The New "Les Miserables" Movie

[AkaTsuki-chan]

LadyThornRose

AkaTsuki-chan

LadyThornRose

AkaTsuki-chan

Helena Bonham Carter is absolutely NOT perfect for the part. Visually she's fine, but she played it the same way she played Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd - sympathetic and pretty while a little rough around the edges. Wrong. The Thenardiers are meant to be so unbelievably disgusting that THAT is what makes them funny. It's meant to be purely visceral humor (ie. nose picking sloppy farting blah blah blah), not tongue-in-cheek flirting with their patrons. That's why it's so funny they think that they can be high society with just a bit more money.

Amanda Seyfried sounded like a goat. Could not take her seriously. The guy playing Marius sounded like Kermit the frog with Parkinson's.
Visually it was beautiful, and I wish Sam Barks hadn't been corsetted into oblivion, it really affected her singing.

Actually, corseting usually provides the abdominal support that makes singing stronger. If anything, her sitting down/crouching for half of her songs would affect her singing. Also, Samantha Barks is naturally really tiny in the waist- she wasn't actually corseted that much.

Helena Bonham Carter played Madame Thenardier as she was DIRECTED to- it was the director's choice to have the 'seduction' part in, and several stage adaptations interpret the song that way, as well. Apart from the hilarious meat grinder, I saw none of Mrs. Lovett in Madam Thenardier. And the movie was very clear in conveying the Thenardier's lack of class. Furthermore, little was done to make her appear "sympathetic and pretty." The Thenardier's were one of the best parts of the movie, in my opinion.

I do agree about Seyfried's forced vibrato simulating a chicken being strangled, and (while I wouldn't put in is as harsh of terms as you) Marius' vocals could have been stronger.

(did not actually mean to tip your post- my internet was derping)

Yeah it also keeps you from taking in decent singing breaths. Compare her movie performance to the 25th edition recording. The latter is far superior.

This is what she naturally looks like? Unhealthy.

ANY corset is going to take you in. A corset will only prevent deep breath if it is tied/put on incorrectly. And OF COURSE she sounds better in the 25th edition RECORDING! Not only is it a recording, but she was standing for the delivery of her songs, mostly static. And yeah, looking at her in her STAGE Eponine costume, her waist is looking pretty similarly tiny:

I meant the live performance.
This one. She's thin, but still not THAT tiny.

[LadyThornRose]

AkaTsuki-chan

LadyThornRose

AkaTsuki-chan

LadyThornRose

AkaTsuki-chan

Helena Bonham Carter is absolutely NOT perfect for the part. Visually she's fine, but she played it the same way she played Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd - sympathetic and pretty while a little rough around the edges. Wrong. The Thenardiers are meant to be so unbelievably disgusting that THAT is what makes them funny. It's meant to be purely visceral humor (ie. nose picking sloppy farting blah blah blah), not tongue-in-cheek flirting with their patrons. That's why it's so funny they think that they can be high society with just a bit more money.

Amanda Seyfried sounded like a goat. Could not take her seriously. The guy playing Marius sounded like Kermit the frog with Parkinson's.
Visually it was beautiful, and I wish Sam Barks hadn't been corsetted into oblivion, it really affected her singing.

Actually, corseting usually provides the abdominal support that makes singing stronger. If anything, her sitting down/crouching for half of her songs would affect her singing. Also, Samantha Barks is naturally really tiny in the waist- she wasn't actually corseted that much.

Helena Bonham Carter played Madame Thenardier as she was DIRECTED to- it was the director's choice to have the 'seduction' part in, and several stage adaptations interpret the song that way, as well. Apart from the hilarious meat grinder, I saw none of Mrs. Lovett in Madam Thenardier. And the movie was very clear in conveying the Thenardier's lack of class. Furthermore, little was done to make her appear "sympathetic and pretty." The Thenardier's were one of the best parts of the movie, in my opinion.

I do agree about Seyfried's forced vibrato simulating a chicken being strangled, and (while I wouldn't put in is as harsh of terms as you) Marius' vocals could have been stronger.

(did not actually mean to tip your post- my internet was derping)

Yeah it also keeps you from taking in decent singing breaths. Compare her movie performance to the 25th edition recording. The latter is far superior.

This is what she naturally looks like? Unhealthy.

ANY corset is going to take you in. A corset will only prevent deep breath if it is tied/put on incorrectly. And OF COURSE she sounds better in the 25th edition RECORDING! Not only is it a recording, but she was standing for the delivery of her songs, mostly static. And yeah, looking at her in her STAGE Eponine costume, her waist is looking pretty similarly tiny:

I meant the live performance.
This one. She's thin, but still not THAT tiny.

As I keep saying, any corset will make you tinier; the corset in the film did not make her MUCH tinier than her belt in the concert. And again, she's standing static in front of a mic, not curled up and sobbing in the rain as she was in the film. Believe it or not, most songs sound better when the singer isn't crying- but the director was going for realism, and realism often sacrifices sound quality in these situations.

[AkaTsuki-chan]

LadyThornRose

. Believe it or not, most songs sound better when the singer isn't crying-

I lol'd.

[ljer]

Really enjoyed the movie. Have yet to see the Broadway and read the book.

[highwayProtagonist]

=============================
highwayProtagonist
=============================

For me, if Helena is in a movie I must go see it. I loved the music a lot, especially Master of the house. The entire thing gave me so many feelings. Then there was this strange Sweeney Todd feeling in there..

[Sakura Latte]

Kestrel the Companion

Eponine was by far my favorite. I didn't like the movie, overall. Despite Anne Hathaway's stunning performance of I Dreamed a Dream , the movie was depressing and never seemed to end. I was suprised at my strong dislike; I normally love every musical that crosses my path. But Le Mis' just isn't my cup of tea.

emotion_facepalm um the movie is called Les Miserables. What do you expect it to be, a happy one?

[Euphonious Cantabile]

Happylildevil

LadyThornRose

As some of you know, a film version of the musical "Les Miserables" is set to come out next December.
Among the cast are some greats, such as Hugh Jackman. Personally, I am happy that Helena Bonham Carter was cast as Madam Thenardier (I had mentally cast her years ago). And I adore Aaron Tvelt as Enjolras.
My HUGE problem right now is Eponine... you know, the character who wrenches the heart of the audience and has a tear-jerking, powerful, beautiful song? Yeah, they cast Taylor Swift. I am terribly upset- they've ruined my favourite character in musical theatre.

EDIT: Good news, people! Taylor Swift will not be Eponine! Instead, the young woman who played her in the 25th Anniversary Cast will play our young gamine: Samantha Barks!

So what do you people think about the movie, and the casting?

I have never seen Les Mis, but I know all the songs, and I know a fair few of the people cast. Hugh Jackman has a stellar voice and a stellar acting presence (and he's also freaking sexy), so he was well cast. Anne Hathaway has a lovely voice, and I love that they did I Dreamed a Dream for the trailer--that song is so underappreciated, my only issue being that they better not cut it short like the did for the trailer, but I think they only did that for the trailer. I also love that she was dedicated enough to the role that she chopped her hair off.





Please help with my megathread/mark twain achievement!
]http://www.gaiaonline.com/forum/achievements/megathread/t.82022621_1/?_gaia_t_=7564#9

I have to disagree with Hugh Jackman being well-cast. Sure, he COULD sing and he COULD act, but the role of Jean Valjean is initially a tenor role, and Hugh Jackman simply isn't a tenor, but a baritone. He admitted himself in one of the behind-the-scenes look of the production of the movie that there were a lot of Jean Valjean's songs that were too high for him, one of them being Bring Him Home. If the director had asked someone to transcribe the song down a few keys to fit Hugh's vocal range better, it would've worked out better, because there were times where you could tell that Hugh was straining to reach the notes (like the final notes of Bring Him Home).

[norakun91]

It was a beautiful movie. My and my girlfriend were crying left and right. The songs were amazing and the actors did such a good job.

[Autumn Opaline]

I watched it with my family a few weeks ago, and I have to say, there were a couple of things that I did not expect. It was probably because I've been watching the onstage version of it all this time ((you know, the one they air on PBS from time-to-time, if you live in the lower New England U.S. area)), and for me, it's not as easy to see what exactly goes on. Mein Gott, that would've sucked if Taylor Swift had taken Eponine's role. But anyways.

1) Eponine's parents were the innkeeper and his wife.
2) Javert commits suicide off the same bridge that was shown in the very first scene. Irony!

It was very emotional, perhaps more emotional than the onstage version, everyone played their roles well. I loved Anne Hathaway as Fantine.

[OwnedByChad]

I watched the movie that had Anne Hathaway and Amanda Seyfried in it. I thought it was very good.