FREE 24601

At long last, the movie version of Les Miserables has been released. The play opened on Broadway in 1987, after having originated in London in 1985. I saw the play in Columbus when it was on its national tour. As I like Hugh Jackman, I was pleased to see that he was portraying Jean Valjean in the movie, and he gave an inestimable performance; Russell Crowe as Javert was superb; the emaciated-looking Anne Hathaway, portraying Fantine, will probably win the Academy Award! Imagine having all of those perfect teeth in 19th century France! (CLICK HERE to see my BLOG article from last year about a guy I knew named Jean Valjean.)

The reviews for Les Miz have bordered on the ecstatic, but I find myself agreeing with David Edelstein's review (see attached); although the movie was technically a well-made movie, I am still "crabby" about it! Edelstein's review mentioned that songs in movies are usually pre-recorded and actors lip-synch to them but, in this movie, the actors are performing the songs in time with the movie. Jackman, the experienced song-and-dance man, is excellent; Crowe gives a yeoman attempt at singing! Hathaway's performing I Dreamed A Dream, completed in one take, was impressive. However, I was the only one in the theater giggling--I detest the song--and make fun of it--my favorite line:

"You play a virgin in the light,
But need no urgin' in the night."

In his review, Edelstein quotes the late Nora Ephron as saying how dreadful the song is! (Of course my late, beloved, Nora would agree with me!) I think that ONLY Nora and I could NOT tolerate hearing that Susan Boyle creature singing that song! I don't watch whatever "reality" show Boyle was on, but after ten people telling me, "You must hear this!", I watched it on YouTube, and then those same people were appalled when I would say it was "dreadful"! I have never understood people becoming upset if one doesn't like what they like, as if it were somehow a reflection of them. Yesterday a friend said she didn't like Springsteen and I laughed and said, "So you're the one!"

By the way, 24601 was Jean Valjean's prison number.

Edelstein: You’ve Got to Admire the Gumption of Les Misérables
Source: vulture.com

The film's tasteless bombardment would, under most circumstances, send audiences screaming from the theater, but the film is going to be a monster hit and award winner, and not entirely unjustly.