Les Miserables - the movie

[Anita18]

I'd read that Hathaway lost 25 lbs for the role. I was wondering from where though. She's thin already!

I've never seen anything of Les Miz or read the book. I know very little about it. So I suppose I'm the perfect person to see this, but I have to say the reviews are scaring me away a bit.

The press she's doing for Les Miz is completely different from the press she did for Catwoman in the summer. For Catwoman, she absolutely refused to divulge how much weight she lost for the role and what kind of diet and exercise program she was on. (This resulted in fairly hilarious interviews. "Are you trying to lose weight? I think you look great!" "[to male interviewer] Are you trying to fit into a catsuit?"

And then for the Oscar press, everybody knows how much weight she lost and how she did it. How she suffered for her craft. Oh, Oscar campaigning...

[cruisin]

If you're a big fan of the musical and practically know the playbook by heart, your first viewing of this film is going to be a jolt to your system because there are a LOT of changed lines and songs that are switched out of order. It definitely works in the film, but it takes a bit of getting used to. I can't wait till I can see the movie again and not involuntarily cringe every time they "sing a line wrong". Trust me, I tried, but it's hard not to notice when you've known the songs by heart for so long.

That is going to drive me crazy! I hate it when they change the order or change the songs. Especially for a musical this well known and beloved. They did that with The sound of Music and it was so awkward.

Btw, one change that I reaaaaaaaaly liked was the omission of Eponine from the reprise of "Come to Me" and the addition of the Bishop. I've ALWAYS said that it made no sense at all for Eponine to suddenly show up to guide Valjean to heaven; they spoke only once in the play and not at all in the film. Substituting her with the Bishop, who actually WAS a very important figure in Valjean's life, was much more fitting and a change that I heartily applaud. It's a shame that it's only taken them this long to do it!

I know it doesn't make sense for Eponine to be there, but 3 voices in harmony (Valjean, Fantine, Eponine) are so beautiful! I never thought that Eponine hated Cosette. I knew she loved Marius, but realized he never saw her in that way.

I've seen it on B'way twice. I've watched the 10th and 25th Anniversary performances XXXXX times. Have the DVD and CD of the 10th. Listen to it constantly. I want to see it, but I'm worried. I got annoyed when they changed the order of some things in Billy Elliot (vice versa though, movie first).

[UGG]

That is going to drive me crazy! I hate it when they change the order or change the songs. Especially for a musical this well known and beloved. They did that with The sound of Music and it was so awkward.



I know it doesn't make sense for Eponine to be there, but 3 voices in harmony (Valjean, Fantine, Eponine) are so beautiful! I never thought that Eponine hated Cosette. I knew she loved Marius, but realized he never saw her in that way.

I've seen it on B'way twice. I've watched the 10th and 25th Anniversary performances XXXXX times. Have the DVD and CD of the 10th. Listen to it constantly. I want to see it, but I'm worried. I got annoyed when they changed the order of some things in Billy Elliot (vice versa though, movie first).

One thing I DID notice in the preview is that Fantine sings I dreamed a dream with short hair-

For those that have seen it...is that now after Lovely Ladies in the film? In the stage show, she sings I Dreamed a Dream right after she is canned by the Forman but from the previews of the movie, it looks like she is singing it as a Lady of The Night!

[Sparks]

Fantine does sing it after Lady of the Night.

[Wyliefan]

The switched order makes sense in context. In the stage show, it's a little easer to have a character just pause and reflect at nearly any point, via a big solo number; in the movie, the switched order helps to keep the action going.

[orbitz]

That is going to drive me crazy! I hate it when they change the order or change the songs. Especially for a musical this well known and beloved.

I'm sure many people have heard of the musical Les Mis prior to the film, but I doubt it was ever classified in the same "well known and beloved" category as something like The Sound of Music, for example.

[Wyliefan]

Actually, I think it's much better known and beloved than the stage version of The Sound of Music was before that film came out. The definition of success for a musical is so different these days. Les Miserables has played all over the world for 25 years, and many people have seen it multiple times. The Sound of Music had a four-year Broadway run, an even shorter London run, and U.S. and Australian tours, all of which were finished long before the movie came out. So a lot more people are going into the Les Mis film having some idea of what to expect, than with the Sound of Music film.

[manhn]

I very rarely get upset when movies deviate from the original source (see Hunger Games or Harry Potter or Jane Austen), but wrt to Les Mis, I don't see how these changes can amount to the movie being compared as TOTALLY! UTTERLY! different from the musical (which was based on a book--I'm pretty sure the producers made changes from the book).

I also doubt that people not familiar with the musical will like the movie more than those familiar with the musical. I've heard enough "Ya mean they all sing throughout the *entire* movie?!?!?" complaints to hold this belief so firmly.

[kwanfan1818]

What was changed in "The Sound of Music"? I've never seen the musical.

[Wyliefan]

What was changed in "The Sound of Music"? I've never seen the musical.

double post

[Wyliefan]

What was changed in "The Sound of Music"? I've never seen the musical.

A couple of songs were taken out; "Something Good" was added; and I believe "The Lonely Goatherd" and "My Favorite Things" were used differently. There were probably other changes made, but those are the ones I know of.

[paskatefan]

^ In the stage production of TSOM, there were three songs that were not in the movie. "I Have Confidence in Me" was not in the original Broadway cast recording (with Mary Martin). "Something Good" replaced "An Ordinary Couple." "How Can Love Survive" (a very witty song) was only done instrumentally in the movie during the ballroom dancing scene. "No Way to Stop It," a political debate song about the Captain's not giving in to the Nazis (with Max & the Baroness suggesting compromise), not was not in the movie, unfortunately (and I love the show, movie, Julie Andrews to pieces!). We saw the Broadway revival of TSOM in 1998 (with the wonderful Rebecca Luker as Maria, and this song was, thankfully, restored). In the show, it's a song with the Captain, Max, & the Baroness, and it's just before the Captain & Baroness call off their engagement. The Lonely Goatherd was used as the song to calm down the children during the thunderstorm in the show. My Favorite Things was sung with Maria & the Mother Superior when they were discussing the idea that Maria leave the Abbey for a while to be the new governess for the von Trapp family.

[made_in_canada]

I went to see the movie yesterday and was completely blown away by it. Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Eddie Redmayne, and Samantha Barks were phenomenal. I've never seen Les Mis before in any form though so I have nothing to compare it to. Some of the close ups were a little much but overall I was very impressed. Many tears flowed, and even my mom who rarely likes any movie really enjoyed it.

[Spareoom]

I don't mean to disagree that she might be purposefully playing up the hardships of the Les Mis role in an effort to get critical award nominations, but it is possible that there might be other reasons to talking about one role and not the other. How do you think it looks to the public to have an already thin actress go on and on about how much weight she had to lose in order to fit into a sexy spandex suit? At least for Fantine, she's SUPPOSED to be ill and starving. For that, it's just her craft. For Catwoman, it's the ultimate proof of a society that has placed too many expectations on women on how their body is supposed to look. It's horrible PR.

But anyway, I'm sure both reasons are correct.

[Dancer247]

I saw this on Christmas Day and I LOVED it!!! I'm a huge fan of the musical, seen it twice, own both the 10th and the 25th on DVD and know pretty much every single note. I was very nervous about the movie not living up to my expectations, so I tried to go in with an open mind. None of the changes really bothered me, and some I actually loved, including adding the bishop (Colm!!) to Valjean's death and how Eponine dies (saving Marius like the book).

I expected Anne Hathaway and Samantha Barks to be great, and they both absolutely were, but the big standout to me was Eddie Redmayne as Marius! Great singing and acting, and I think his version of "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" may become my new favorite (sorry Michael Ball, I still love you!) Javert is one of my favorite characters, but I had very low expectations for Russell Crowe and I really didn't end up hating his performance at all. I had higher expectations for Hugh Jackman and while I thought he did a great job overall, he did seem to struggle with some of the higher register singing. Loved Carter and Cohen as the Thenardiers and also thought Amanda Seyfried was a lovely Cosette.

Overall I loved the film way more than I expected, I laughed, cried, and sang, and can't wait to see it again! My biggest gripe is that they cut so much Bamatabois, since his opener ("here's something new, I think I'll give it a try...") is one of my favorite parts of the show!

[Lynn226]

I just purchased the soundtrack for $5 on Amazon.

[kwanfan1818]

Thanks, Wyliefan and pastaskatefan!

[cruisin]

I was looking at the movie sound track album. It doesn't have all of the songs on it. Is "Fantine's Death" in the movie? I actually like that better than "I Dreamed a Dream".

[chipso1]

Just got back from "Les Mis" -- my first time seeing it. I thought it was incredibly well done!

However, after all the hype, I thought Anne Hathaway was just "ok."

The two standouts for me were Hugh Jackman and Eddie Redmayne. I thought Eddie was perfect as Marius and, IMO, he definitely deserves an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor!

Samantha Barks was a fabulous Eponine. "A Little Fall of Rain" got me, big time. :

Overall, a great film!

[PRlady]

I have never seen Les Miz on Broadway or in any other way except the high school production my daughter was in -- a very good one, but still high school. I was really looking forward to the movie.

On one hand, it made me cry five different times. I needed more Kleenex. However, I cry at movies really easily (and not in real life) and even when I was crying I knew I was being emotionally exploited by the story and the songs.

The acting was quite good and Hathaway and the girl who played Eponine were the best.

The directing was just abysmal. All closeups or huge, panoramic shots, no camera movement during songs and some really awkward angles. What was he thinking? And where was Baz Luhrman or Rob Marshall when we needed them? And Russell Crowe, call your agent and tell him he's fired.

So a mixed bag and my eyes really hurt.