(no subject)

[telophase]

Just came back from Les Miserables.

I was surprised: Russell Crowe turns out to have a pleasant baritone. Alas, the role of Javert calls for a man with a sinister bass.

Toby also didn't realize that Les Mis was almost all singing and almost no spoken dialogue, and reports that about 2/3 of the way through he was "Someone just SAY something! Aaaauuugggh!!"

(We did enjoy it: me more so than Toby, but it's not Great Drama, mostly Great Melodrama. Like the stage version, really. :D)

Comments

[onthehill]

I enjoyed it too. Though I could have managed with fewer closeups of people's nostrils and tears and pores!

[riofriotex.livejournal.com]

Happy birthday!

[telophase.livejournal.com]

Thank you! :D

[tingirl.livejournal.com]

I *like* genuine melodrama; I think the problem with standard melodrama is that it aims too low and turns into bathos instead of pathos. If Les Mis is done right at all, it's grand enough to dodge that.

I just want to hear about someone besides Valjean/Javert/Fantine. The darn story has a cast of thousands! Students! Urchins! Stampeding Elephants!* Where's the comments on the revolutionaries or the kids?

I'm glad you got to see it for your birthday, though! It does seem very much an Event movie.

*Elephants not guaranteed.

[telophase.livejournal.com]

Hey, there were elephants! Elephant statues, at least.

I did warn Toby that the love story was boring and that all the interesting plot was between Valjean and Javert. The movie gave just about as much attention to the students and the urchins as the stage show does, which is just enough to intrigue you but not enough to answer any real questions or give an idea of who they are besides stereotypes. It's almost enough to make me want to read the book...until I remember that it's 1400 pages. (At least it should be up on Project Gutenberg.)

I was interested in seeing how theyw ere going to mark the dead people in the movie: onstage, if you see anyone wearing pure white, you know not to get too attached because they're going to die, and they're going to get a moment where the lights go dark and a spotlight goes on them as their white item of clothing blazes out on their dead body, but they strayed from that and dressed the doomed characters like anyone else.

[tingirl.livejournal.com]

I've read the book! It's worth it, but not a light endeavor, no. The students--and everyone not named "Marius" really- get much more time and exploration. Eponine's waaay more complex, so on, so on. I adore the musical as the best adaptation going, but of course some things have to be trimmed. I'm looking forward to seeing how the movie adapts *that*.

[lady-ganesh.livejournal.com]

Happy birthday!

I admit, movies where most of the dialogue is sung sort of annoy me, in part because I have trouble hearing what they're actually saying.