Les Miserables 2012 Movie Review Part Two

So, now we're in Paris, ten years later, in the midst of unrest and upheaval. 'Look Down' reprise was so cool. There's Enjolras, the leader of the June Rebellion and the leader of the Friends of the ABC, with Marius Pontmercy. More on them later.

Gavroche's verses were funny and cute but tough at the same time. Basically he'd been kicked out by his parents, the dreadful Thenardiers Tweedledumbs and has had to fend for himself most of his life. He's not one of Dickens' pitiful orphans. He is a 'gamin' as Victor Hugo calls him. I think Daniel Huttlestone did a great job of portraying him.

Aaaaand now we come to my second favourite character of all. Eponine Thenardier. Why do they keep popping up? Samantha Barks probably has the best female lead voice in the movie. Although since when does this rhyme? "Plotting to overthrow the state?.....Come on, I know your grandpa's rich."

'Red and Black' was SO COOL. They're all such great actors and singers. You can tell what each person's (Enjolras, Marius, Grantaire) motives and feelings are by just their expressions. Plus it's one of my favourite songs.

Pretty much all Enjolras is focusing on is the revolution. We were watching this with my parents and uncle and when Marius was singing "She was just like a ghost to me" and Enjolras started striding over we all giggled. Poor Marius! But seriously, I love Enjolras. I like book-Enjolras better than the one in the movie, but Aaron Tveit did an amazing job. And he has by far the best male vocals in the movie. Miss Jane Bennet, my lovely blogging friend over at Classic Ramblings has written a superb post about Enjolras here. Please check it out. My views exactly. 

Basically what these guys are trying to accomplish is a hopeless dream. They know they're going to die, that the world will never be perfect as they see it. But they're not afraid. They're making their point.

Anyway, enough with the philosophical. I don't know all the names of the barricade boys, so I will concentrate on the major ones.

Grantaire is the only one who isn't in the cause. But he's funny and cheerful, although he has his faults. Apathy and drinking.way.too.much. But he redeems himself in the end, wait and see. George Blagden did a great job of portraying him as a joky, careless guy who doesn't live for anything. The only thing he believes in is Enjolras.

Courfeyrac was funny and sang well. I loved how he and Gavroche had a brotherly relationship. But what's up with the Irish accent? ''We need as mooch furnitcha as ye can throo doown!" He was good though. Also best friends with Marius(we're getting to him).

Combeferre is really cool, esp. in the book, although to be honest, none of the barricade boys had enough screen time. 

"One minute there, then they were gone!"

'Heart Full of Love' was amazing. Such good singers. And Eponine was just standing there watching......awwww.....

Speaking of which.......now we come to Marius. Eddie Redmayne has a good voice, although it's too soft and high sometimes, and he captures the dreamy-lovestruck-slash-determined-fighter character well. Buuuut....the book says he's supposed to be very handsome, with "intensely black hair"!!! This Marius didn't fit the description very well, which is a pity, cause I really like him. But he and Cosette were such a sweet couple. Sorry, Marius fans. *ducks*

Amanda Seyfried as the older Cosette was incredibly sweet and pretty. Now she's grown up with her adoptive father Valjean who denies her nothing.....oh, the irony, Eponine!! No wonder the girl was jealous. 

Cosette is one of my favourite characters. I was impressed with her singing, too, as I know it's a soprano part but Seyfried is an alto. She managed it really well, although some of the high notes didn't quite cut it.

"On My Own" was heartbreaking. It is one of my favourites and the way Eponine sings it is so powerful. 

"But don't you think she needs a more substantial shawl, Emma?" Sorry. Random Emma quote.

She's in  nothing but rags and soaking wet and she's still beautiful!!

Anyway, so I thought I'd be able to cover the whole rest of the movie in one post (heh heh...) but I find myself pressed for time so I will stop here. Goodbye!!

Next time....

Eponine's Epic Scream

Javert, Put Gavroche Down!

In Which Everyone Throws Furniture Around

The General's Awful Mustache

How Basically Everyone Died

I Cried.

The End. What? It's Over Already??

Les Miserables 2012 Movie Review Part One!!!

"I did not live until todaaaaaaaay"

(well, to be exact, I watched it last Saturday, but I'm still watching it inside my head. Know what I mean?)

Moving on.

Where do I start? My mum bought this movie one day and for a couple of weeks my sister and I were going crazy waiting to FINALLY SEE IT AND IT WAS SO EPIC. 

Anyway, I'll start by saying that I have read the book and all, but this is my first time seeing a musical adaptation. I knew some of the songs and that, but not all of them and I was basically listening to them all week before I could see it on the screen.

"Look Down" was amazing. The whole ship-and-ropes-and-grunting and singing was incredible. Hugh Jackman was pretty good, but he seems to sing each song in a different voice.

I had been warned about Russell Crowe's awful voice. I was dreading it, but seriously it wasn't all that bad.....but the way he belts out "FIVE years for WHAT you did.....therestbecauseyou TRIED to run...." sounded like he was giving himself a sore throat. And since when is 'itinerary' pronounced 'itinery'???

COME ON.

The Bishop has always been one of my favourite characters.....he's so gentle and kind, and the film really shows how he reaches out to Valjean and shows him love that he's never experienced before. The love of God is life-changing.

The scene in the church with that random effigy was slightly unnerving but well sung I thought.(btw, I don't know all the names of the songs.)

So. Now he's a well-respected Mayor and in a sense above Javert which is highly ironic.

"You forget yourself."

"Forgive me."

'At the End of the Day' was great. Those nasty factory women. Fantine has sinned in her youth and is paying the consequences. Getting her fired is not going to help her. I have to say that Anne Hathaway was AMAZING. I loved her voice, loved the emotion and pathos she brought to the role. (Just so ya know, we skipped 'Lovely Ladies' and in the process, sadly missed 'I Dreamed a Dream'. But I have listened to it a gazillion times and it is tearjerking.)

Fantine's death was so pitiful. The whole Valjean/Javert fighting in a hospital ward room thing was slightly weird but well sung. 'Stars' was probably Javert's best song. It made you understand that Javert thinks he is doing right to chase Valjean down until he gets him. 

Now for the most despicable characters in the show.

No. We did not watch Master of the House. Thankyou.

My sister and I have affectionately(not) denoted M. and Mme. Thenardier as "Tweedledumb" and "Tweedledumber." But not in that order. I thought they were pretty close to the book but Thenardier wasn't as smart and conniving as he is in the book. These two are horridly entertaining and wear too much makeup.

Which. of course, by contrast, makes this little one seem even more cutesy than she is. And she is adorably cute. (shecansingbetterthanican.) I loved 'Castle on a Cloud' and how you get to see her and Eponine as kids and how differently they're treated and you can understand them when they're older and all.....and the rag doll thing was cute.

I need a new word that means the same thing as 'cute.' Because how else can I describe Valjean and Cosette's father/daughter relationship? And how she absolutely trusts him...funny, if I'd grown up with the Tweedledumbs, I would not.trust.anyone.

The abbey was cool, and how Valjean and Fauchelevent recognized eachother. The chase with Javert was quite neat too.

AAAAAAaaaand next time, Part Two!

A trailer of the next post:

Fangirling over Enjolras, Gavroche, Marius, and Basically All of the Barricade Boys.

Why I Like Enjolras Better than Marius.

How Eponine is AMAZING.

How I Cried.

And, of course, more levelheaded musings over the costumes and songs.

The Costumes of Cranford~ Miss Pole

Yay, now we get to my favourite character!! Miss Pole! 

This dress has a large lace collar and belt in a similar style to Mary's-see previous post. It seems to be a brown/cream/pale pink print. The belt is sort of checked. 

Here she wears the same collar, I think, but the dress is more elaborate. It appears to be a brown silk with a green and red pattern and pointed tape trimming along the edges of the shoulders and front. Again we see that indefatigable bonnet with bows at the top and sides and a tall pheasant's feather. Miss Pole's signature headgear.

I am trying not to laugh at her expression. Ahem. She is wearing her frilled lace cap tied beneath her chin and a small beige shoulder cape over her faded cream day dress.

I might have to make that do as I couldn't find any more pictures of her different outfits.

Thanks for reading!