Les Miserables

Released: 11th January 2013

Directed By: Tom Hooper

Starring: Hugh Jackman, Eddie Redmayne, Anne Hathaway

Certificate: 12a

Reviewed By: Ross Goddard

Right, Let me get this straight, I am not a big fan of musicals at all. I have had no desire to go and see a show in London. Going to see this movie, I decided to keep an open mind, as I did quite like Tim Burton’s film version of “Sweeney Todd”. Tom Hooper, still really quite fresh of the massive success of “The King’s Speech”, was the man to bring Les Mis to the big screen. It very much seems to be the right move for the man.

Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman) is released from prison, but finds life on the outside quite tough, so he breaks his parole to keep get his life moving again. For almost a decade he hunted down by policeman Javert (Russell Crowe). In the mean time he promises to care for a former worker in his factory  Fantine’s (Anne Hathaway) daughter. All in the backdrop of post revolutionary France. The emotions run extremely high..

Where do I start? Well there are some amazing performances here. In a movie that is almost all singing, and live singing, that must have been a massive task in it self. I truly tip my beret to them (see what I did there, I do crack myself up sometimes, with my second rate gags)! The tag of ‘standout’ does really go to Anne Hathaway who creates one, if not the best scene of this monster of a film, when she bellows out the famous “I dreamed a dream”, with such passion, and added tears. I had a quick look around in the cinema and saw a few glassy eyes. I would not be shocked if she cleaned up on the award circuit.

Jackman is no stranger to a musical, so he holds up quite well, and is generally a good actor in my view, there is more to him then Wolverine. Now, maybe the one elephant in the room, what many may address, Mr. Russell Crowe. He has not got the best voice in the world, but he does try his hardest to give a performance, and you can’t knock that really.

I really like Tom Hooper’s style of directing, full of close ups, and emotion packed in. It’s hard to believe this is a man who started off on kids drama “Byker Grove”, which I even remember watching. Boy, does he knows how to grip an audience.

Les Mis, as it is known for short, truly is a force to be reckoned with which I enjoyed highly. Hooper surely has scored his hat trick of box office smashes now. Cue the awards.