I first started blogging on livejournal when I was a sophomore in college...so way back in 2002. My livejournal blog started out largely as a place to rant, as I did a lot of ranting back in those days. It turned into a place to keep in touch with people as well as to write whatever and whenever the urge struck. Then livejournal started slowly dying. The people I was using it to keep in touch with either stopped blogging or moved on to other platforms, and I lost the drive to keep my livejournal current.
I'm thinking that now is the time for me to start a new blog. This one will focus more on social and political commentary and reviews of music, movies, restaurants, etc., but it will also feature the occasional meme, update on my life, and yes, rant/venting. And hopefully I will post at least semi-regularly.
So...welcome!
And to start with, I give you my write up on Les Mis. For some reason, Yahoo Voices, another writing outlet of mine, wouldn't publish this, although they did publish this one of mine. If you think you detect some bitterness there, you would be right. Ahem. Anyway.
Voila:
I’ve been a fan of Les Miserables since I saw the stage musical in 2002 at DC’s National Theater, so I was excited when I heard the movie version would be hitting theaters on Christmas day. Overall, I thought the film, directed by Tim Hooper (The King’s Speech), did the stage version justice and in some cases even improved upon it.
My review will focus largely on casting choices and the actors’ performances. When I first saw the cast list for Les Mis, I thought the choices were suberb, and most performances did not disappoint. There’s a meme going around describing the movie’s plot as “Wolverine vowing to raise Catwoman’s daughter while being hunted down by Gladiator,” and I admit it made me chuckle. Yes, sometimes there is a drawback to casting well-known Hollywood stars who are identified with a particular role. However, the acting abilities of Anne Hathaway, Hugh Jackman et al. outweigh their “big name actor” status for me. Jackman, who has a Broadway background in addition to his film experience, becomes whatever character he plays and was entirely convincing as Les Miserables’ lead, reformed convict Jean Valjean. Anne Hathaway I have typecast in my head as a Disney princess since 2001’s the Princess Diaries, but her outstanding, emotional performance as the tragic Fantine was Oscar-worthy.
Wide-eyed Amanda Seyfried, who showed her singing chops in 2008’s film version of Mamma Mia, was exactly how I pictured the adult Cosette. With all the big name stars, though, I was glad unknowns were chosen to play Marius (Eddie Redmayne) and Eponine (Samantha Barks). Barks especially excelled as Eponine; she has one of the strongest singing voices in the cast and truly delivered both musically and emotionally in her wistful performances of On My Own and A Little Fall of Rain.
There were a few disappointments. Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat) and Helena Bonham Carter (Dark Shadows) provided much-needed comic relief as the sleazy inn-keepers the Thenardiers, but their musical numbers lacked energy. I know both are capable of delivering more, as they did in 2007’s film version of Sweeny Todd.
The biggest letdown for me was Russell Crowe as Javert. I thought his singing voice was weak, but more importantly, he lacked the intensity, self-righteousness and single-minded drive of a man who spends half his life tracking down a man who broke parole after stealing a loaf of bread.
Other notes:
• The movie version of Les Miserables features a new song, “Suddenly.” Sung by Hugh Jackman as Valjean, it is a moving and emotional portrayal of the beginning of his life as father to Cosette. The music and lyrics fit well into the existing Les Mis score, and the song and the scene add a depth to Valjean’s character and relationship with Cosette that was missing from the stage musical.
• Empty Chairs at Empty Tables has to be one of the saddest songs ever written, and Eddie Redmayne as Marius delivers all the mournful intensity it requires.
• In many ways, Les Miserables is ideal for film adaptation. The filmmakers took full advantage of the medium with well-drifted action sequences and sweeping views of Paris from above mixed with more intimate shots of city and village streets.
So, do go see Les Mis, whether you are familiar with the stage musical or not. Next on my list: to read the book.
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