By Claire DeRoin– If you missed Les Mis in theaters, now’s your chance to see what the fuss was about.
Les Mis follows the story of Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman) . Valjean stole of a loaf of bread to feed his sister’s child and was arrested by Inspector Javert (Russell Crowe), a law officer obsessed with justice and order. Valjean breaks parole, changes identities and quickly climbs through societal ranks before becoming mayor of a city. Now an upstanding citizen, Valjean is entrusted with the care of a child and must provide for her while running from Inspector Javert. Throughout the film Javert tracks Valjean and feels him slip through his grasp multiple times.
Many other characters are woven into the plot, including Fantine (Anne Hathaway), a woman forced into prostitution, her daughter Cosette (Amanda Seyfried) who grows up to fall in love with student and rebel Marius (Eddie Redmaybe). Also in love with Marius is Eponine (Natalya Angel Wallace), the daughter of the Thenardiers (Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter), who raised Cosette during her early childhood. Connections are key, and Director Tom Hooper does a marvelous job of making the complicated connections from character to character clear.
Les Mis couldn’t have been cast better. Anne Hathaway’s acting, for the short time she appears in the film, makes the three-hour film worth seeing, if nothing else. Her moving performance of “I Dreamed a Dream” will leave viewers with tears.
Jackman looks and sounds simply worn out throughout the film. It may sound like a criticism, but it is exactly what the film calls for. The Valjean character has
Yet be warned: if you aren’t a fan of musicals, this film may not be for you. There is barely any spoken dialogue. Most, if not all, important plot points are delivered through song and recitatives.
Although lengthy, “Les Miserables” is worth every minute. It comes out on DVD this week.
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