Les Miserables - The Verdict

Les Miserables

- Do you hear the people sing?

Rating: ***1/2

Cast: Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Russell Crowe, Amanda Seyfried, Eddie Redmayne, Sacha Baron Cohen, Helena Bonham Carter, Samantha Barks

Director: Tom Hooper

Victor Hugo’s epic masterpiece, Les miserables has visited theatres time and again but never was it so impudently and stunningly portrayed on 70mm as it does this time. The King’s Speech director, Tom Hooper gives us a heart-warming film enriched with stupendous scores and incredible performances.

Set in 19th century Paris, Les Miserables, more ambitious than Chicago or Mamma Mia!, is a sprawling tale of love, idealism and sacrifice. Story is centred around Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman) who serves 19 years in prison for stealing a loaf of bread before he escapes and reinvents himself as a textile merchant and mayor of a small French town. Pursued relentlessly by a compulsive policeman Javert (Russell Crowe), Jean Valjean can never rest.

This movie benefits primarily due to its implausible casting and magnificent sound mixing. The actors sang live in front of camera and the sound mixing crew and the make-up gave the film the “realness” it required to convey the emotions perfectly. Hugh Jackman as our protagonist fits in picture perfect in a role of a lifetime. Anne Hathaway as the doomed factory girl delivers a deeply moving performance with astonishing song-and-expression match-up. Russell Crowe and other supporting cast were impressive in their parts as well.

The direction was inventive and the stage musical feel was never ditched while transposing the novel to screen. Les Miserables takes a long ride through its impressive set-pieces and fine-looking costumes but at the end of 90 mins, it starts to feel a little too long and exhausting.

Nonetheless, Les Miserables binds you to its characters from start to finish and you’ll end up feeling for every character. Jean’s agony, Javert's obsession, Fantine’s desperation and her pain, Cosette and Marius’ love, ambition and anger of the rebels, and every other emotion in you. I’m going with 3 and a half stars for Tom Hooper’s Les Miserables. Go with patience and you’ll be rewarded.

- Varun Charan