Review: Les Misérables

I’m not afraid to admit that I enjoy musicals. I will say, though, that the only time I saw Les Misérables performed was when I was in 8^th grade on a school trip to watch the high school do it. Needless to say, watching Les Mis on the big screen was essentially my first introduction to the heart-wrenching characters and story given to us by Victor Hugo, and I’m kicking myself for not experiencing it earlier. This adaptation is beautiful in the ugliest, most perfect way possible, and should be the mold that future musical adaptations follow.

            The music at the core of the story is spot on thanks to one of the more daring directions in recent cinematic history from director Tom Hooper. The actors in the film were all required to sing their parts live as they acted, as opposed to being able to lip-synch to a shiny, studio-produced track with no soul. The tactic works so well that I’m not sure the film would be the same without it. Gone is the pitch-perfect, high-gloss soundtrack that adaptations like Rent gave us, and instead Les Misérables is colored by sweat, blood, and snot-stained singing that is never sonically perfect, but fits the story like a glove. It is deeply moving to watch the characters, all gritty and torn, sing from a place that only someone as dejected as they are could. Every actor in the film performed this way, whether a singer by trade or not, and nearly everyone met the challenge head on.

            Speaking of the actors, if Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway don’t receive any Oscar noms for their roles as Jean Valjean and Fantine respectively, a serious injustice will have occurred. These are two people who have proven their acting chops before, but neither has ever been able to affect me so deeply as they did here. Their tears seem to come from somewhere real, their singing (especially Hathaway’s I Dreamed a Dream, the film’s spotlight moment) consistently hits home, and their presence is magnetic. I truly can’t say enough positive things about their performances here, just know that Wolverine and Catwoman deserve any and all praise that they receive. The surrounding cast of characters is great as well, and although singing obviously isn’t Russell Crowe’s forte, his looming presence is enough to make up for it. It should also be noted that film newcomer Samantha Barks will melt even the iciest of hearts when she performs On My Own as Éponine. Something tells me this will not be the last time we see Ms. Barks, and I look forward to what is next for her.

I had no expectations when I went to watch Les Misérables, and after three unrelenting hours glued to my seat, I’m not sure expectations would have mattered. This is a gorgeous musical adaptation supported by fantastic scenery, classic music, incredible performances, and the entire spectrum of the human emotional scale. It doesn’t matter if you enjoy musicals or not, Les Misérables transcends genre and is merely a profoundly stirring tale of love, loss, and glory. The characters on screen may be miserable, but the experience of watching them couldn’t be more different.

Score: 4.8/5