A 'musical' for tone-deaf people. Excruciatingly dire.

Movie wasn't even in French not historically accurate and Russel Crowe wasn't in heaven what's up with that. Was told the entire movie wouldn't be just singing, guess what it was.....all singing. Definitely not going to see the sequel.

I don't why no one told me about this movie. I love movies with a beautiful cinematography and this is one of them. So I had a spontaneous experience. I had no idea they would be singing. It sounded ridiculous for a few seconds but then I understood the tone, and there's so much energy in this movie I wanted to behead some kings then. The music is just awesome. It's still in my head. It's really powerful, because it's enhanced by a really clever staging. The first scene with the boy is a pure joy. I was surprised to see all these actors I knew singing perfectly well. The cast is unbelievable - Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Eddie Redmayne, Anne Hataway...and my favorite, Helena Bonham Carter which is incredible in its grotesque character, you can tell the same king of vilainy from her character Bellatrix in Harry Potter. There is a lot of astounding scenes, and Bellatrix and his husband stealing choregraphy is one of them. It's not about choosing popular actors though. I think they perfectly fit the story and the tone, especially Jackman and Carter. Redmayne choice is kind of weird, because he's really soft, as a leader of Revolution, but maybe that's the point ? Anyway, this movie is so ambitious, the staging is epic, like the cortege scenes in exterior. Interesting cinematography because a lot of wide angles lenses were used, even in some dialogs and close-ups, to enhance the grotesque of French poverty, diseases, and mischief that emerges from the hobble life conditions. But the higher class takes its toll too, thanks to the Revolution and the powerful songs. Everything is described with a harsh eye. And yet it's aesthetically neat and enjoyable. My only cons: I don't like the theatrical tone much, especially when everyone wants to die for no reason. Dying from love ? I just don't buy it. The most ridiculous death is Crowe suiciding because...being in debt of a thief ? Come on. It lasts more than 2 hours but I wish there were more. I recommend.

This is a very difficult film to assess. It has significant flaws, but on reflection I believe this to be principally down to the difficulties of translating this musical into a film. To begin with, I was seriously underwhelmed - the opening sequences seemed overblown and melodramatic, and the storytelling rather clumsy, particularly in its knitting together of scenes. As the film progressed, however, I began to realise that these faults were actually fairly similar to the faults with the musical itself - I have always found the opening scenes, with their hyperactive drama compensating for rushed narrative, to be the weakest of the show. Having accepted this, I relaxed and began to appreciate what was being done. In many ways this is a remarkable piece of work. Visually, it is utterly stunning, be it set design, costume or cinematography. The big numbers are superbly rendered in a broader space than is available on stage, giving a real sense of scale and weight to the production. Most importantly, it retains the emotional tug of the musical. I honestly wasn't expecting it, but as the old familiar songs emerged I felt myself drawn further and further into the story, as I have always felt in the theatre, and come the ending, as usual, I was a blubbering wreck. I had expected a polished effort, but I had not expected the film to so fully engage me. To make an audience feel is a powerful skill, and it was used to full advantage here.Despite all this, I cannot really give the film top marks. Whilst I accepted the flaws of the opening, it was still disappointing that no solution had been attempted. I was also rather horrified by Hugh Jackman's remarkable changes of accent - in the first quarter of an hour he cycled indiscriminately through Irish, Australian, American, and several of the major British regional dialects. Once he settled, he was a passable Valjean - his voice matured through the film, and his acting was solid. Eddie Redmayne gave a surprisingly fine performance as Marius, and many of the minor characters were well played. I was, however, disappointed with some of the casting. The principal voices, overall, were a mixed bag. Whilst I wasn't myself a fan of Anne Hathaway's Fantine, despite its widespread admiration, I could accept its objective merits. Russell Crowe is seriously miscast as Javert, lacking menace, and with a voice entirely ill- suited to its purpose. Not his fault, just a bad casting decision. The Tenardiers, too were a disappointment - Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham-Carter are fine actors, but they played their roles far too much down the kooky path for my liking - weirdness for weirdness' sake, without the genuinely slimy charm and wit the roles deserve.Nevertheless, this film will remain a fond memory for me, and will get a rewatch one day - anything that can invoke such deep emotion has a true spark of genius in it, despite its flaws.