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'Les Miserables' on film is not designed for the real fans

BY Tom Tangney  on December 21, 2012 @ 6:59 am (Updated: 7:09 am - 12/21/12 )

One of the most popular musicals of all time has finally made it to the big screen, more than 25 years after its stage debut.

"Les Miserables" is a stirring musical about social unrest in post-revolutionary France and stars Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe and Anna Hathaway.

But what a letdown. Speaking as a real fan of the musical "Les Miserables," I must say this film version is a huge disappointment.

The movie is much better seen than heard, and when you're talking about a musical, that can't be a good thing.

There is always a natural tension when casting a musical, or an opera for that matter. Do you prioritize the acting or the singing? In opera (for sure) and for stage musicals (usually,) singing tends to trump acting.

But when it comes to movie versions of said musicals, because of the increased attention to verisimilitude that movies bring, actors -- especially big name actors -- often get the nod over singers.

This explains casting atrocities like Marlon Brando in Guys and Dolls - Brando's simpering singing destroys one of the great roles in musical theater (Sky Masterson.)

On the flip side, when you cast strictly for voice rather than acting, you get a stiff like Richard Beymer in West Side Story, a singer whose acting is so bad his death in the show seems much less of a loss than its supposed to be.

In this film version of Les Miserables, director Tom Hooper clearly chooses actors over singers. I can only say I rue the day that decision was made.

Les Miz has one of the most soaring, semi-operatic scores in all of musical theater. But instead of cashing in on the romantic sweep of such music, Hooper decides to have the actors emote, or "act," all over the music, often to the detriment of that music. Sure, it may be more "realistic" in some sense, but a musical like Les Miz is heightened romanticism, not hyper-realism.

The most egregious example of this is Russell Crowe, cast as the villain Javert. Crowe is a heck of an actor and I realize he sings in a rock band, but he can't sing Javert who has a couple of magnificent arias.

Javert is the foil to the show's hero, Jean Valjean who in the movie is played by Hugh Jackman. Unlike Crowe, Jackman can really sing. He's a Tony-award winning musical star and a highly regarded movie actor - and he's not nearly as bad as Crowe. But even he underserves the role because he insists on "acting" instead of "singing" too much of the time.

In his big climactic number "Bring Him Home," Jackman is clearly straining to hit the notes almost as desperately as Crowe does throughout.

Thankfully, not all the parts are disastrous. Anne Hathaway, as the unfortunate Fantine, manages a nice balance between "acting" the desperate destitute and "singing" just enough of the melody to make it pleasant to the ear. Eddie Redmayne, as the lover Marius, is also a welcome relief. And the comic relief roles played by Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter work perfectly.

Overall, this is definitely not a soundtrack people are going to want to listen to over and over again like fans did with the stage show. The movie looks great, so my suggestion would be to watch the movie with the sound down and listen to the stage version on your I-pod. Obviously, this will be easier once the film is out on DVD.

Tom Tangney, KIRO Radio Host
Tom Tangney is co-host of KIRO Radio's Seattle's Morning News and resident enthusiast of...everything. He loves books, movies, TV, art, pop culture, politic, sports, and Husky football.
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Comments (14)


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  • Bucket Dad wrote...
    As bad as...
    December 21, 2012 9:23 am
    ...Pierce Brosnan in Mama Mia?
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  • Stevebo wrote...
    Not sure anything could be worse than Pierce Brosnan in Momma Mia...
    December 21, 2012 10:45 am
    But that aside....

    Tom, I'm been listening to you bash this movie all morning on the radio and I can't help but to think that you're truly approaching the movie with a very closed mind given your love for the original musical.

    My wife and I have seen the original and have watched the broadway musical as well (it was amazing).

    Who are you to decide who is a "true fan" of the story? My wife and I are truly looking forward to what appears like a clearly different take on the story -and that's what I like about it.

    I haven't seen the movie yet... and clearly your song clips show Russell Crow as not having a "pretty" voice... but I'll bet the acting is amazing and THAT is what this movie brings as better than the original.

    I guess we'll see when my wife and I get a chance to see it - but I'm truly looking forward to it.

    By the way Tom, do you ever go and watch any of the movies at the iPic theater in Redmond? We LOVE that place - what a great place to watch a movie!

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  • TTangney wrote...
    Stevebo
    December 21, 2012 1:57 pm
    I think the headline (which I didn't write) gives you the wrong impression about me. I am NOT saying that true fans won't like this version. I'm saying that I didn't like it because I thought it shortchanged the best thing about the show, which is the music. I fully admitted on the air a number of times that I was approaching the film from the perspective of a fan of the stage version. I also said I was very open to the possibility that some people might even prefer the movie's approach, especially if they didn't know the music very well. In fact, Luke Burbank told me he kinda preferred the movie clips I played to the stage clips. And also, just to make sure I wasn't unfairly prejudiced against the movie by my love for the stage version, I saw it a second time. Although I can respect Hooper for making the movie the way he wanted to, I think he made a mistake with this particular material. And yes, I've been to the iPic in Redmond. Very nice but it's a bit pricey for me. ipic
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  • Stevebo wrote...
    RE: Tom
    December 21, 2012 2:25 pm
    Hey Tom - thanks for the clarification.

    And your explanation is fair enough... and for the record, I do at least understand where you're coming from (though I still may contend that you might be letting your love for the original bias you slightly) - although also in retrospect my use of the word "bash" may have been a bit heavy-handed. ;)

    Either way, it seems like this movie is a a different take - and my wife and I (especially my wife) remain excited to see it. We absolutely adore the broadway musical and are definite fans of Le Mis.

    The advantage is that you've seen it and I can only speculate. For myself, the idea of a stronger "acting" component seemed like a good idea - but perhaps I may feel more like you when we see it (that is, if the poorer production of singing truly is as distracting as you suggest).

    And I understand about iPic. We also don't go regularly. It's more of a "special treat" type of thing for us given the higher price... but it sure is a nice pampering way to see a movie from time to time.

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  • Snout wrote...
    The "real" fans?
    December 23, 2012 1:24 am
    You mean those who read and enjoyed Victor Hugo's novel? You can't be referring to the hipsters and limp-wristed types who see musicals as high art. Right?
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  • maplefish wrote...
    Snout
    December 23, 2012 2:25 pm
    Ok- that made me laugh!
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  • Heidi from KY wrote...
    Snout -- The "Real" Fans
    December 24, 2012 5:43 am
    I loved the novel. And also put in the basket old hippies who are in their 50's!!
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  • Country_Dog wrote...
    Duh
    December 23, 2012 7:07 am
    Anything that celebrates a tyrannical revolution and calls itself miserable is going to be bad.
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  • Nicole_em wrote...
    Misleading title
    December 23, 2012 9:27 pm
    I really think the title of the article is wrong. It's disappointing for you. And it's really hard to take this review serious from someone who liked the final twilight movie.
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  • hrlincon wrote...
    "REAL" fans?
    December 28, 2012 11:51 am
    I've seen the stage production 3 times. Each time there were parts of the singing that were not right, not up to the standards of the studio recorded album. Even though I'm a conservative who doesn't support elitism I feel that I DO qualify as a "REAL" fan. And I found the movie to be WONDROUS! And every single person in the men's room after the movie was sniffling. Apparently THEY were moved by the movie and isn't that the true test?
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  • cigarfan wrote...
    I DISAGREE WITH TANGNEY
    December 30, 2012 12:00 am
    I thought this film of the Musical was incredible! I can't think of a film that induced in me more tears and heart-felt emotion (by tragic circumstances) than this one. GO SEE IT!
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  • Jillayne Schlicke wrote...
    The worst movie I have ever seen
    December 30, 2012 5:47 pm
    Tom, Tom, Tom, Why, why, why did I not listen to your advice and avoid this movie? I don't care about the $11. I do care about the 3 hours of my life that I will never get back. I will save anyone reading this $11. Everyone dies and sings a long, drawn out 20 minute tortuous death song. Death, destruction, war, disease, famine, poverty, shame, guilt, tortured souls and no uplifting ending. Whose idea was this for a movie? Anne Hathaway, billed as a lead character dies within the first 25 minutes! What was the director thinking casting Russell Crowe in that part? I'm going to burn sage and watch Joseph Kahn's movie Detention, Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later, and Silence of the Lambs to cleanse my soul.
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  • Stevebo wrote...
    Jillayne...
    January 3, 2013 9:33 am
    Given your response, it seems as if you weren't familiar with Les Miserable before you saw it.

    It's a shame that you seem to have missed out on the overall theme of redemption - which is what the story is all about in the end.

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  • Stevebo wrote...
    As a side note.. my wife and I saw the movie last weekend.
    January 3, 2013 9:36 am
    I am really glad we did. It was very good.

    I agree that it definitely wasn't nearly as "pretty" as the broadway production... or the previous movie - but the acting was very well done and the story was excecuted extremely well in my opinion.

    I think the key for me was to not expect the "polished" singing that one would expect from a standard musical. Instead, the acting took hold and I think virtually all of the actors did a wonderful job.

    I found myself much more emotionally engaged in this version than I ever did with the previous movie or broadway production.

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