Today: Something Told

I am a big fan of musicals. Probably because I grew up watching all kinds with my mother, sisters, and grandmother. So when the teaser trailer for the movie version of Les Miserables was released today, many friends (and my mom of course) sent me a link, asking what I thought.

When I started this blog, I wrote about my feelings regarding this movie, as casting was underway. Since then, I have just been mostly grateful that Samantha Barks was cast as Eponine since she played the role at the West End. I have more thoughts but first, the trailer:



It is short. Someone not familiar with the plot would only learn that Anne Hathaway's character cuts her hair very short while passably singing about lost dreams. I knew from the beginning that Anne would not be able to sing "I Dreamed a Dream" like a Broadway actress would. Movie Fantine will be very different than stage Fantine. She does not have the power or the breath control to really showcase the anger and frustration needed in this song. Fantine is dying. She is lamenting how life has lead her to nothing, selling herself to send money to a daughter brought on by a teenage transgression and dying from tuberculosis. It is sad, yes, but she is mostly heart-broken and angry. From what I heard in the trailer, this does not come across.The pinnacle of the song is the break and crescendo to "So different from this hell I'm living." Hathaway's performance is much shakier, as if she's crying, than it is usually sung. Maybe there will be a studio version recorded for the soundtrack or something. But really, it's a movie. She has the chance to sing it as many times as she wants to get it perfect. There really is no excuse.

The cinematography of the one minute and thirty-eight seconds is beautiful. If nothing else, the movie will be beautiful to watch. I find Hugh Jackman's monk look, as escaped prisoner, Jean Val Jean, with the beard and shaved head, quite disconcerting. Russell Crowe looks more like Russell Crowe than Inspector Javert, but the costumes look good. We get a quick glimpse of Amanda Seyfried's Cosette, looking suitably boring, and Eddie Redmayne's Marius on the barricade.

There is no dialogue, so we have still not addressed my concerns about whether the movie will be an operetta like the stage production, but I would guess not. That will be an interesting change. Hopefully we will get a full length trailer soon.