We went to see Les Miserable last night and I was pretty blown away. Les Mis has been my favorite musical for many years. I've heard the soundtrack from the original London cast more times than I can count and was privileged to catch the highly acclaimed International Cast at the Seoul Opera House when we lived in Korea. I had high expectations for the movie and I was not disappointed.
Some have criticized the singing, but I think that is wrong-headed. This is a MOVIE, not a Broadway production and the requirements are different. Movies are more intimate in some respect and acting is a lot more front-and-center than it is in a stage musical. People do not sing perfectly when they are highly emotional or dying. When the camera is in tight on the actor's face, emotional believability is more important than pitch. I found many of the performances powerful, with the clear stand-out being Anne Hathaway's I Dreamed a Dream. If that performance is not worthy of a Best Supporting Actress Oscar, I don't know what is.
Some have criticized the singing, but I think that is wrong-headed. This is a MOVIE, not a Broadway production and the requirements are different. Movies are more intimate in some respect and acting is a lot more front-and-center than it is in a stage musical. People do not sing perfectly when they are highly emotional or dying. When the camera is in tight on the actor's face, emotional believability is more important than pitch. I found many of the performances powerful, with the clear stand-out being Anne Hathaway's I Dreamed a Dream. If that performance is not worthy of a Best Supporting Actress Oscar, I don't know what is.
