Les Miserables (2012)

Being a Les Mis fan can take many forms. I am one of those who can sing every word, tell you the history of the musical, and who played what in the original London, New York and Australian productions. 

Therefore seeing something so dear to your heart can be a perilous move. But fear not, dear fans, the film has done the musical more than justice, it has taken the show to a new level, different from the stage experience, but more than a great film. It is a moving experience with many award worthy performances. 

Anne Hathaway is the stand out as Fantine, causing the husband to pass me a hanky only half way through her big number. 

Hugh Jackman is perfect as Valjean, although there was some mumbling around the ladies afterwards that his singing wasn't good enough. They have completely missed the point of the different experience that filming close up gives to being on stage in a theatre. 

I have been waiting since the original London production for someone to do the character of Marius justice, as no-one has ever come close to Michael Ball in my opinion, but Eddie Redmayne is fantastic. Also, Russell Crowe does a brilliant job with my favourite character of Javert, his voice is not close to Phillip Quast, but in this production the intensity of the man is perfectly portrayed by Mr Crowe (nice beard too, Rusty).
  
There is buzz about Hugh Jackman for the award season, but there are several other performances that were fantastic, and that, in a lesser film, would have stood out. I haven't even mentioned Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter............. they were brilliant as well. 

The main thing to remember if you have seen the musical, particularly if you have seen it as many times as me, or listened to the soundtrack as often, that you have to let some of the songs morph to the new medium......... they don't need to be as big in such an intimate rendition.
  
There were no weak performances, and only a couple of niggles that annoyed me. There was a little sound problem during Jackman's solo of "Bring Him Home", Amanda Seyfried is gorgeous as Cosette, but has a really annoying vibrato in her voice, and a camera technique that gives you the claustrophobic feeling of 19th Century France but was a little confronting and could give you a little bit of travel sickness.

Otherwise, the best film I've seen in years. 

5 Orsens out of 5!