Mariah Proctor wrote a very thoughtful review of Les Miserables a couple of days ago that you should definitely check out. I thought I’d throw my two cents in, as I’ve seen a lot of debate on social media as to whether the film’s strongly Christian themes compensate for several “inappropriate moments.” Of course, there’s also passionate discussion about whether those moments are truly inappropriate, or whether they serve the purpose of contrasting the misery and emptiness of sin with the peace and hope of virtue. Should you see Les Mis in theaters, or will you wait to watch it on Clearplay or to get an edited DVD? I won’t make the decision for you, but hopefully my review will help you to make up your mind.
LES MISERABLES REVIEW (GRADE: A-)
This is as great a film version of the stage musical Les Miserables (based on the inspired novel by Victor Hugo) as likely could be made; what flaws it has are carried over from the stage production. With numerous story threads (the novel is immense) crammed into 2 hours and 40 minutes, the film moves at a surprisingly steady clip. This is both a blessing and a curse: a few of the songs are either truncated or omitted and the pacing is such that the film moves from one big song to the next, with little transition or time to let the story breathe. It occasionally feels repetitive and some plot points seem to appear almost out of nowhere. Fortunately, the songs are marvelous, the acting is superb, and the tale of compassion, charity, and redemption through Christ is as powerful as ever.
Though the cast is a large ensemble, the success or failure of Les Miserables rests squarely on the broad shoulders of Hugh Jackman in the lead role of Jean Valjean, a convict in 1800’s France who breaks parole in order to escape his past. Jackman, best known to mainstream audiences as Wolverine from the X-men films, is also a Tony-award winning Broadway performer with ample experience in musicals. I knew he could sing, but I wasn’t prepared for the level of raw emotion he taps into with his commanding and superlative performance. He’s brilliant here, a sure lock for a Best Actor nomination.
Anne Hathaway also stuns in the brief, but crucial, supporting role of Fantine, an impoverished single mother who takes up prostitution to provide for her daughter. Delivered in one agonizingly beautiful take, her rendition of “I Dreamed a Dream” may be the most heart-wrenching moment of the year.
The rest of the cast acquit themselves well. As young Cosette, the daughter of Fantine who Valjean raises as his own, Isabelle Allen is perfectly cast, eliciting empathy from the audience immediately with her rendition of “Castle on a Cloud.” Amanda Seyfried (Mama Mia) plays Cosette later as a young woman. Though she sounds a bit like Snow White, she does fine. Her romance with the young revolutionary Marius (trembling tenor Eddie Redmayne) is rushed and doesn’t earn the importance it is supposed to carry, but that was also true of the play.
Sacha Baron Cohen (Hugo) and Helena Bonham Carter (Harry Potter) have terrific comedic timing as the manipulative, pocket-picking Thernadiers, though their signature song, “Master of the House,” is a crass and vulgar (albeit catchy) showstopper that has always seemed out of place in this virtuous and decidedly Christian story. All good morality tales have to portray evil to contrast it with good, and the Thernadiers, along with the glamour-free and sad depiction of prostitution as society’s underbelly, serve that very purpose.
Colm Wilkinson, who originated the role of Jean Valjean in London and on Broadway, returns here nearly 30 years later, now as the elderly bishop who sets Valjean on the path of redemption through Jesus Christ. In addition to being a nice treat for Les Mis fans, Wilkinson is perfectly cast as the man of God, his voice and demeanor the very embodiment integrity and love. It is to the film’s enormous credit that it doesn’t dilute the story’s spirituality. Director Tom Hooper explained “You have to tell this story from the point of view that God exists, and what God means in practice is the act of compassion, the struggle of living your life in a moral way” (read the whole article here). That’s something that believers and nonbelievers alike can respond to.
The wardrobe and sets are first-rate, and while some have complained about director Tom Hooper’s overuse of close-ups, long takes, and low-angle shots, none of these bothered me. The film was quite lovely to look at, with judicious and gorgeous use of visual effects. All told, Les Miserables is a grand musical drama that balances an epic scale with intimate characterizations. It should delight fans and win over newcomers.
MESSAGES TO DISCUSS: Charity is the pure love of Christ; it is displayed in patience, kindness, humility, compassion, and forgiveness, and those who are possessed of it can face death with confidence and peace (1 Corinthians 13:4-8; Moroni 7:45-47). Love leads to a forgiveness of sins (Luke 7:47; 1 Peter 4:8). No matter your past, you can change and be a better person (Isaiah 1:18).
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