – the title speaks for itself; translated from French, Les Misérables means the miserable, the wretched or the poor ones. Les Miserable has already earned numerous awards throughout the film industry, and Jackman and Hathaway have already been nominated for the Screen Actors Guild Award and the Golden Globes.
We highly recommend Le Misérables for two reasons; it’s a classic and we firmly believe that everyone should watch it at least once; and the film was created perfectly with themes made to inspire.
Watch the trailer:
