Movie: Les Miserables: 10th Anniversary Concert

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 9

Genre: Classic, musical

Length: About 2 ½ hours

Based on: Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

Year it came out: 1995

My overall opinion: Well, first of all, note that this really wasn’t a movie. It was a concert, and had very little acting – a few face expressions, occasional bits of moving around. But ultimately, a concert. Music was the entire point. And yet somehow…I managed to sit and enjoy it for a full 2 ½ hours! Most remarkable. So, here’s my evaluation. :)

I preferred Hugh Jackman’s What Have I Done?. His voice was stronger and I preferred it. However, the bad guy (you know, the one who throws out Fantine) was pretty good in this. His face expressions were great, and his voice was good too! At The End of the Day was also well done.

I wasn’t much of a fan of the Fantine (Ruthie Henshall) in this version…well, specifically of her hair. She had long blond hair. However, her voice was stunning – a little deeper than Anne’s, which I liked. When she sang I Dreamed a Dream I was especially impressed. She did a great job, and I preferred her version over Anne Hathaway’s.

 

The song Lovely Ladies was also very expressive. Always good. I really liked Fantine and Valjean’s conversation when he saved her after the lovely ladies scene. It was pretty neat!

Okay, I admit – this Javert (Philip Quast) has almost as good a voice as my favorite Javert, Russell Crowe. And Valjean (Colm Wilkinson) did an excellent job on Who Am I?. Most impressive! Cosette as a child was okay, though in Castle on a Cloud, I preferred the new Cosette’s whispered line of “I love you” to this girl’s sung one.

Madame Thenardier (Jenny Galloway) was one of my favorite parts of this particular production. She was downright fearsome, with the perfect voice and face expressions. She would strike fear into anyone’s heart! And Messieur Thenardier (Alun Armstrong) was also amazing. He was very wiggly (delightful since many stood so still and with such boring faces) and quite perfect for the part. In fact, they were both perfect for their parts – absolutely awful! Also, sidenote, Armstrong was the one actor I was familiar with – he’s been in a ton of Dickens’ movies.

Young Gavroche (Adam Searles) has an amazing accent – how does one so young get one like that?! His solo when Javert is captured especially brought that accent out. The Barricade Boys’ Song was also pretty amazing – all I wrote down about it was “Wow.”

Javert’s Stars was very good, though I still slightly prefer Russell Crowe’s.

Enjolras! LOVE that voice. Oh my word. I basically spent every bit of his singing in a dead faint. Red & Black was SO good. I was super impressed. Unfortunately, I ended up with no strong feeling on Marius – or perhaps that’s good. He had a good voice, but I preferred Enjolras’. Then again, his was so stunning that it really isn’t fair to compare them.

As to Cosette (Judy Kuhn) and her voice…she was great! I loved her voice as well. Now, if we could put her into the 2012 movie with the looks of the 1998 girl…perfection! She did a stunning job on Heart Full of Love. And Eponine (Lea Salonga)! I was ready for anything after the cruel disappointment of her being entirely gone from the 1998 version. But here? Hooray! She was an adorable girl. I like the Asian look! I do prefer Samantha Barks, but it would take so much to beat her…this girl was great.

One Day More earned itself a heart on my paper! It was very good and a favorite from this show. Unfortunately, On My Own was not as memorable, though I loved how much Eponine was singing out with her whole heart. And then of course, there was A Little Fall of Rain. Let’s just say that this scene brought me to tears. For real. I can’t imagine what a total wreck I would’ve been if I’d actually gone to this concert. The fact that I cried over it? Means it was WELL-DONE.

Enjolras comforting Marius over Eponine’s death was so sweet. I loved that Marius actually showed how deeply he was affected by the death – I don’t think he does quite so much in other versions.

I liked Drink With Me and Bring Him Home was lovely! And then there was a lovely flute solo (or some such instrument) after the massacre at the barricades.

As to Javert’s Suicide…I wrote two things. “Impressive. WOW.” It was good. Really good. I mean, people killing themselves is always bad – but this song? And how well it was done? Very good.

There was some song about turning through the years…I rather enjoyed that as well! And then Empty Chairs and Empty Tables sung by Marius was also stunning. It was nice to have an opinion about him for once! The A Heart Full of Love reprisal by Cosette and Marius and Valjean was most delightful!

And then the whole ending…again, just wow. Do You Hear the People Sing was awesome again. A great finale. And then! Don’t stop watching just because they all begin applauding! No, I forbid you to stop there! Keep watching it’s worth it.

You see, after lots of applause, 17 Valjeans from around the world come up. 17 different Valjeans, 17 countries. And then! They sing Do You Hear the People Sing with each of them singing a line. And it all blends together seamlessly. I was so impressed!

So. Watch to the end. I also found it rather nice to have the English subtitles. There’s also a version with Spanish subtitles, which is what I watched for the first ½ until discovering the English version. Since I neither read nor speak Spanish…those were of no help. Yay for English!

In conclusion…a good concert with some good actors and some great voices. Watch it if you have an empty afternoon ahead of you!

 

Want to watch it and form your own opinions? It's easy, since it's on YouTube! Here you go:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAVrm3wjzq8

Movie: Les Miserables

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 8 high

Genre: Classic, life

Primary actors: Liam Neeson, Claire Danes, Uma Thurman, Geoffery Rush, Hans Matheson

Length: Almost 2 ½ hours

Based on: Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

Time period: 1800s

Year it came out: 1998

My overall opinion: So much fun to see another version of “Les Miserables”! There were a few aspects about this one that I really enjoyed, at least as much as or more than in the newer 2012 film. Here we go, in no particular order – and don’t worry, this shouldn’t be too long. :)

Of course, Liam Neeson as Jean Valjean was a highlight. And he was great! His voice was the best part, for sure. However, he did a good job as Valjean. In my opinion, not quite as impressive as Hugh Jackman, but still good.

Then Uma Thuramn was Fantine, and here I’ve gotta admit that I probably preferred Anne Hathaway. One good thing about this film was that for the most part it wasn’t quite as explicit as the 2012 version. However, there was one version in which she was virtually naked – something good to know before watching. Yeah, pretty sure I did prefer Anne in the part – Anne was very convincing.

Let’s see, then there was Cosette. I preferred her by quite a bit in this film! Claire Danes acted her here. Random fact time: I had seen her a few days before in “Temple Grandin,” where she did an amazingly believable job acting an autistic girl. Btw, that’s a good film. :) Anyway. I thought she did a lot better in the role than Amanda Seyfried, and liked her just as a person much better. Her voice was nice.

Eponine! Or lack thereof. Apparently she appears in one brief scene as a child, but I really wish she’d been in here as an adult. Because as you know, I really liked her in the 2012 film, where she was acted by Samantha Barks. I missed her a lot here! She has an important part in the Marius and Cosette story, and I missed that.

Before we move on, let me mention one more actor – Geoffrey Rush as Javert. I know my sweet friend Rissi prefers him over Russell Crowe (and she prefers this whole film over the other), but me? I liked Russell Crowe a lot better. One reason? RC’s voice is so deep and absolutely awesome. This guy had an anger and ken for revenge that was very understandable (did I use that “k” word right?). That being said, I think RC did too.

OOOO. Another actor. Cause we can’t leave him out. Hans Matheson as Marius. What a disappointment! My friend who I watched this with and I thought he looked vampireish for the first part of the movie. And you don’t want the romantic lead to look like a vampire in LesMis, trust me. White face, black hair, and a little rain. Nope, didn’t like him there. I liked him a little better further in, but he was especially awful at the beginning.

So, the sum of my thoughts in the acting… Stick Liam Neeson’s voice on Hugh Jackman (who doesn’t have a bad voice, but LN’s is so awesome…). Keep Anne as Fantine. Move Claire Danes to be Cosette. Ditch Hans Matheson and Geoffery Rush. And get Eponine back.

Rissi mentioned that the 2012 musical is a “pretty” film in terms of quality, sets, etc. Understandable, since it was made almost 15 years later. They’re a little hard to compare since they were made so far apart! I’d say that just for visuals, I much prefer the 2012 film. But that makes sense, so…

Then too there’s the music, or rather, the lack thereof. Because, that’s right, this 1998 movie didn’t have any songs in it. And I missed that! I know, I thought there was a bit much in the 2012 musical, but…I really did miss it here. There are some REALLY good songs. And I’m actually considering taking the 2012 movie up to a rating of 9 instead of 8.5 because of the music which I’ve been listening to constantly ever since. And still loving! So yeah, that was disappointing.

Javert’s suicide…it was a little strange in this one. Valjean just standing there watching? Weird. I “preferred” the one in the other movie.

I think that about sums up my thoughts…good, but not as good. I liked it, and it was worth the $5 I paid for it (yay for $5 bins at Wal-Mart!). I don’t mind watching it again.

Have you read my review of the 2012 Les Miserables yet? If not, now would be a good time! :)

Song: On My Own

Singer: Samantha Barks aka Eponine

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 9.5

From the movie: Les Miserables

Length: 3:12

My overall opinion: Ever since seeing Les Mis, I’ve known I’d have to review some of the songs. I ended up considering four songs before settling on this one…my original favorite. Eponine’s vocals on this are absolutely amazing! I can, and have, listened again and again. I love the beginning…quiet, elegant almost. Very believable. Then slowly it grows…shining pavement is sung of. Trees full of starlight. This is such a pretty part! And then she acknowledges it’s just her imagination and the music really swells…still somewhat softly though. Then, oh, she says it! She loves him! And I love that part. But then the river's just a river again…she is sad. I love in the movie that a stranger walks by at the perfect part. And yes, I know it was deliberate. And now she sings strong and loud of loving him. A climax! And then a dramatic drop in tone…she’s crying. And the end. Yes, I know that’s all disjointed. I’m typing as I listen. Sorry! But there you go. I love this song so much! Listen below.

Guest Post By Eva - Les Miserables {the barricade boys}



"They declared themselves the friends of the ABC..."

{note: most of this post will be referring to Les Miserables, the book.  just want to make that clear so that somebody who has seen the movie but not read the book will know that I know what I'm talking about :)} 

They are known as the Les Amis de ABC. Or 'the students'. Or 'the insurgents/rebels'. Or the barricade boys. Enjolras. Combeferre. Courfeyrac. Je(h)an Prouvaire. Bossuet. Bahorel. Joly. Feuilly. Grantaire. These are, in my opinion, the true heroes of Les Mis...and I'm here today to discuss my favorites (although, really, I love them all).



Enjolras comes first on the list. Naturally. He's amazingly awesome and also, as a friend of mine said, the Master Of Epicness. Even his name is epic :) And there are lots and lots of reasons why he's my favorite...he pulls all these different boys together, all with different interests and skills, into one group (in fact, Victor Hugo refers to the Amis as a family). He bears a huge responsibility on his shoulders - starting a revolution is never easy.

One of the times I really admired him was near the end of the last battle, when all the defenders are making a last stand and he lets the other volunteers make it to 'safety' inside a wine shop (actually, it wasn't safe at all but it did gain them a few more minutes). He covers all of them with only a short, cut off, broken sword and still makes it in there. And once he's inside, he said, "We must sell our lives dearly" and I broke down (not that I wasn't crying already).

Enjolras is also incredibly handsome (not a requirement for a hero, but it certainly doesn't hurt). And the fact that he dies in an epic way is heartbreaking and awesome at the same time..."Enjolras, pierced by eight bullets, remained leaning against the wall, as though the balls had nailed him there. Only his head was bowed." *bursts into tears for the umpteenth time* Of course, in the movie, he falls backwards out of the window, red flag streaming down.

 

Now we get to my personal favorite (after Enjolras, of course) - Je(h)an Prouvaire.  Just let me explain about his name first.  His real name is Jean Prouvaire but all his friends call him Jehan so that's what I'll be doing throughout this post :)  Since I consider myself a friend.

 

Jehan writes poetry. He's in love (although we never find out who he's in love with). He likes flowers and being outdoors and he dresses badly.  He's a really sweet guy who doesn't like violence but he's not a coward...in fact, Victor Hugo describes him as fearless and I'll be getting to that in a moment.  He's also really shy and he knows four different languages.

 

But Jehan is fearless.  How do I know this?  His death scene, peoples.  It's just as heroic and heartbreaking as Enjolras' death.  After the first attack, Enjo takes the roll call and Jehan is missing - but he's not among the dead or wounded so they conclude (rightly) that he's been taken prisoner.  By this time, the students have captured Javert so Combeferre goes up to Enjolras and says, "How set are you on the death of this spy?" and Enjolras answers, "Very...but not so much as on the death of Prouvaire."  Combeferre says that he'll go and bargain with the soldiers - Jehan for Javert...and then they hear the rattle of guns coming from the end of the alleyway and Jehan calls out "Long live France!  Long live the future!" and then they cut him down.

 

The first couple of times I skimmed through read the book, I didn't know that Jehan was one of the main body of the barricade boys so I didn't get what was so important about his death.  But then I backtracked and read all about him and then I understood.  A friend of mine told me that he gets bayoneted in the back in the movie.  And who can forget the heartwrenching scene when Combeferre tries to get Jehan to safety but the people inside the houses close their doors to them?

 

That's Jehan.  This picture breaks my heart.  In about a hundred places.

 

And here's Jehan again...only he's fighting this time :)  I can't tell you how excited I am to see him on screen.  Um, am I just using this post as an excuse to put up Jehan pictures?  No.  I am not.  Well...maybe a little ;)

In the film, Combeferre is
played by Killian Donelly
who played
Enjolras on the West End.
 He was an amazing Enjolras.

Combeferre is almost tied with Jehan for my second favorite Les Amis.  He's Enjo's right hand man and is spoken of as being 'the guide' and he really does guide all the other students.  I always like to think of him as a father figure to the entire group and this is really brought out in the film in the way he tries to protect the other boys, even in his final moments (more on that in a little bit).

Combeferre is a bookworm (like me!) and he's constantly think of ways to make the world a better place.  He's always open to new ideas and I think one of the reasons he and Enjolras are such good friends is because he complements Enjolras.  Enjo has a passionate fighting spirit and high ideals while Combeferre is more down to earth and compassionate.

There's a scene in the book where Enjolras is telling everybody that some of them should go home, that they shouldn't stay...but everyone wants to stay.  And Combeferre stands up and gives a tear-your-heart-out speech in which he reminds the men about their families and friends that are waiting for them.  And the book mentions that he has a mother waiting for him to come back...and he never did.

In the book, the final battle is winding down to a dramatic, horrible close.  All the students have been killed.  Except Combeferre, Grantaire and Enjolras (if you're wondering why I haven't mentioned Marius at all in this post, the reason is - he's not one of the students  but just so you know, he's still alive when this scene comes around).  Combeferre is helping a wounded soldier, one of the enemy, to safety.  His reward?  He's stabbed three times through with a bayonet and dies.  I hated Victor Hugo when I read that.

In the film, Enjolras, Combeferre, Courfeyrac and Joly are in a room and the guns crack...and they all fall except Enjolras.  When saw a screencap of the moment just before the guns go off, I cried.  Why?  Look at the way Combeferre has his arm in front of Joly.  He's trying to protect the other students even when he knows they're about to die.

Look at their faces...especially Combeferre's.  He's really, really scared and hurt.  It makes me hurt inside.

And here's Courfeyrac right after Gavroche is shot and Combeferre is comforting him.

 

Courfeyrac.  He's at the heart of the barricade boys, their centre, their rock.  He befriends Marius, even though he knows virtually nothing about him and offers to lend him money (which Marius refuses), helps him get a job, a place to stay, etc.  He's also an invaluable friend to Enjolras and basically to all the others students as well.

No details are given about his death...merely the sentence, "Courfeyrac died." but something happens much later on in the book.  A rough paraphrase...

"You had a friend, didn't you?" Marius' grandfather asked.

"Well...there was Courfeyrac."

"What happened to him."

"He's dead."

"Ah, well."

And that is all.  But the loss of Courfeyrac can never be fully explained and certainly not by those few words.  In the film, he and Gavroche have an adorable friendship - sort of like father and son - and his reaction to Gavroche's death (I saw little clip) is the most gutwrenching thing I have ever seen.  And the way he tries to scramble over the barricade to rescue Gavroche while he's being shot at...no. words.

His face...

And finally...a few words about Grantaire.  I don't even know why I like Grantaire.  He's ugly (at least in the book - casting seems to have ignored the book in this matter).  He drinks (a lot), he annoys Enjolras (to put it lightly) and he sleeps through the entire barricade attack (because he's so drunk).  But his biggest face palm moment was probably this...

 

Enjolras sent each student to a different place to rouse up the people.  There was one place that he had no one that could go because Marius had stopped coming around to the Cafe Musian.  So Grantaire offered his services and after a short time, Enjolras agreed to give him a trial.  Grantaire left.  A little while later, Enjolras, walking back from where he had given his speech, decided to drop by the place where Grantaire was supposed to be rousing up the people and found him...gambling and drinking.  Enjolras didn't say anything and Grantaire didn't notice him but...that is my least favorite Grantaire moment.

 

But he redeems himself by the end of the final battle by dying with Enjolras.  He might have been able to make it out of there alive but instead he choose to sacrifice himself to the cause and die with Enjolras.  And that is one reason why I like him so much.  And also, in the musical he really has a great relationship with Gavroche (not the movie, the musical).  Oh, and I forgot to mention that he hero-worships Enjolras.  Big time.  Enjo is not very impressed however and I must say, I don't quite like the way he treats Grantaire at times...anyway.  Moving on...(don't worry, I'm almost finished ;)

 

This post wouldn't be complete without mentioning the four other barricade boys who I love but didn't quite make it onto my list.  Joly (a hypochondriac), Feuilly (to whom I give major kudos for teaching himself how to read and write), Bahorel (always ready for a fight) and Bousset (the oldest of the Les Amis - 25 - and completely bald.  He's my brother's favorite character).

 

Do you hear the people sing?
Singing the song of angry men.
It is the music of a people who will not be slaves again.
When the beating of your heart, echoes the beating of the drums,
There is a life about to start when tomorrow comes!

 

 



**********

 

Hi there!  My name is Eva and I'm so glad that Charity invited me to guest post today - I can tell you that it's been a lot of fun :)  I'm a daughter of the King and a homeschooled student. Living life to the fullest as a proud Janeite, avid reader, aspiring author, Les Miserables fan, and computer geek.  Be sure to check out my blog, Ramblings Of A Janeite...until next time!

Movie: Les Miserables

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 8.5…I think…

Genre: Classic, musical, life, adventure

Primary actors: Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, Russell Crowe

Length: Just over two and a half hours

Based on: Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

Time period: 1800s (early, possibly with a touch of 1700s)

Year it came out: 2012

My overall opinion: I didn’t know what I would think of it going in. I was 75% sure it wouldn’t be my new favorite movie – I like happy movies, and I knew (even without knowing the story line) that LesMis wasn’t. But it was a chance to hang out with two of my best friends for an evening, while seeing a movie that a lot of people were saying was really good…so I went.

What did I think? I’m still not sure, as you can see by my rating. Some of it was amazing…some I didn’t like nearly so much. But overall, I am not opposed to seeing it again someday.

Warning: if you haven’t seen it yet, please don’t read this review. I’m awful about spoilers. Watch it first, then read this. Please skip to the bottom and look for the blue font to see my warnings and overall impression -- should you see it?

Now that we have that done with…and you’d better not be reading anymore now if you haven’t seen it!

On to my opinions. They are an utterly random assortment of the thoughts I remembered after the movie. So if you have something in mind I didn’t mention…ask me. Oh, also? I haven’t (this is embarrassing) read the book. Really. And right now? I do not have time for a book that size. But someday, when my life slows down a bit (does it ever do that again?) I will read it. Promise.

Other warning: this is turning out to be super long, probably the longest review I’ve ever written…skim as needed. And comment. As you read. :) I will reply! 

NOW. As stated, no order. Opening scene! Fascinating. Amazing. Unbelievable. That big boat being towed with pure man-power into a gigantic dock? I didn’t think they built docks that size in the 1800s. Or boats. Ummm, ships. Either way. That scene…I really liked it. A lot. Incidentally, the song there was also amazing…Look Down.

Before I continue, let me take a quick side-track about the music. Point 1: I know it’s supposed to be a musical. Point 2: I loved some of the songs, and they’re still running through my head – impressive. Point 3 (aka the Clincher): I thought there was too much singing. Every time I turned around…there was another song. Not that I was literally turning around…but, well, you know what I mean. For me, the songs got old after a bit. That being said, as stated, I really liked some of them! I’ll come to more on that presently.

There were six (count ‘em, six) dramatic deaths. Like I mentioned, I’m a happy movie person. Bright, cheerful, everybody happy, and not too much stupid romantic drama. So deaths really aren’t my thing! And these! I’ll say more about the rating presently, but I’d say the film definitely earned its PG-13 rating. It did end up feeling like person after person was keeling over dead…or falling to their death…or being shot…but I understand that that’s the way the book goes and the movie must, of course, follow the book – I wouldn’t wish it otherwise.

My favorite female? Nope, not Anne Hathaway. In fact, Fantine  really wasn’t a favorite character for me. Stop! Side-track. We’re going to talk about her and her character right here, right now, before we get to my favorite girl. I’m afraid I wasn’t exceptionally fond of Anne as Fantine. Admittedly, I don’t know what Fantine is supposed to be like, having no prior experience of the story…hmmm. Anne has a lovely voice, to be sure, but…I think her personality, her character, they’re meant for light flitty films. Her as a heavy tragic character? For me, it didn’t really work. As to her singing I Dreamed a Dream…well, we’ll come to that. (I made a list and am mostly going by that. ;)

Anyway, favorite female. Was Eponine. Yup. For some reason, I really liked her…which sounds weird. I guess I connected a lot better with her than with Fontaine. Her song, On My Own, was amazing. Possibly my favorite in the whole movie. And she was my favorite character! I don’t know what it was about her… But anyway. She was awesome, I thought. Her smile is so sweet! Even though she really is a tragic character, I suppose.

Randomly, I wasn’t very fond of Cosette either. As a child, yes, I liked her. Sweet voice, sweet girl. But once she grew up…I think she mostly just bugged me, somehow. Equally randomly, the whole scene under the city was amazing. And disgusting. Because sewage is. But equally amazing. That huge complex…wow. This scene, like the opening one, fascinated me. And also randomly, because this paragraph is the random one…those guns? Wow. Scary. My first thought when I saw them shot was “Ummm…dangerous! Those guns are dangerous!” Now, I’m not one of those most unfortunate people who has a fear of guns – on the contrary, I own one and enjoy shooting. No, that thought was because they fire and fire quite literally goes everywhere! Very dangerous. And I’m glad I wasn’t shooting one. And that thought…it made me smile. Because the second part was that “someone’s going to get hurt!” Which was kinda the whole purpose of those guns in the first place…

This…is really long. I wasn’t expecting to be quite this wordy. But I have days when I can rattle off an entire book without thinking twice – today, for example. ;)

My other favorite characters? I take that back. They weren’t favorites, not really. But I, again, was fascinated! They were most interesting, intriguing too. Know who I mean yet? That’s right, Cosette’s evil and scheming guardians, Messieur and Madame Thenardier. They were unbelievable. And dreadful. And very interesting. I loved…that’s not the right word. I thought it was really cool how they stole from everyone. I mean, it was awful, to be sure…but also really cool.

I did really like the two young patriots, Marius and Enjorlas...pretty awesome guys! :) And I did include these few lines just so I could include a picture.

And now! A few paragraphs about the songs. Firstly, the one song I knew going into this film…I Dreamed a Dream. As y’all ought to know, Susan Boyle had great success with this one a few years back. Remember? If you don’t, go look it up and listen. To be quite frank, I definitely prefer Susan’s version over Anne’s. In all fairness, I’ve loved Susan’s for years. But at the same time, I think her voice was perfect it. Rich, strong, vibrant. Anne has a “sweet” voice, much higher and lighter. I didn’t like it much, though Anne did a good job, I admit. I enjoyed the way that the song theme was worked into the movie a few other times…as stated, it was the only song I knew ahead, so my ears recognized it each time. :) I also “enjoyed” the extra verse added…extra only because Susan doesn’t sing that part.

The whole Lovely Ladies song and scene…most memorable. Quite horrible, really, when you think about it…not in film terms, but just the conditions that they’re in. And what’s going on. But I don’t think you’ll find yourself forgetting it anytime soon! Rather disturbing. I can’t imagine how much work the film-makers put into that sequence. Incidentally? Some of that was way too disgusting for me. Just saying. (I’m referencing the teeth-pulling…more about everything else presently.)

Two more songs I want yet to mention. The first is One Day More. Wow. That scene was just plain cool. Was it just me, or did pretty much the entire cast get to sing parts of that? It was so neat to see everyone that way! At the same time, I did find it a little disconcerting…all these people, all different places, all singing this song? I know, I know, that’s what musicals do…still bugged me.

The second song to mention is Do You Hear the People Sing? And THAT is the song that has been stuck in my head ever since. It’s catchy. And sad. And amazing. [[Addition: 24 hours after writing this, as I quickly read over to proof it…just reading the title starts the song in my head! THAT is the sign of a good song.]] [[Other addition: At the End of the Day...it's more enjoyable every time I listen to it.]]

Now, the touchy topics…the PG-13 content. Like I said earlier, there was quite enough to earn it a PG-13 rating, I thought. Many of the dresses had extremely low necklines (no doubt accurate for the period and country and people) and there was some other stuff of that sort as well…I’d really rather not talk about it, so just go HERE to read about it on IMDB. And then there was also the gore aspect…the producers didn’t skimp on the blood and gore and violence content. So be warned – this time period was very violent, and this movie portrays it clearly. Be careful.


I have completed my list! All this, by the way, was written in just under 45 minutes. :) Not counting the editing, videos, or pictures. Which I’ll add later. Oh, random note...I just barely made it without any crying -- BARELY. My eyes were wet for the last scene...but my makeup (which I had forgotten that I wasn't going to wear) was intact.

Finally, Les Mis fans, you'll want to check out the fancy photos taken for Vogue! There are only eight, but they're awesome. Go here.

My overall opinion for those of you who haven't seen it yet? Worth watching, but use caution. Not for young viewers, or the faint of heart. Overall, I liked it in most parts and if you've enjoyed the book, this movie/musical is worth a try. :)
 

Back to you. If you've seen it, what did you think? Love it, hate it, not sure? What else do you want my opinion on? What did you disagree with my thoughts on? Have you posted your review yet? (I’d love to see it…leave me a link and I’ll come read it) Comment, sil vous plait!

Song: I Dreamed a Dream

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 10

Singer: Susan Boyle

Type of music: I don't know.

From the movie: I think it's from Les Miserables, but I haven't seen that, so.

Length: 3:10

Lyrics: But tigers come at night; with their voices soft as thunder; as they tear your hope apart; and they turn your dream to shame.

My overall opinon: I love this song! Susan Boyle is great. Actually, it's Susan's voice I love, not the words so much. Her voice is amazing at the part for which I included lyrics.