Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Les Miserables 2012: Part Three


"Common sense may tell you that the ending will be sad, and now's the time to break and run away..."
~Julie Jordan, "What's the Use of Wonderin'?"

{{this post is exceedingly picture-heavy.  my abject apologies to those with slow connexions.}}

Probably I should have used a Les Mis quote to begin this post, but a Carousel quote seemed more fitting somehow, because it perfectly sums up everything I was thinking as "One Day More" ended and the second act began.  (There's no intermission in the movie, nor is it divided into acts, but I am a stage-minded person and it's my review and if I say this is Act Two, it's Act Two.  But of course this is my third post on the subject because I simply couldn't confine it all to two posts.  Hope that doesn't confuse anyone.  If it does, get thee to an abacus and learn the mysteries of the numbers two and three.  Any questions?)


So... let's begin with "Do You Hear the People Sing?".  Also known as THE VERY BEST VERSION OF THAT SONG THAT HAS EVER BEEN PERFORMED, EVER, IN ALL THE WORLD AND ALL THE GALAXIES.

I should not be allowed to use caps lock.


That whole sequence was just wow.  I've seen it at least six times now, I believe, and I need to see it about fifty billion times more so I can fully appreciate it.  Enjolras with a flag! Marius on a hearse! Enjo's magical hair that glows when he sings!  Marius on a horse!  Jehan trying to be fierce and succeeding in being way too cute!  Enjo sending everyone to the barricades!  Combeferre flipping out when the old lady got shot! (that part was both awesome [because Combeferre is just awesome] and awful [because, you know, the old lady died]-- I'd almost forgotten about how the bystanders suffered casualties, too, and I LOVED how they had that reference to the brick!)


That version of the song is my favorite now, though, and I say that without reservation.  The way it begins so softly--revolution starts with a whisper, you know--and then builds and builds until the whole street--the whole city, it seems--is swept up in the people's song.  Oh, and having Javert show up and save Courfeyrac's life is pretty cool.

AND THEN THE BARRICADES AND OHMYGOODNESS IT ALL WENT TOO FAST AND THINGS HAPPENED TOO QUICKLY AND THEY ALL DIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEED AND EVEN COMBEFERRE WASN'T ABLE TO SAVE THEM ALL.



Um, backing up a little. The barricade-building part was SO COOL.  I loved the barricade in the touring stage production and the videos I've seen of the Old Way (with the revolving stage, which I wish they'd bring back for Broadway next year), but it was amazing to see them actually building it.  I mean, that line of Courfeyrac's is pretty much iconic now.  (My sister shouted it at a baseball game the other night when they were telling the stadium to make some noise.  I'm not kidding you.  I'm also not telling you which sister, so she won't be embarrassed.)

Anyways, as one of my friends pointed out,  it was unbelievable how tiny it looked in the scope of Paris.  On stage, it takes up pretty much all the available space, but with those aerial shots (yes, I know it was CGI, shut up) you could really get a feel for how tragically small the whole structure was, and how very alone in a big, dark city.  (Was anyone else just a little horrified at the whole foreshadowing thing with the coffins in the front?  As someone-in-a-Pinterest-picture-that-I-can't-find-now said, "You know what else are big and red and small and blue...")

When Hadley Fraser came on as the Army Captain,  Anne-girl and I just screamed GRANTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIRE and then exchanged guilty glances because the younger sibs were in bed already.  I'm not a fan of mustaches.  Never have been, never will be.  But that mustache was fabulous.  If he hadn't had it I'm afraid I would have been able to see nothing but Grantaire and Raoul, and the army captain is neither, so it was a good move on the costume department's part. And hey, they got an award for it.  Like, a big award.


I also have to commend this guy for his stellar portrayal of a minor, minor character.  I never paid much attention to the Army Captain in the concerts, because hey, he's just there to yell at the students and get the battle started.  But Hadley Fraser played him as an almost tragic character, a soldier who (according to Tom Hooper) grew up with Enjolras and the other students and is now being faced with the task of taking them down.  So when he tells them to give up their guns or die, why throw their lives away, it's a plea instead of a threat.  (And seriously.  Best singing in under a minute.)

Okay, now let's talk Javert.  First of all...

True. True.  This is true.

Okay, so I'm trying really hard not to bash Russell Crowe here.  I know he has a lot of fans out there and I don't want Petie to come after me with Enjo's musket to offend any of them, but seriously, his singing stank in the entire barricade sequence.  And to be honest, his acting wasn't much better.  The scene where he gets captured by the students and the fight ensues was really good (though I'm not condoning beating people with sticks, Enjo, are we clear on that) but unfortunately I was so mad because most of "Little People" had been cut that I still haven't been able to fully appreciate Javert's capture scene.


The first attack was phenomenal.  I try not to use that word lightly, but somehow it keeps cropping up whenever I talk about Les Mis.  So much sound and so much action and so much music and shout-singing (which is appropriate for the barricades and NOT FOR JAVERT'S SUICIDE) and so much gunpowder and threatening to blow up the barricade... yeah, did I mention that sequence was the bomb?  Only it wasn't, because Marius didn't actually blow anything up.

... It's a pun, guys.



I have seriously mixed feelings about the whole concept of Marius threatening to blast them all sky-high with his torch and barrel.  On the one hand, I love that they included this episode from the brick, and it definitely gives Marius some depth and prevents him from just being a lovestruck moron tripping over his rifle and mooning about Cosette.  (Which Marius totally is NOT, though he is sometimes portrayed this way onstage or onscreen.  Read the book.)  However, the way Eddie Redmayne plays this scene is kind of hilarious (okay, I was amused, anyway... "andmuhselfwiiiiiiithit"), as is Enjolras' reaction.  "Okay, Marius, I'mma take this torch... nice and easy... what have I told you about playing with matches..."


As for Combeferre's reaction, that part drove me NUTS.  Part of it is so sad ("my life is not YOURS to risk, Marius!") but it seems out of character for Combeferre, especially as it was evident that if Marius hadn't done what he did, they all would have been killed anyway.  (And as it is... they DO all get killed.  Sob.)  In the brick, the students basically fall at Marius' feet after this episode and tell him he's in charge now.  Though I can see why they didn't have that happen in the movie (um, Enjolras is the chief, thankyouverymuch) I still think Combeferre's outburst just wasn't in keeping with Comebeferre-in-general.  Thoughts, y'all?

However.  I really, really loved how they changed Eponine's death to be more brick-accurate.  In the musical, she gets shot when merely climbing over the barricade (and since she wasn't supposed to be there in the first place, her death loses a lot of its poignancy).  Having her pull the gun away from Marius and end up getting shot herself immediately makes her death much more tragic and raises her about fifty points in the audience's estimation (because believe it or not, there are people out there who don't like Eponine).


I should mention at the outset that "A Little Fall of Rain" is one of my absolute favorite songs in the musical, so I had high hopes for this scene... and I hate to admit that I didn't cry during scene, at least the first time around.  (Part of this may have been because I was SO MAD that so much of the song was cut out.)  Obviously, this made me feel disloyal (dishonor! dishonor on me, dishonor on Enjo's cow...) but I made up for it when they showed Gavroche crying, and then Combeferre carrying Eponine's body off to whoknowswhere... yeah, that was when I lost it.  I mean, the song is terribly sad and it was brilliantly acted and I loved the allusions to the brick with Eponine finally delivering that blasted letter and Marius kissing her on the forehead after she died... but let's face it, the TAC owns the definitive version of this song.  (And there was no "Night of Anguish." WHERE WAS NIGHT OF ANGUISH.)

I have been known to burst into tears over the scene where Gavroche delivers Marius' letter to Valjean.  Not because of Valjean's struggle over whether to go save Marius or not, though that wee snippet was a gem in and of itself, but because of Valjean's warning to Gavroche to stay away from the barricade and Gavroche's nonchalant ignoring of Valjean.  And the fact that he never got to spend the coin Valjean tipped him with.  (WAHHHHHH.)  However, I really did like Valjean's little reprise of "Who Am I?" in which he agonized over the idea of Cosette being in love with Marius.  Just like the book.  Again.

So then Valjean shows up at the barricades and saves them all from snipers, yada yada, and Enjolras says he can deal with the spy as a reward.  (Yay.)  And when Valjean went in to "take care" of Javert, and Combeferre was watching from behind and saying, "No, Enjolras" (yes, Combeferre, break my heart, why don't ya-- now THAT, people, was completely canon) all I could think of was him looking at Javert and saying, "I know that feel, bro" or something along those lines, because the noose around Javert's neck was eerily reminiscent of the Punjab lasso in "Final Lair" and Killian Donnelly played Raoul quite splendidly on the West End and... I think I over-explained that.

Anyway, getting back to Javert-- I really didn't think Russell Crowe did a good job with the whole "you are free" scene.  In fact, he didn't really seem to do anything at all.  I know Javert is supposed to be kind of in shock and all that, perhaps even completely apathetic about what happens to him, but you would think he'd register at least a little surprise when Valjean tells him he can go.  Maybe a dramatic pause or something before he starts droning, "don't understaaaaaand..."?  Just a thought.  That scene is really important and I don't think it was handled half as well as it could have been.  On Javert's part, that is.  Valjean was splendid.  (And yes, I'm still biased toward the TAC version.  Sorry, not sorry.)

"Drink With Me" was abominably short.  Thank goodness we got to see a bit of it in the Young Revolutionaries featurette, but still.  I did like how Gavroche was included... but then I'm a sucker for any scene that Gavroche was in, so... yeah.  


Okay, and now all the Hugh Jackman fans (especially Ally) are going to commence with the tomato-throwing, because I appreciated "Bring Him Home" for the wrong reasons.  All those feels and the general intensity of the barricades, and then here comes Hugh Jackman with a little comic relief to lighten the mood and all that.  I didn't want to laugh.  I tried not to laugh.  But I did.  And so did Anne-girl.  We agreed later that you just couldn't take it seriously-- he was BELTING out that song, loud enough to wake everybody (and yes, Colm does the same thing, as does pretty much every Valjean ever, but Hugh's voice isn't a belting voice).  It did not sound good.  And for some reason the fact that he'd known Marius for about five minutes seemed ridiculous here, whereas onstage nobody questions the whole "he's like the son I might have known."  Poor Courfeyrac, who took the watch, having to listen to that... apparently everyone else was sleeping like a log and wasn't bothered, but dear me, I bet Courf was wishing earplugs had been invented.

*ducks flying vegetables*

Anyways, that scene in the morning when Enjolras said, "We're the only ones left," killed me.  But not the way Gavroche's death killed me.  Because that scene is THE WORST.


And I covered Gavroche's death in this post, so just go read that, 'kay? If I reiterate it all here, this post is going to end up being longer than the brick.


And after that everything went too fast and there was so much shooting and so much blood and so many feathers and so much hyperventilation (that was me and Anne-girl).  I didn't cry during the Final Battle.  Well, just those jerky kind of half-sobs.  Even when they were crashing the door down and begging to be let in (yeah, that moment when everyone wants to just slaughter Tom Hooper because WHAT KIND OF TWISTED MIND CONCEIVES SUCH A THING, THAT IS JEHAN WHO IS SCREAMING AND CRYING RIGHT THERE, YOU EVIL MAN), I didn't cry.  I just Gulped a little and Felt Anguished.


It was when they were all trapped in the tavern and Combeferre was desperately throwing china and trying to protect everybody that I really started.  (You didn't think this review was going to be a blow-by-blow of Amy's Tears and How They Flowed in Individual Scenes, now did you?  Let that be a lesson to you, young men and women.  Never take anything for granted.)  And gah, the music.  THE MUSIC.  I mean, duh, Les Mis is all about music, but the instrumentals in this part are just so majestic and desperate and glorious and sad and perfect for the scene.


And then Enjolras and Grantaire died.  In what may very well have been the most heartbreakingly, horribly perfect scene in the whole movie.  Only the phrases "do you permit it" and "two at one shot" would have improved that scene.  It melded the brick and the stage musical together so beautifully that I take back everything bad I ever said about Tom Hooper and his directing choices.  


And yet even as I was sobbing like a baby sea monkey while Enjolras fell out the window in slow motion, still clutching the flag, with the tiniest beginnings of a smile on his face before they shot him, I couldn't help thinking, "Man, filming a scene like that must have been traumatizing" and then I remembered the interview Aaron Tveit did where he talked about his malfunctioning bulletproof vest in that scene, and I came this close to giggling.  I know.  I'm horrid.  I don't know why I just disclosed that.  Moving on.


Admit it-- you all cried at least a smidgen when Javert came walking through the silent battlefield and stopped to pin his medal on Gavroche's little vest as "Bring Him Home" played in the background.  This time I bawled like an adult sea monkey, as you might have guessed.  I know this scene has gotten a bashing from the critics and even some of the fans, that some people think it's out of character for Javert to have done such a thing, but I absolutely loved it.  Though I don't agree with most of the portrayal of Javert as this vulnerable puppy-dog who just wants to be loved, he does have a scrap or two of humanity still lingering within him.  (And I like to think that he saw in Gavroche something of what he was like as a youngster. *blows nose loudly*)

Plus, you have to remember that Javert's mission in fulfilling his duty as an employee of the French law enforcement was to protect the people of France.  And in his mind, stomping out the revolution was protecting the people of France.  I don't know if you could go as far as saying that he felt the same way about the whole thing as the army captain did ("why throw your lives away?") but I do think seeing so many young lives cut short through those battles touched him with at least a twinge of regret.  How are the mighty fallen, and all that.


(Can I also mention that the medal Javert gave to Gavroche was his one and only medal?  Check out this picture-- the uniform isn't exactly sporting a fruit salad.  It wasn't a case of, "oh, here, take this one, kid, I got plenty more." Javert had just one medal, the Medal of Honor issued by Napoleon, which means Javert was decorated by the emperor and that thing was probably a collector's item.  And he gave that one medal, his one and only medal, to Gavroche.  Be right back, tissues...)

Okay, so "The Sewers."  The sewers were GROSS.  So gross that I'm going to spend as little time as possible on them. Valjean rescues Marius, they swim through a bunch of disgusting muck that I'm trying not to think about, they bump into Javert, Valjean turns into Spiderman temporarily and basically does this up into the street with Marius slung over his shoulder, and Javert drops his gun into a huge slushy canal of you-know-what.  

Moving on.


I wanted very badly to like "Javert's Suicide."  And it really was good if you look at it purely from a technical standpoint-- there were no missed notes and Russell Crowe sang it pretty well, all things considered.  But that's the thing-- I couldn't manage to forget that it was Russell Crowe dressed up in a military uniform singing the counterpart to "Valjean's Soliloquy" in front of a green screen. (And I'm not bashing the special effects here.  The special effects were great.)  I just couldn't stop myself from saying in my head, "Yeah, well, Javert does a much better job with this-- did I just say Javert? I meant Philip Quast. Whatever.  Same thing."

Let's be honest, Quast just owns that song, and nobody else does Javert's mental falling-apart the way he does.  But I did bawl when Russell Crowe plummeted off the bridge and hit the water (er... the edge of the stone thingy... with the positively horrid sound effects)... for some reason seeing his body get washed away just seemed so FINAL and HORRIBLE and POOR JAVERT.

So much caps lock in this post.  SO MUCH CAPS LOCK.

It is a truth Misiversally acknowledged that the splash of red in the cart in the
background is the body of He Who Wears the Red Jacket... I kinda wish we could
see better and then again I'm glad we can't.

"Turning" is another song that seems to get a bad rap from a lot of fans, and I just can't understand why.  (I mean, my only problem with it in the movie was that it was cut down to almost zilch.  "A Little Fall of Rain" is like the entirety of "Final Lair" in comparison.)  From what I've heard, some people think that the line "they were schoolboys, never held a gun" is inaccurate and demeaning to the so-called barricade boys (who were, let's face it, adults, not kids).  I mean, I have no problem with casually referring to the revolutionaries as barricade boys, but Marius was one of the youngest at 23 and Enjo himself was 26.  So I can see why there could be an issue with a song that makes them out to be naive children, but hello, this song isn't being sung by a bunch of long-bearded scholars pompously blowing the dust off their original autographed editions of the brick.  It's sung by a group of women who are (were?) the barricade boys' wives, girlfriends and mothers.  I think we can all agree that though a mom may acknowledge the fact that her son is an adult, deep down inside she'll always see him as her baby, and that's the kind of viewpoint that's being shown in this song.  

I'm a bit annoyed, however, that the script apparently refers to one of the women as Enjolras' mother, as it is highly unlikely she'd be cleaning the streets of her son's blood, being a) an uppity-rich monarchist and b) completely estranged from her republican offspring, if the brick is to be believed.  Just sayin'.  *adjusts hipster glasses*

Oh, and the whole thing with Marius waking up in his grandfather's house could have been better explained, I think-- if I didn't know the story I would have been quite confused as to where he was and what was going on.


And we now interrupt this program to gush over Eddie Redmayne and offer him our sincere apologies for ever doubting him in any way, shape or form, or for ever saying he had a monkey face (yes, I blush to admit that I did just that) or for saying uncomplimentary things about his vibrato, because even if his whole head DOES shake, it's a cute kind of shake and we can't all be Michael Ball, now can we?

I had some pretty high expectations for "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables."  I mean, anyone who sings this song is following in the footsteps of Michael Ball the Great and Powerful, and that's a pretty huge responsibility.  While I don't think Eddie Redmayne's voice is as good as Michael Ball's (duhhhhh...) I think he did a fabulous job in conveying the emotion of the song and going from shell-shocked to contemplative to furious to woebegone and back again and you get the idea.  I had wanted so badly to see the ghosts of his friends appear, because with special effects you can do that so much more interestingly in a movie than on stage (and hey, an excuse to see a certain face again) but in the end I think it really was better that he was alone the whole time. Really drove home the point.

Now, this review isn't intended to be a comparison of the movie and the TAC, but someone's going to ask me about it in the comments if I don't stick my neck out and give a flat opinion, so I'm gonna say that I like MB and ER's versions equally well, for different reasons.  (But if you were holding a pistol to my head and making me choose, I'd go with Michael Ball.)  The End.

I was really, really annoyed by "Every Day."  This is one of Cosette's opportunities to shine, albeit briefly, because it's her chance to comfort Marius and be strong for him.   Yet two really important lines were mercilessly cut, the grandfather was singing a bunch of gibberish in the background (go away!) and if that wasn't bad enough, Valjean (whose part always USED to make me cry in this song) is yowling behind the door loud enough to wake the dead.  (That's when Enjolras bursts in and dances down the staircase yodeling about how he's alive, he's alive, he is so alive... ahem.)  I want so terribly to feel bad for you, Jean Valjean.  You're giving up your daughter because you're a wonderful person, and yet all I can do is cringe because you do not seem to understand that you just cannot do the loud vocals.  You think you can do these things, but you can't, Valjean! YOU JUST CAN'T.


"Valjean's Confession" was exceedingly well done, I thought.  Everyone is supposed to pretty much hate Marius in this part, but Eddie Redmayne managed to accurately play the scene while still making Marius' actions understandable.  And holy moley, did he ever go down low near the end.  "For the sake of Cosette, it must... be so." (There should be high and low and in-between fonts for when one is typing out song lyrics.  I shall take it up with Google, I think.)  Most impressive.  


The little scene inserted between the Confession and the wedding was pure gold.  Cosette's dress was gorgeous (I know, I know, it has nothing to do with the story, but I'm still drooling over it) and I loved seeing Marius comforting her this time. Kinda brings the whole Marius-and-Cosette thing full circle-- there was NO doubt that they were TOTALLY meant for each other.  Plus, it gives the audience reason to really like Cosette instead of just admiring her like a doll in a glass case.  Yay, she finally has a truly likable personality!  She cares about her father instead of just running off to get married!


The wedding was gorgeousness (as is Cosette's dressssss...), the Thenardiers were a welcome bit of comic relief, the Marius punch was awesomeness sauce, and I loved how the T's got their comeuppance in the end by being carted off in disgrace instead of getting to stay and enjoy the food and sing about how crass and heartless they are.  I was left feeling amused instead of annoyed.  "How daaaaare you!"

And then... it was the Epilogue... happy feelings gone.  Well, giggly feelings gone, anyway.  Because I adore the Epilogue.  Oh, Epilogue, how do I love thee?  Let me count the ways...


I think everyone involved did a fantastic job in this scene, but Amanda Seyfried really stood out to me.  This was her big moment as Cosette, and she blew Katie Hall and Judy Kuhn out of the water.  Real tears, real emotion, real heartbreak as she realized her beloved father was dying just as she got to be reunited with him.  The interaction between the two of them was absolutely priceless (did anyone else managed to hold it in until the little nose "boop" and then bust out crying?) 

And the way Valjean reached out to touch Marius when he said "now you are here".... yeah, it was perfect.  He's accepted Marius and he knows they'll be happy together.  And all he wants now is to give Cosette the story of his past, the one she wanted so badly (presumably her mother's story is in that letter, too, at least IT BETTER BE because Fantine gave up SO MUCH for her and should NEVER be forgotten).  Though I'm a bit disgruntled that the line regarding Fantine's ultimate sacrifice was cut, the new line never fails to melt me into a puddle.  A friend of mine pointed out that it really brings Valjean's story full circle-- Les Mis is ultimately about his journey, and to focus on him alone in the final scene is just as it should be.  "It's the story of one who turned from hating, a man who only learned to love when you were in his keeping."

Someone hug me, 'cause I need a hug right now.  And a few more tissues.



Fantine's appearance here was almost completely perfect (though why couldn't she have magically gotten all her beautiful hair back again? Is she supposed to have a forever-buzz-cut in heaven?), and though I was disappointed not to see Eponine, I loved that the bishop was included in the finale.  I fiercely maintain that though Valjean and Eponine didn't know each other in real life, she belongs at the finish because like Fantine (and Valjean!) she made the ultimate sacrifice for the person she loved best, and as such she represents the concept of "to love another person is to see the face of God."  But the bishop was good too, and while I would have been delighted to see them both, I was content just to have the one who started it all.  (In more ways than one.  Original Valjean! YAY!)  

However, the whole welcoming-Valjean-to-heaven thing was a bit weird.  I'm thinking we should rename the Epilogue as "Tom Hooper Thinks Heaven is a House Full of Candles."


There's one little bit you shouldn't miss there at the end-- it's when Marius looks up just as the people are beginning to sing after Valjean died.  He's hearing the people sing, imagining the scene that follows.   (So yeah, the big final barricade is all in Marius' head... but I'm okay with that.) He's seeing the tomorrow that never came in his mind-- remember how Enjolras said "let others rise to take our place until the earth is free"?  Marius is the one rising to take their place and make the earth free, and through him and Cosette (and their children, of course) the idea of the revolution, the spirit of everyone who died is living on.  To be a little cheesy (who cares about cheese, it's LES MIS), they're keeping the flame alive.  Which is why they're visible for a brief nanosecond on the barricade.  And they're also keeping love alive (love is everlasting, after all) because Fantine and Valjean are looking down on them too, and... yeah.

FEEL ALL THE FEELS.

I was kind of on cloud nine thousand in that last scene, in case you didn't know. 


BUT WAIT WE'RE NOT DONE.

Just when I thought it was over and I could collapse and cry and fangirl and all that, the credits started rolling and this instrumental started playing and my life was made complete.  Anne-girl was like, "what's wrong NOW?" and I wailed through my tears, "LES MIS HAS AN OVERTURE, I ALWAYS WANTED LES MIS TO HAVE AN OVERTURE, I CANNOT HANDLE THE PERFECTION OF IT, LES MIS FINALLY HAS AN OVERTURE."

And she looked at me and said, "....these are end titles."

IT WAS AN OVERTURE.

I will abide by that statement.

Oh, and eventually Aaron Tveit's name was there in big bold capitals on the screen.
Squeeeeeeee.

I LOVE LES MIS.

THE END.


P.S.  In case you wanted the short version of my review, here 'tis: "This movie.  I liked it.  Let's watch it again."

32 comments:

Alexander said...

I will make a list of all my thoughts :)

1. I think Hugh Jackman was ok. not really good but not bad either.

2. Marius...was ugh. He looked like he was laughing when he was supposed to be crying in "empty chairs at empty tables"....in other words...I did not like him.

4 Javert wasn't very good in any part of the movie. But after watching "man of steel" he redeemed himself in my book.

5. Cosette wasn't very good either.

6. I think the one and only person who was really good was anne hathaway.

Ok this thought came into my head and you will probably hate me for it but I had this mental picture of enjo right before he gets shot the music stops and one of the revolutionary soldier walks up to enjo and offers him a blind fold (like the one scene from the scarlet pimpernel) enjo shakes his head and then the soldier walks back the music starts up again and then they shoot him :P *rofl* :)

Anne-girl said...

If I were embarrassed by screaming "we need as much furniture as you can throw down!' at a baseball game I would not have done it.

Favorite picture: the one of Marius hugging cosette in the epilogue that someone made all soft.

GAH! I NEVER EVEN SAW THE SPLASH OF RED THAT IS ENJOLRAS! I need to go and cry now.

Combeferre trowing china. Oh blast now I'm really crying.

Pip. You made me sad. Happy?

Miss Jane Bennet said...

I am crying. STOP, MISS DASHWOOD. STOP.
So anyway.
I'm just going through the post and inserting extremely ramble-y, senseless comments whenever I feel like it.
Ooh, perfect quote! And I love pictures...MORE AARON PICTURES. Please?
Oh yes, I keep calling it "Act Two" also, even though it isn't. And I don't have an abacus, sorry. Maybe a calculator...?
SQUEEEEE THAT SONG IS SO AWESOME AND THIS IS AWESOME AND ENJO IS AWESOME.
The caps lock bug seems to be catching. Very contagious.
Enjo has magic hair that glows when he sings? I need to watch the movie again! Like right this minute. Only I actually don't own it yet...:(
'Ferre is my favorite barricade boy (so is Jehan and Joly and Gavroche and Enjo, but too bad), so I was glad that he got a little chance to shine there. It was SO brick-accurate and all through watching the movie I kept giving little bounces, like, "Yes! The bystander died!"
...That sounded totally weird. Just forget it. :D
IT WAS SO COOL. Heehee, I keep shouting it at my siblings too, if we're moving furniture. (which we are right now. Don't ask.)
It was also sad, because the barricade was so small. In one way it was better than the stage musical 'cause you could see it was hopeless, but I'm still not sure...and the coffins made me cry. Good heavens, I'm starting to cry right now.
GRANTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIRE. He was totally awesome. Including the mustache.
Heehee, you don't approve of mustaches, eh, Jeeves? I hear that they're a major cause of divorces....
Okay, enough with the bad jokes. Hadley Fraser was reeeeeeally, really good in that role- you could see his pain at having to cut down all these enthusiastic young men. And that one facial expression when the soldiers shoot Grantaire...*tears*
I didn't think he did very well in the barricade sequence either. That one trying-to-escape bit was good, though. (No, I don't condone beating people with sticks either. Sorry, Enjo.)
The first attack was awesome and reasonably brick-accurate, even though Eddie sounded like Courf in that scene.
Heehee, I always giggle at Enjo's reaction too. HAHAHA I'm done crying..."what have I told you about playing with matches..."
'Ferre's reaction was a bit annoying, seeing as he was resigned to death in the brick (NOOOOOO! Just change the facts of history, Hugo! You're a storyteller! You can change stuff around!), but the fact that they kept Enjo as the chief pretty much made up for it. (ENJO IS IN CHARGE HERE. Besides, it says in the brick that Marius looked after things for about five minutes and then just forgot all about it and started thinking morbid thoughts. No, that is not an exact quote. :D)
ALFOR was so incredibly heartbreaking, and Eponine-taking-the-bullet probably did redeem her in the audience’s opinion. I know many people who don’t like Eponine, and I’m considering a post defending brick-Eponine, ‘cause she’s my favorite character in the brick too.
(By the way- I loved the animation. Oh, my goodness…the expression! The cow! Poor thing…)
I stopped crying the first time round when they skipped verses, like, “What’s going on here?” Of course, it didn’t take long to get started again- only until that shot of Gav and Enjo crying- but it still makes me mad.
Oooh, yes. Michael Ball and Lea Salonga are absolutely wonderful. Plus they get to sing all the lyrics.
*Sob* Poor Gavroche. Jean Valjean…whoops, I mean Hugh Jackman did a wonderful job in that scene.
Combeferre’s little line there just…goodness, Killian, stop it. Heehee, that’s funny. I haven’t seen that version of POTO yet, but I looked at the picture…that was funny. Killian looks like a good Raoul.
Philip Quast is the ultimate Javert (of course), but I thought Russell Crowe did a pretty good job in that scene, actually. And Valjean was splendid, of course.
I liked how Gavroche was included in DWM, but that could not make up for the abominable cutting of lyrics. Where is Grantaire? Where is he?

Miss Jane Bennet said...

HAHAHA, I feel exactly the same about BHH. No need to elaborate right now ‘cause this comment is getting too long already, but poor Courf…:D
Gav’s death was so heartbreaking. So was “Dawn of Anguish.” So was Hadley Fraser’s awesome little part. And Courfeyrac…I will never feel the same about that scene in the brick where Marius carries Gavroche’s body back and Courf carries the ammunition.
Oh, my goodness. The Final Battle. *Bursts into wailing sobs*
That. Scene. (Is it wrong that I giggled at your harangue to Tom Hooper? I feel exactly the same, though.) It just tore me apart. The blood and the crying and the feathers flying (you see, I’m a bit of a poet, but this is not the time to quote TSP, so anyway…), and Jehan pounding on the doors (Dishonor on you, Tom Hooper! Dishonor on you! Dishonor on your…*dissolves into giggles*).
And the music was just gorgeous and sad and heartbreaking (duh), and Combeferre was so in character and Joly’s looking absolutely terrified and Courf isn’t much better and Enjo is looking fierce but all torn up inside and…wow.
That perfect scene…THAT PERFECT SCENE. The raising of the flag…the little smile…the flying out the window…
When I watched the scene again after having seen the interview, I was too sad to giggle, but I did afterwards.
That picture. Happy feelings gone. Did you edit it? It’s absolutely gorgeous. This was Javert’s best scene and I totally agree with you- it was in character. After all, Javert was born inside a jail. And since he was already shaken up by his release, it makes sense to say a sort of farewell to the little boy who was so much like him. (I originally typed “who never grew up,” but that immediately made me think of Peter Pan.)
I’ve already used up three or four tissues and I’m about to use more. The sewers…goodness, yuck. But the picture of Spidey there…I’m going to giggle next time I see that escape scene. I just know it.
So…Javert’s Suicide. It made me cry, yes. The absolutely horrid sound effects made me cringe. Philip Quast’s version is still better. The end.
Is it Enjo? I thought I heard somewhere that it wasn’t Enjo, it was really just a National Guard.
Enjo’s mother and Grantaire’s sister, yep. Which kind of irritated me, also, but hey, the movie is already much more accurate to the brick than it was expected to be, so surely they can be inaccurate in a few places. And if you don’t think about the inaccuracy, it’s very sad. As usual.
Eddie Redmayne was SO.GOOD. Seriously…I was reeeeally impressed with him in general, and especially with ECaET. His voice is amazing, and…well, out of loyalty to MB, I still say his version is better, but it’s really close.
Your “Every Day” paragraph was perfectly true and it made me laugh. That’s it.
…Well, not perfectly true. I liked the grandfather bit. They did have a little bit of the grandfather yelling at Marius during “Look Down- Beggars’ Version.”
“Valjean’s Confession” is one place where I’m very glad that it’s not brick-accurate, because at least the musical portrays Marius as something resembling a human being with a little bit of feeling and not a complete monster of ingratitude. (When Marius says that in the brick, I always say, “Yes, Marius, you are! Totally! You’re completely right!”) And Hugh Jackman completely owned that scene.
The dress was absolutely gorgeous- I want one of those! And her personality…well, I’ve always liked Cosette almost as much as Eponine, and Amanda Seyfried was just perfect for Cosette. The “full-circle” thing was sweet too.
The weeeeeeedddding! I’m meeeeeelting! I wish that style of wedding dress was acceptable in today’s society so I could wear one to my wedding!
The Thenardiers…I was glad to see them carted off in disgrace, and except for the last verse, they were pretty funny. Marius-swinging-Cosette-around was so sweeeet, and then Marius discovers that Jean Valjean is, who knew? An angel, and they rush off.

Miss Jane Bennet said...

The Epilogue was where Amanda Seyfried became the One and Only Cosette to me. She was sobbing, and you could actually see her pain and the love she felt for her adoptive father. Isabelle Allan did a good job in Cosette and Valjean’s first scene together, and Amanda Seyfried did a wonderful job in their last. Just…wow. And then Marius was comforting Cosette.
The nose “boop” was so cute, and yeah, that was when I really started crying too. Admittedly Fantine’s hair was not exactly miraculously restored, and I would have been really glad to see Eponine, but the addition of the bishop was good, especially since the brick says that he was there during Valjean’s death. (No, I don’t agree with that viewpoint, but that aside, it makes sense.)
The “house of candles” really didn’t make sense, admittedly, but it was beautiful.
Then came the last scene.
I was sobbing. Everyone waving flags and happy and it was too much for my (already very much strained) emotions. Your paragraph about Marius and the future was so perfect and touching and wow.
I didn’t realize before that they were on the barricade! Some people have been wondering at the absence of Javert. I just content myself by thinking that it would be rather absurd to have Javert change his whole viewpoint and begin singing with the insurgents about “Will you join in our crusade?”
Oh, yes, the overture was pretty cool. We weren’t able to watch the end credits the first time we saw this movie, but I got the soundtrack and it’s beautiful. And of course, Aaron Tveit’s name (and Enjolras’) was up there, which is always good, and I have to admit that I giggled at Fra Fee. :D
So in summary…
“This movie. I liked it. Let’s watch it again.”
Yeah. Exactly.

…Wow, that was the longest comment I’ve ever written, bar none. But hey, it’s Les Mis, and I can be excused for rambling when it’s Les Mis. Wonderful review!

Miss Jane Bennet said...

That was in three parts- I couldn't tell you at the end of each one 'cause that made it too long. It was kind of like your review, actually. :D
Anyway...great review- I can't wait to see what other people comment! :)

Miss Jane Bennet said...

OK, so I think I've commented five times now on one post. But somehow I forgot to subscribe to future comments on the other four, so I am doing so now. :)

Miss Dashwood said...

Alex,
Okay, so to each his own and all that, but I must defend Marius at least a little bit... he cried a LOT during Empty Chairs, and even if some of the time it looked like he was smiling, that's the way some people cry. I mean, you can't say he didn't put emotion into the song.
Anne Hathaway was indeed good, but what about Eponine and Enjolras and the Bishop? There were other splendid performances too-- she wasn't the ONLY one.
As for the thought that came into your head... hate is a strong word and I don't hate you for it, but...
*indignant silence*
Comparing Enjo to Percy is never a bad thing but I must say I didn't find the scenario particularly humorous. You can just picture me scowling while you're rolling on the floor laughing and Enjolras is falling dead out the window. >.<

Anne-girl,
Okay, then. :D "EVERYBODY LISTEN UP, ANNE-GIRL QUOTED COURFEYRAC AT A BASEBALL GAME!" Now are you embarrassed? :P
I know, I LOVE that picture!
Awww, you never noticed the red in the cart? I thought I pointed it out last time.
And wait, why am I Pip? I thought you were Pip and I was Herbert.

Miss Dashwood said...

Miss Jane Bennet,
Prepare for a long reply. :D
Well, I didn't want to clog the whole post with Aaron pictures, seeing as there were a lot in Part Two already. ;)
I squealed a little at your Jeeves quote. "I will not have you editing my upper lip!" :P
HAHAHAHA about Marius thinking morbid thoughts. I liked your paraphrase even if it wasn't exact. :D
Unfortunately the version of POTO with Killian isn't available to watch, since it wasn't recorded, but I think there are some audio bootlegs on Youtube if you want to hear him sing All I Ask of You.
It isn't wrong that you giggled at my Tom Hooper harangue. That was what it was for. ;)
I did indeed edit the Javert/Gav pic-- glad you liked it! And awww, Gavroche was indeed the little boy who never grew up. He's actually a lot like Peter Pan if you think about it. Personality-wise, I mean.
Oh, was it a National Guard? Oh, well, it's still sad. It's kind of a shame that no one feels really bad about the deaths of the soldiers-- they had families and friends too, and were just doing their job, and THEY got killed.
Actually it's supposed to be Enjo's mother and Combeferre's wife... I don't think Grantaire's sister is included. Ha, I took a "which Mary-Sue character in Les Mis are you?" quiz once and it turns out I was Grantaire's sister, who died of TB when she was a teenager and Grantaire never got over her death and that's why he took to drinking. Which is sad, but also kind of stupidly funny.
I did like having the grandfather in the movie, but I wish he hadn't been in Every Day... he doesn't belong there and he made it hard to hear the real lyrics.
Girl, your wedding is your wedding. Wear what you want when you get married, and if what you want is an 1830's dress, go for it!!!
Yeah, I think it would have been odd to have Javert on the barricade... he's not in the finale in the musical, and that's sad, but it makes sense.
Thanks so much for your long comment! :D

Caroline L. said...

(Is it just me, or is blogger allowing fewer and fewer words in a comment?)

Anyway.

What? This is your last Les Mis movie review post already? I've enjoyed them so much! They get me so excited that I purposely didn't read it last night because I knew I'd get too worked up to sleep.

The whole "Do You Hear the People Sing" and barricade building was beyond fabulous. WOW.

Hadley was so great. The captain of the guard is always a "bad" guy for threatening the barricaders, but Hadley made him so sympathetic and precious, with big tears in his eyes.The mustache helped a lot, too. Yes, I got SO VERY excited when his face popped up on screen. I was in a theatre, so all I could do was let out a little squeak of joy.

I really like the Marius with the torch bit. Way to be a man, Marius! Hehehe... your description of Enjolras! I always interpreted his look as his being stunned and shocked by Marius's bravery and quick-thinking. But, agreed, Combeferre's "my life is not yours to risk" line isn't Combeferre-y at all. I missed it the first time I saw the movie, I just noticed he was shouting, but the 2nd time I heard what he as yelling. It just doesn't mesh with everything else his character is. So, I just choose to ignore it. The general procedure when I don't like something. ;]

A LITTLE FALL OF RAIN! It is sosososo tragically beautiful. The way Sam and Eddie played it was perfection. I was so caught up in the moment, that I DIDN'T EVEN NOTICE THE CUT LINES. This coming from the girl who notices every. single. changed. everything. It was THAT good. Of course, I was bawling. And then Gavroche's tear. I nearly exploded with grief.That whole scene was brilliant in its tragicness.

HA! HA! Comberre's sympathy with Javert in the noose! Hahahahahahahaha! XD

Ah, "Drink with Me." That was the most upsetting (in not a good way) about the film. They cut out lines and parts here and there, but what I missed most was Grantaire's part of DwM (and Valjean's final promise to dead Fantine: "and this I swear to you tonight (there is no place for you to hide), your child will live within my care (where ever you may hide away), and I will raise her to the light. This I swear, I will be there. SUCH a shame that was cute. Those few lines are so powerful). But back to Grantaire. I felt they really handicapped his character by stealing those few lines from him, and I never felt like I got to know him well enough before his heroic death. *sigh* I was delighted to see that tiny clip in the youtube video, though.

Cannot bring myself to talk much about the fighting and dying and heartbreaking part. I sobbed straight through the entire sequence. And I have never seen Les Mis live (yet), so I didn't know that Enjolras falls dies draped over the barricade with the flag, and thus, did NOT AT ALL expect his death to be so heart-wrenching in the movie. It took me completely off guard, and my sobbing simply increase in volume.

Caroline L. said...

THE DEAD STUDENTS AND EPONINE AND GAVROCHE LAID ALL IN A ROW. *weep* And Eponine was next to her brother. *tears tears*

*Breathe, breathe* *okay*

The sewers! I actually never thought about how disgusting and claustrophobic and vomit-inducing the trip through the sewer system must have been. And it makes Jean Valjean all the more angelic in my eyes. And, I must say, Hugh's facial expression when he FINALLY makes is out of the muck pipes into the open air, and there Javert is above him is PRICELESS. You can tell he is just thinking "OOOOOH, GREEEEEEEEEAT. NOT YOUUUUU." Hehe. But seriously, Javert looks so imposing and frightening (and clean) there.

But, I must say, that with all our talk of missing things the movie left out, I was extreeeemly grateful not to have to sit through Thenardier's sewer song. That is the most disgusting song ever, and I can almost forgive Tom Hooper for other things since he cut this song. Ug! Good call, good call.

Oh, Eddie, Eddie, Eddie. I *never* (ahem) doubted him. He IS Marius. He is pain for his best friends in "Empty Chairs" is tangible! And I ADORED how Cosette appears, coming up the stairs at the end of the song to bring him home (literally *sob*). Their love is also so very real.

Well, agreed on the Grandpa and Valjean in "Everyday." What is with the Grandpa singing there, anyway? No one cares about him! He is distracting us from the really important people. Valjean was a tad too loud, granted, but Cosette and Marius were TOTES ADORBS. So squiggly cute!!!! (Everything about them together is cute, yes, but this is precious).

Valjean's confession - ALWAYS makes me well up in tears. Valjean, how can you be so heart-rendingly noble? And Marius was wonderful. I liked how he came all dressed up for his chat with papa-in-law, right before his wedding. Too cute.

All this little scenes between the confession and the wedding broke my heart. Cosette missing her father, Marius comforting, but trying not to break his promise, and VALJEAN, LONELY AND SICK (WAAAAAAH!!!). The snippit where he drops his trunk and sinks down just KILLS me. He is slowly dying and is alone, missing his little girl who he gave and didn't tell her, trying to make her life better, so he'll just quietly leave and die, and everything is so SAD.

*composes self*

*more*

*okay*

Caroline L. said...

Yes, Cosette's wardrobe is glorious. She is so beautiful. Just me, or does her wedding dress seem just slightly pink?

Haha! YAY for Marius! It's high time Thenardier got a punch in the kisser! And I loved how they both get kicked out. No beggars at the feast here, thankyouverymuch.

THIS. THIS IS THE EPILOGUE TO END ALL EPILOGUES. This is the zenith of the film, for me. I knew everyone was fabulous before, but at the end: WOW. Valjean broke my heart. He pleas to God and his love for Cosette...no words. Marius was so loving and humble. And COSETTE. Blowing out of the water is too weak to describe her here. (Yes, I burst with tears at the nose boop. Could not hold it in any longer. The tenderness and understanding between the two of them, ohmygoodness.).

*hughs* Ooopsie. I mean *hugs*, but *hughs* works, too. We're ALL in favor of Hugh right now.

FANTINE. ANNE HATHAWAY DESERVES EVERY BIT OF THAT OSCAR. (hehe... buzz cut in heaven. Funny, that).

And we see the Bishop again! My face was a waterfall here.

YES! Marius hears the people singing! I know he does!

AND THE FINAL BARRICADE *tears and squees and joy and sobs*

GAAAAAASP.

*...*

*...*

*exhales*

WHAAAAT? MARIUS AND COSETTE ON THE BARRICADE????

I never noticed this. O my word. This is so much more beautiful than I even knew. Tom Hooper, forgive anything I ever said about you that wasn't least bit glowing.

THE OVERTURE. YESSSSSS. FINALLY!!!! LIFE IS FULL AND GOOD. There is now a piece of music with a glorious, soul-lifting medley of Les Miserables songs. (I listen to it and cry and smile and laugh as I do the dishes)

Aaron Tveit.

Amen.

Alexander said...

Wow I came back this morning and was like....oh that must of hurt :) But you have to keep in mind that it was 1:00 last night *hides as miss dashwood loads a shotgun* and I was slap happy.

As for eponine I wasn't really crazy about her. When she sang it was like some parts with Valjean where you could hear them struggling to belt it out.

I still and don't think I will ever like marius :)

I was ok with Enjo. not bad but not great either.

I think the bishop was very good. Some how I forgot about him.

Alexander said...

Oh I just remembered I was watching the young victoria and Lord melbourne reminds be just the way he looks like enjo. I don't mean that in a insulting way (since melbourne was kinda of the bad guy).

Kirsten Fichter said...

Is it fair to say that once upon a time I didn't care much for Les Mis (hold the tomatoes, I'm not finished yet!!), but after seeing it and reading your reviews, it is quickly increasing in my opinion? Like, *really* increasing?

Anywho, I love how you love the brick references. And I also love that my sister gave me the brick for Christmas, so now I can read it and look for all the references myself. :)

You're right about Marius... I didn't like him at all in the musical (and no, we're not being biased because you-know-who played him in the 25th... but that's not bias... that's common sense), but he seemed almost like an entirely different person in the film. But a real person. He had more than one side. He was still the lover boy and filled with thoughts of Cosette, but you also saw the fire of the rebellion, the bravery of the fight, and the loyalty to his fellows. He's not a wimpy character. Not by any stretch of the imagination. Granted, he may not sing as well as MB, but he really stepped into the role very well. And okay, I'll admit it... his head-shaking vibrato made me laugh.

Also the line "what have I told you about playing with matches..." Haha! :D

AND CAPS LOCK IS ACCEPTABLE. THIS IS LES MIS. YOU CAN NEVER HAVE TOO MUCH CAPS LOCK. There. ;)

Bother, now I'm all distracted. The real reason I'm visiting your blog was to inform you that my friend Kathryn of Hidden Orchards has published her book, Christmas at the Tittletons, and to respectfully request that you participate in a tag for the festivities. All the information is in this post (http://liannetaimenlore.blogspot.com/2013/09/christmas-at-tittletons-release-tag-and.html). Thanks!

Katelyn said...

In which I give you a mental huge *hug*

Back to the post.Please forgive me if I trip around and comment on different sections.

'Do You hear the People Sing?' is one of my favorite songs from this version. I get stuck in my head and wonder around humming it all the time! Just goes to show they did a good job...

I had to really look at the Captain's picture before I recognized Hadley Fraser. Wow! He did an amazing job with this minor character. And that is definitely an Oscar-winning mustache.

I LOVE Cosette's wardrobe! That picture with Valjean carrying her away from the T's and then crying when re-united with Valjean.....oh, the tears! To sad....

Gavroche's death was so sad! I really started bawling at this scene. And yes, I also love the fact that Javert pinned his medal on Gavroche's chest. Tissues, please.

To put it simply, I cried during most of these scenes. The emotion during the barricade and attacks was (mostly) well portrayed and acted out.

I also think Fantine's hair should have grown to at LEAST her shoulders, instead of still being a buzz-cut.

Thanks for yet another extremely well-thought out post! I always look forward to them and finding out what topic you've picked.

Miss Dashwood said...

Caroline,
It's not just you, I think Blogger is stingier than it used to be. Shnibbles.
Aww, I'm so glad you've enjoyed this series! I had fun writing it. :D
Ha, very true that the Marius-torch bit gave Marius a chance to act like a man. It was his first real "okay I'mma do something mighty now" moment, come to think of it.
Ha, I like your procedure when you don't like something. Sounds like mine.
I knowwwww, Gavroche's TEAR. Gah. I SO wish they hadn't cut the line where he tells Courf that she was his sister.
YES! You really don't get a good enough picture of Grantaire's character without his lines in DWM. Obviously brick-fans already know all about him but the casual moviegoer doesn't, so his death with Enjolras at the end wouldn't be half as heartwrenching. Argh.
GIrl, you need to see Les Mis live. Like, ASAP. Because it is PHENOMENAL.
Haha, yeah, Valjean's face when he sees Javert above the sewer... and Javert's squeaky-clean uniform. It's an excellent scene. Sans the grossness. Haha.
YES, I am SO glad that stupid Dog Eats Dog was cut. Yucko.
And I loved how Cosette was there at the end of Empty Chairs too. So sweet.
YES! That snippet where Valjean drops the trunk! Gutwrenching because you remember how strong he used to be and now he can't even lift a piece of luggage. I firmly maintain that dragging Marius through all that gunk did some damage to his heart and sped up his death. (So in a way he gave his life for Marius as well, SOB.)
The wedding dress is indeed pale pink! It appears white in the end scene, though. I think it's the lighting.
Haha, your hugs typo made me giggle.
Aaron Tveit indeed. Amen and amen. :D

Miss Dashwood said...

Alex,
Me? Load a shotgun simply because someone left a blog comment I didn't agree with? *in Mad Hatter voice* "Now let's not be SILLY!"
Leaving blog comments at 1 AM? Tsk, tsk. You ought to be in bed.
Well, I personally don't think Samantha Barks has any trouble whatsoever with belting, but hey, different tastes.
Wait, you don't like Marius as a character, or you just don't like Eddie Redmayne?
*studiously ignores the remark about Enjo not being great*
The bishop was of course good. It's Colm. He can't be anything BUT good.
As for Enjo looking like Lord Melbourne... hey, now that you mention it, where IS my shotgun?
Kidding. Melbourne's hair might just the teensiest bit resemble Enjo's but the similarity (if it exists) ends there. I actually think Melbourne looks like Doc Baker from Little House.

Kiri,
Well, I'm thrilled to hear your opinion of Les Mis is improving! Huzzah!
"That's not bias, that's common sense." HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Indubitably. And Marius is indeed a very three-dimensional character. It's a shame when only one of his sides gets portrayed, in any adaptation.
Thanks for tagging me!

Katelyn,
Awww, thanks for the hug! *hugs back*
Yep, I cried during most of the scenes too. You're in good company. *hands tissues*
And yeah, Fantine's hair didn't need to grow ALL the way back, but it would have been nice if some of it had been restored. She has a different dress on, after all. One would think her hair could have been changed as well.
Thanks for your comment-- so glad you liked the post!

Alexander said...

I do not like Eddie Redmayne. I think the tenth anniversary marius was great. But Eddie...can't sing. and he looks like a child.

Alexandra said...

That kid who commented? He's not my brother. I disowned him many years ago - and we share the same birthday, so it was not an painless thing to do - when we made fun of Sir Percy. Any opinions expressed by him are not my views and all that.

ENJOENJOENJO.

Cough. Ahem.

I love how 3/4 of the pictures are Enjo. Verrrry appropriate, I approve.

I was going to say something about the barricades being so small, but then...am I presumptuous to assume that I was the one who said that? Because I remember referencing it. :P

Don't bash Javerrrrrrt. He wasn't awesome, but I liked him. :P

No, no, Enjo was all, MY TORCH, MARIUS. Like, don't take the attention away from ME, I am Enjo the Awesome One. *swoon*

Aaron, your hair, your hair... *swoons again*

Dishonor on Enjo's cow made me explode, by the way.

Yes, yes, yes, Little Fall of Rain, hated it was cut...but still sweet...

THROWS TOMATOES HOW DARE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!! NO ONE CARES WHEN THEY BELT IT ON STAGE!!!!!! SUSPENSION OF BELIEF, PEOPLES!!!!!!

"We're the only ones left..." SOB SOB SOB. And the look on his face when Gavroche starts singing.

WHY DID YOU POST THAT PIC OF ENJO DRAGGING WOUNDED PEEPS THAT MAKES ME CRYYYYYYYYY EVERY TIME I SEE IT OR THE SCENE?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! I DIE, I DIE, I DIEEEEEEE. OH I DIE, I DIE. I AM DEAD, I AM DEAD, I AM SOOOOOOOO DEAD!!!!!

(Curse you Tom Hooper for your emotional traumatizing, by the way. You're almost as bad as Stephen Moffat. Like the whole Jehan bit...I DIED the first time at the theater.)

And the bit where they're trapped in the tavern....ENJYYYYY. Also poor other peeps.

And The Death. Was SO epic in its tragicness. I was so sad he wasn't going to be flopping over Enjolrasing on the barricade...and then they did That and I was just like, IF YOU MUST DIE, IT IS AN EPIC WAY TO GO. Also the adorable Aaron interview. And the socks and shirts for Christmas. Which have nothing to do with the topic. Moving on.

Did you read that thing about Tom Hooper telling Aaron and Hadley that Enjo and soldier were playmates as kids? Verrrrry interesting and awful and sad and cool.

Good points on Javert...LOVED the medal bit. And I thought the sewers were awesome, because they made Valjean so awesome because it was like, LOOK WHAT HE IS DOING BECAUSE HE LOVES HIS DAUGHTER SO MUCH.

And Javert's suicide...I agree, it wasn't the best. There. Andrew Valera's was.

I've never heard the Enjo's mother thing...weird.

Empty Chairs...TOTALLY redeemed Eddie (as if he needed redeeming by that point). And yes, I was half expecting for Aaron to pop up and belt out "I'm Alive." :P

STOP PICKING ON MY DARLING HUGHEY. STAHHHHHHHHHP.

Blah blah, blah blah...wedding was adorable...I *loved* how Marius punched them....like, finally!...and how they were kicked out. Cuz it made NO SENSE, honestly, in the movie how they're eating the cake while the bride and groom are gone.

YES TO THE BOOP. SOB.

*I* happen to LOVE allllll the changes to the epilogue. I think it's better than the stage. Although the house of candles is a hoot. :P And hey, it's saying a lot coming from this Fantine idolizer. :P

And I *might* have squealed every time His Name came on the screen at the theater...even if I wasn't a rabid fan then. It still made me happy. Premonition of Things to Come.

Great review. NEED TO GET MINE UP, GAH. Loved it! :)

Hannah said...

I guess I'll leave the more eloquent responses to other people but just to say... thank you sooo much for writing this amazing three-part review! And I truly do mean "amazing"! What you've written is so incredibly passionate and detailed and I've agreed with almost everything you've written. Well done Miss Dashwood : ) *claps*

Miss Dashwood said...

Alex,
All right, well, we'll agree Michael Ball is great and leave it at that. (AndEddieRedmaynedoesnotlooklikeachild.)

Ally,
Goodness, no, I never suspected such a thing. Any remark making fun of Enjolras or (heaven forbid) Sir Percy could never issue from a blood relation of yours. The thought is unthinkable. Which reminds me that I have a brother to disown, too. I've let his nonsense go on for long enough. *disowns brother*
Okay, now that that's done with I can respond to your deeeeeelightful comment. I am glad you approve the pictures. I thought of you while choosing them. :D
You are not presumptuous at all, and yep, you were the one who said the thing about the wee barricades.
I am not BASHING Javerrrrrrrt. I am merely giving him some tough love. It was a good performance... to a certain extent... all right, it was an okay performance. It was not the worst ever. Let us always remember that it could have been Nick Jonas in Russell Crowe's place, after all. *shudder*
Hahahahahahaha about the torch. And I'm so glad the cow joke gave you a laugh.
HEY NOW. I am NOT bashing belting. NOT. AT. ALL. I am merely saying that Jackman's voice is just SO TOTALLY NOT designed for belting. He just doesn't sound good when he belts. And that song was too high for him. Period. End of story.
I posted the pic of Enjo dragging wounded peeps (that's Pierre, btw, the one I named and adopted) because I like seeing your reaction. Cough. Um, I mean, because that is one of his best moments, gutwrenching though it might be. It's so very Enjolras.
Enjolrasing on the barricade... loved that. It should be a verb.
YES, read the thing about the soldier and Enjo being playmates! Deep stuff. Loved it.
Andrew Varela's suicide was the be-all, end-all. Amen and amen.
I know your opinion on the changes to the epilogue... and I totally see where you're coming from... but from a purely subjective point of view I prefer the stage version. Heehee.
YES YOU NEED TO GET YOURS UP GAH. It's been EIGHT MONTHS since you saw the thing, girl. :D

Indigo Montoya,
Thank YOU so much for reading the whole long-drawn-out thing! I had tremendous fun writing it and it's very rewarding to hear someone liked it. Thanks so much!!

Alexander said...

What is this Eddie thing? HE LOOKS LIKE A CHILD! Enjo was right!...."is it simply a game for rich YOUNG boys to play"
(see even enjo knew he was a little kid) :)

Alexandra said...

Alex, go home. You have no idea what you're talking about!!

Miss Dashwood said...

Alex,
Well, yes, Marius IS supposed to be younger than Enjo. But that doesn't mean Eddie Redmayne actually looks like a child. He just looks... young for his age.

Ally,
*sits back and eats popcorn while watching the sibling argument unfold-- or what would be a sibling fight if one of the party hadn't been disowned*

Alexander said...

*plays the guilt trip card* Ally I have never disowned you...even when you like people like TSP I prayed God would convict you of your sins :)

The funny thing is Ally a couple of mnths ago you told me that you didn't like him....hmm..........

Alexandra said...

Oh, I'll welcome the prodigal brother home when he sees the light, never fear. And I mean, when I was a child I didn't understand these things, so...as for Eddie...I didn't like him. I changed my mind. That happens. :P

Bella said...

Siblings...who needs them? *stands up and waves* I do! :D Hehee, I had no idea about this....little uh....'debate' going on with my two siblings, very interesting. I would state my views on the mater but I fear I would be bulldozed from each side :P Besides, they both know my views, so what's the point in starting another 'debate' I really have no time :P JK. I actually need to post so I will just leave the 'debating' to you two, adios!

-Belle

p.s Very fun to watch I must say! ;)

The Twisted Red LadyBug / Anda Alexandra said...

love! Love! LOVE! your comments on the movie :D

Unknown said...

I loved the film, I thought it was just amazing, the casting, the voices, everything. Just wonderful. I am currently looking at theatre tickets London to go and see the show! I can't wait

Meredith said...

Hello! I've seen your blog floating around the blogging sphere, but hadn't found a chance to check it out, yet. I realize you posted this a while ago, but I read all three parts to this review and I agree with so much of it, that I hope you don't mind if I drop by with my thoughts:)


First of all, I like how you said that the first thing you saw was the menu, because I was far too young to see Les Mis when it came out in theaters, so it was only a few nights ago that I watched it and the same was true. The menu. Multiple times. :D

Wow, you don't hate Russel Crowe's Javert! To me, he was just about perfect(despite his somewhat lacking singing abilities).

And I love what you said about wishing Fantine's hair had grown back before the end, because I was hoping for the same thing. So sad:(

I agree that the movie did well to follow the book where it could. Obviously, there's no way a movie under three hours could even approach addressing all the plot twists and turns, but they crammed a remarkable amount of book-details in.

Anyways, good review!!

Unknown said...

As with part two of this, I know I'm coming into this really late but here are some more facts:
Enjolras did not deserve death.
When I first watched this I sobbed when Javert pinned his medal on.
Enjolras did not deserve death.
I also sobbed at the ending.
Enjolras was all happy at the ending but still he did not deserve death.
When the movie was finished I just started weeping and telling my mother all about the sad parts *Enjolras dying cough cough* even though she was there watching it with me and has seen it like a bunch.
ENJ SHOULD NOT HAVE DIED.
Curse you Victor Hugo. (But also not because you invented Enj in the first place).

(Have you ever seen that thing that says the barricade boys' idea of heaven is when all of France actually stood up for them instead of leaving them to die, which is why at the end thousands of people are there? When I saw it I almost cried again because they were LEFT TO DIE AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH. Like when Jehan bangs on the door and cries it like wrenches my soul out like WHYYYYYY).

Also, according to Tom Hooper, when Marius looks up it is because he can hear the music at the end, not because he is imagining it. It's like half of him is there with his friends.

*Deep inhale*
*Goes off to obsess over Enjonine for several hours*