Customer Reviews

Les Misérables

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

VIDEO:

‘Les Miserables’ arrives on blu ray with MPEG-4 AVC 1080p 1.85:1 encode. Director Tom Hooper and cinematographer Danny Cohen favour a gritty, and quite often dark, ambience for this film. There is a slow but steady evolution from darkness to light in the film, obviously done intentionally. That means the first part of this film often has a murky, ill defined ambience, though it is to the credit of this high definition presentation that fine detail and shadow detail still remain commendable almost all of the time. Close-ups in fact often offer a staggering amount of fine detail, an aspect which only improves once the film moves into brighter territory. The first half or so of the film has been colour graded fairly aggressively toward the blue end of the spectrum, with the second half imbued with more of a golden amber hue. The blacks are perfectly rendered. Hooper's intended close-ups reveal a ton of fine facial detail: from strained faces, furrowed brows, anguished age lines, pores, facial hair, dirt, scrapes, bruises, and blood. What I like the best is Hooper uses ultra-close-ups on the actors faces as they are belting out their lines. This is something you are rarely privy to when watching a stage play. The sheer distance of the audience from the actors on stage makes it difficult to discern slight facial expressions. Here everything is on display. The grief, the anguish, and the pain. It's all there. It may not be pretty to look at, but it sure gets the story's point across. (4.5/5)

AUDIO:

‘Les Miserables’ comes with an absolutely stellar DTS-HD 7.1 Master Audio track, that truly engulfs the viewer. The weight of the music and the lyrics being belted by the actors is tremendous. The front channels provide a very loud and very clear rendition of the famous songs being sung. Every lyric is crystal clear. The bass is beautifully deep. The deep rumbling of the bass in the opening number is fantastic to hear and feel. One of the best things about this film is the incredibly smart mixing of ambient environmental sounds with the continuing underscore and vocals. This can be rather subtle at times, as with the crash of waves in the opening sequence, or more immediate and apparent, as in the huge barricade sequence. Even the sung elements feature discrete channelization which open the film up aurally and present a well defined sense of space within the frame. Overall, this is an all around spectacular audio experience. The only weak point is Russell Crowe’s singing. However, Anne Hathaway's rendition of 'I Dreamed A Dream' was the highlight, done with lots of feelings and warmth. I have listened to Elaine Paige's, and Susan Boyle's versions, but I like Anne's version the BEST! (5/5)

AWARDS:

2013 Academy Award Winners:
Best Supporting Actress: Anne Hathaway
Best Achievement in Sound Mixing
Best Achievement in Makeup and Hair Styling

2013 Academy Award Nominations:
Best Picture
Best Actor: Hugh Jackman
Best Original Song: Suddenly
Best Achievement in Costume Design
Best Achievement in Production Design

TRIVIA:

‘Les Miserables’ has an estimated budget of $61 million, and its worldwide gross was $429 million.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

I found the entire movie to be an enthralling experience. It isn't without its faults though. Russell Crowe is outmatched by the immense singing talent surrounding him. Anne Hathaway destroys them all though. Her performance alone is worth the money, with the highlight of her singing ‘I Dreamed A Dream.’ With absolutely beautiful video and audio, ‘Les Miserables’ comes highly recommended.

Director Tom Hooper has literally rewritten the book with regards to filming critically and popularly acclaimed musicals like "Les Miserables" in his riveting, excellent cinematic adaptation of one of the world's most beloved musicals, while hewing more closely to the original text of Victor Hugo's novel; it is both a fantastic and magnificent cinematic adaptation of the musical. Hooper gambled that he could film "Les Miserables" by having the actors singing their roles during the actual filming without having them dubbed later in post-production, and not only has it succeeded beyond the expectations of many, it truly feels as though you are hearing a live outdoor performance of "Les Miserables". The cast is superlative starting with Hugh Jackman's compelling portrayal of Jean Valjean, as a conflicted soul trying to escape from his penal past; his singing is exceptional, most notably in his soliloquy "Bring Him Home", hoping the young revolutionary Marais (Eddie Redmayne) escapes from the Paris 1832 student-led uprising, so he can be united with his adopted daughter Cosette (Amanda Seyfried); so too are Anne Hathaway (Fantine) and Russell Crowe (Javert), with Hathaway giving an especially poignant rendition of "I Dreamed A Dream", widely regarded by many as the unofficial "anthem" of "Les Miserables". (Crowe has been condemned by some critics for his singing, but he shows his ability to sing nearly as well as his co-stars, especially towards the end, and offers viewers an emotionally complex portrayal of Javert that remains true to Hugo's depiction of him as a loyal civil servant intent on upholding French law.) Both Sacha Baron Cohen (Thenardier) and Helena Bonham Carter (Madame Thenardier) are especially memorable as the hustlers who are the guardians of the young Cosette (Isabelle Allen) until Valjean steps in, appearing later towards the end of the film, and so too, Colm Wilkinson - the original Jean Valjean in the London and Broadway stage productions - as the Bishop. Along with the excellent cast of actors, the movie features excellent musicianship from the likes of harpist Skaila Kanga and composer/arranger/pianist Anne Dudley, who has contributed additional music to the film score. "Les Miserables" is one of the best cinematic adaptations of a musical I have seen and will be remembered as such for years to come; without question, it is among the best films of 2012.

True to the origional live play but much much bigger in content and special effects not possible on the stage.Thouroughly enjoyable

I don't know why but I couldn't see actor Russel Crowe as a singer although his lips were well synchronized.

What can I say, I love this musical, and if you love this musical you will love this latest version. The acting is incredible, the music moving. Of all the versions I have seen, this is my favorite. I even picked up more in this than I had in any other.

Not watched the DVD yet,but know we are going to enjoy it,as we saw the show at the movies.Seen the theatrical version three times and going again soon.
If you only watch one musical,make it this one.It will blow yo away.Make sure you play it loud.

I watched this at the movie theatre and was entralled by these great actors who could also sing. As a Les Mis fan who has watched every celebration performance I was a ittle dispointed at Russel Crowe's weaker voice, however in watching this movie again at home, He hit every note on pitch and I appreciated his performance far more the second time round. Anne Hathaway was superb and so was Eddie Redmayne. I have always enjoyed his acting roles but had no idea that his voice was this good. His rendition of 'empty chairs at empty tables" bought me to tears! This film is a keeper and well worth watching many times over.

I have loved Les Mis since I was 12 and I will always love it. I was so pleased that they made this movie and love that I can now take it anywhere with me.

This is the best movie I've watched in a good ten years...well worth the time and money I spent on it....will watch again...

Les Miserables- this version for me was truly wonderful- perhaps there are other versions that others may prefer but this one somehow drew me in-- it is the same for me to prefer Carousel over Oklahoma-- probably strictly personal choice-- I think Tom Hooper brought out the best in each performance-- who would I recommend this to- anyone who feels touched by the story.