Les Miserables............film

I eventually went  ...... tried to keep an open mind ............. but where do I begin?

The sets and locations blew me away - I was expecting large, big, bigger but ....wow!  they were magnificent.  In my opinion it was worth going just to see them.









Bits had been added and bits left out but in my opinion this made the story more coherent.  The actors were magnificent, I have to say, as I did not expect much in the way of singing.  I knew that Hugh Jackman and Ann Hathaway could sing as I had heard them on the radio.

So shall we start with  the cast list  - remembering this is only my opinion -

Hugh Jackman - Jean Valjean

 Excellent - could not fault his acting or singing

Russell Crowe - Javert

Disappointing start, what I expected but......... but........ when it came to his main songs - WOW! - that man can sing!

 Anne Hathaway - Fantine

Excellent again

Isabelle Allen - Young Cosett

one of the best performance, singing wise, I have seen




Eddie Redmayne - Marius
Amanda Seyfried - Cosette

Lovely performances, excellent voices

Baron Cohen - Thenardier
Helena Bonham Carter - Madame Thenardier

good performances but not as 'up front' as in the stage shows so I was a little disappointed.

Aaron Tveit - Enjolras

Great voice, made it easier to understand why the students supported him although the few Irish accents in some of the students came as a shock!!!



and then there was this man..............

To you who are not fanatical Les Mis fans..........

This is the man who brought the role of Valjean to the stage in 1985.


I am so very pleased that Colm Wilkinson has been included in this film, he is soooo much a part of this show.  He has played various roles, when I saw him he was playing Javert!  His voice is ...............

Wikipedia tells it like this - 
The London production of Les Misérables opened in October 1985, and transferred to Broadway in March 1987.  Originally, the American Actors' Equity Association refused to allow Wilkinson to play the part of Valjean in New York, due to their policy of hiring only American actors.  At this, producer Cameron Mackintosh refused to open the show unless Wilkinson played Valjean, and Actors' Equity relented. 

Altogether an enjoyable time.  I would certainly go and see it again ........... hint ....hint