Les Miserables

[Umbran]

Hm.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnLSG5t_dc8]Les Miserables - Official Trailer (HD) - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Where are the explosions? Are the aliens in human disguise? What about dinosaurs or robots? Or robot dinosaurs?

What?

NONE of that?

How do they expect to make any money?

 

[Umbran]

Where are the explosions?

Quite a few people do get shot. One of them is a singing moppet. I'm sure some folks will enjoy that

How do they expect to make any money?

I know that depending on an audience that wants quality of art is nigh-unheard of, but in this hard-bitten world, sometimes you just have to take risks.

 

[delericho]

So, the film of the musical of the book? I am aghast.

Seriously, though...

Les Miserables is a great book. The section on the flight through the sewers, in particular, should be required reading for any player thinking of having their character take such a route.

It's also a great musical, although really quite different in parts of the story and where the emphasis lies.

I'm rather concerned that this may be an adaptation too far, though. It's a very long book, and a very long musical (relatively speaking), so I wonder if they won't have had to chop too much to work as a film. I guess we'll see.

Also, an awful lot depends on the two leads. Both the actors for Valjean and Javert must be able to sing, and able to act, and look the part. Jackman can certainly cover the first and the third; Crowe the third (and, when he's on form, the second). But can they hit all three?

And I'm also a little concerned about the high billing given to Anne Hathaway. Fantine is an absolutely key character... for about a third of the running time. If they've been tempted to expand the role for her, they've made a very big mistake. (Strictly speaking, she's also too old to play Fantine, but that's a nitpick.)

So, we'll see. I'll no doubt be going to see this one, and it looks good enough...

 

[Umbran]

Les Miserables is a great book.

I cannot read it in the original French, but in general, it suffers greatly from being produced (as many such stories of the day) as a serial, paid by the word. There are many, many, many words.

It's also a great musical, although really quite different in parts of the story and where the emphasis lies.

Agreed. I don't think they're pretending that this is going to be true to the book, though.

It's a very long book, and a very long musical (relatively speaking)

The full musical typically runs 2 hours, 50 minutes, and that's including the intermission.

By comparison, LotR: Fellowship has a runtime of 178 minutes - just about 3 hours. So, a long movie can be done and still be successful.

Also, an awful lot depends on the two leads. Both the actors for Valjean and Javert must be able to sing, and able to act, and look the part. Jackman can certainly cover the first and the third; Crowe the third (and, when he's on form, the second). But can they hit all three?

Yeah, I was wondering about that. Valjean is supposed to be a man of nigh unparalleled physical strength, even as a middle-aged man. Jackman can play tough, but the bulk isn't there.

And I'm also a little concerned about the high billing given to Anne Hathaway. Fantine is an absolutely key character... for about a third of the running time.

Which makes her a fine highlight for early teasers - her portions are apt to be complete early, and they can pick and choose good cuts. That's important, as IMDB lists the movie as still filming. If they're releasing in December, post-production is gong to be short. Plus, let us face it, that song is iconic and good for trailers.

(Strictly speaking, she's also too old to play Fantine, but that's a nitpick.)

Is she? The actress is only like 30. I read the book a long, long time ago - I don't recall her the character's age being given expressly. And we have 20 and 30 year olds playing high-school students in highly successful TV shows...

As to whether Russell Crowe can sing... well, it looks like he's had a bit of a musical career, too....

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIzxoITH2Hg[/ame]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqhwBr6cyEI[/ame]

 

[delericho]

I cannot read it in the original French, but in general, it suffers greatly from being produced (as many such stories of the day) as a serial, paid by the word. There are many, many, many words.

Actually, my understanding is that that one was published in five volumes, rather than as a serial. Of course, my source for that is wikipedia, so take with a pinch of salt...

You're certainly right that there are a great many words, although with such long digressions it doesn't seem well suited for serial publication - you don't want several weeks away from the plot while the author rambles on about the politics of Waterloo!

The full musical typically runs 2 hours, 50 minutes, and that's including the intermission.

By comparison, LotR: Fellowship has a runtime of 178 minutes - just about 3 hours. So, a long movie can be done and still be successful.

True, though I think the tolerance for length may vary between fantasy fans and musical fans. I may be wrong, though.

Which makes her a fine highlight for early teasers - her portions are apt to be complete early, and they can pick and choose good cuts. That's important, as IMDB lists the movie as still filming. If they're releasing in December, post-production is gong to be short. Plus, let us face it, that song is iconic and good for trailers.

Yes, and yes. I thought the trailer hit exactly the right note. (Sorry about the pun.) I'm just concerned in case they stretch her role, and have to therefore rush other areas of the film.

Is she? The actress is only like 30. I read the book a long, long time ago - I don't recall her the character's age being given expressly. And we have 20 and 30 year olds playing high-school students in highly successful TV shows...

"He took my childhood in his stride, but he was gone when autumn came..."

At the point where she's singing, Fantine is probably early to mid 20's, 25 at a push. (And, since it looks like they've cut a few years off Cosette, she may be even younger.) She's not an old and broken down woman - she's a young and tragically broken woman.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Just a word about physical prowess- I bet none of the performers in the role in the musical were exactly buff.

 

[delericho]

Just a word about physical prowess- I bet none of the performers in the role in the musical were exactly buff.

I think you might be surprised. In the version I saw, which was the 10th anniversary concert (the "Dream Cast"), Valjean was played by Colm Wilkinson, who embodied the role so perfectly it's hard to envisage anybody else doing it.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I've seen Colm...he doesn't impress me all that much in terms of his physique. Fit, yes. Impressive, no.

 

[Jan van Leyden]

I've had a queer experience with Les Misérables a few months ago:

My wife bought us tickets for a guest performance of the English Drama Group in our hometown, performing Les Misérables - The Musical Version.

It proved to be a drama version without any music based on the text and plot of the musical and performed by British actors in French! So me, with half a year of French lessons at school 35 years ago, trying to understand Britisch actors speaking with a curious accent. I think I got maybe every fiftieth word.