Les Misérables (2012)

Top comments

1. 

   God

   I felt like I was celebrating my 80th birthday by the end of this movie. 11 years 3 months ago
2. 

   neocowboy

   Awful lot of bitching in these comments. There's a plethora of adaptations to choose from, they churn them out like twice a decade. I'm sure this will be at least in the top 3 nonetheless.
   
   I'm not learned in the ways of music but it's not exactly like the cast are like drunken karaoke night at your local.
   
   As for direction and cinematography, it may not be as good as we have come to know Hooper for but at least you're still getting an experience you can't get from the theatre.
   
   I hate to admit it but Hathaway steals the show. 10 years 11 months ago
3. 

   CSSCHNEIDER

   I've been a massive Les Mis fan since 1995. I've seen the musical on Broadway 3 times, with three different and amazing casts and once in London with an equally mesmerizing cast. I can recite the song book nearly word for word (and you don't want me to, as my voice is far from acceptable). I've also read the book twice and consider it the finest piece of literature ever written. To please me with a film adaptation is nigh impossible.
   
   Thankfully, Tom Hooper nailed it. His changes are often motivated by adjusting stage principles for the cinema, and then are taken from the source material making this even more accurate to Hugo's text than the show is. Its a hyper intelligent adaptation of both the libretto and novel.
   
   My biggest qualms come from the lensing of the film. While the intensely up close and personal approach to filming the song book is often a huge success (i.e. Anne Hathaway's 'I Dreamed a Dream) other times its disorienting or diminishes the epic quality of group numbers. These problems are minor as the best parts of the film outweigh the faults. Les Mis is a triumph and one of 2012's greatest films. 11 years 4 months ago

Friends