"Les Miserables - a summary" Topic

I went so you don't have to. This is one of those movies that does not make for a great date. It is well done, but the story is so depressing as to not be enjoyable. If you liked Old Yeller, but thought it needed more singing and more shooting, this is the flick for you.

But, since this is a cultural touchstone of sorts (even Star Trek referenced it), here's a summary so you can pretend to have seen it when you're out and about:

We open with Wolverine singing his way out of prison and out from under the watchful eye of Maximus the Gladiator. Years later, Catwoman asks him to take care of her daughter, who is at an inn run by Borat and the Red Queen.

She sings and then dies, so Wolverine now has to raise the girl while being on the lookout for Maximus – singing all the while.

Nine years later, everyone's still singing. Wolverine's still hiding from Maximus and the girl has turned into Sophie from Mama Mia. Because we've gone 45 minutes without a plot complication, she falls in love at first site with someone no one's heard of.

They sing.

There's even more singing as the boyfriend and his drinking buddies go up against the French army – and lose.

If this was West Side Story, there'd be a dance fight to go with the singing.

Boyfriend and Sophie get hitched as Wolverine discretely retires. Catwoman comes back for him. And he dies.

I see dead people singing.

Sounds awesome!

I never had any desire to spend 3 hours with people singing gloriously about being …miserable.

The people who issue Challenges during PBS fundraisers seem to love it, though.

I don't really like musicals anyway. I can stand them when they are on stage more so because that seems to be what they are for. It wasn't necessarily easy to portray emotion loudly without some singing at some point probably. Now they seem like an obsolete art form.

But then on screen it is even worse, why bother, you can do whatever you want, you don't need them singing.

There have been some good ones but it is usually when the singing is contrasted to the action like in the demon barber one. It just wouldn't have been as funny without the singing. But then it is more of a send-up of the genre than anything else.

This might be one to get on DVD just to watch the fighting scenes if they are good though.

" might be one to get on DVD just to watch the fighting scenes if they are good though."

I think they take up an entire 10-20 minutes out of the whole movie – tops.

If that's what you're after, it'll show up on Youtube.

Wyatt

Of course you could like for…you know…the music. :)

I'd probably be more likely to watch it for the Hathaway.

I've seen the stage version and agree with Wyatt. Beautiful music but the title says it all.

It's MISERABLE!

Bad things happening to people who don't deserve it.

I'd rather see Wreck it Ralph.

My wife and I went to the musical with someone who'd seen it like 5 or 6 times. I WAS BORED OUT OF MY SKULL……I thought the sceen changes were fantastic, first time I'd been to something like that and I was amazed how the moved the backgrounds around. As for the rest, meh….

However after attending Evil Dead: The Musical and sitting in the "Splatter Zone" 5 times, I can't say I hate ALL musicals…..

I'd happily watch one of the non-musical versions. Not that I dislike musicals… but my tastes run more towards Guys & Dolls and Singin' In The Rain.
Also, the same folks I hear guehing about 'Les Mis!' are the ones who gushed about 'Phantom!'… and I really did not enjoy that at all… well, except for Minnie Driver.

I loved the musical on stage. I've seen it three times now. So I'm really looking forward to the film. And I'm curious to hear how the live recording of the singing will go, unlike the usual dubbed musical movies.

Musicals seem to be a love or hate thing. Unlike some of the postings above, I love them, and find that music adds to the drama and emotion. It sends shivers up my spine.

However, I've been brought up with musicals and shows since my parents first joined the local light operatic society when I was a child. My wife and I (and now our own children) love nothing more than heading to the theatre and absorbing ourselves in the melodies, singing, drama and spectacle of a well-done musical.

Photos of some of the military action from 'Les Mis' here:
link

I've seen the stage play twice (in London and in Chicago) years ago. I was not keen on seeing the film, but Herself and The Princess dragged me along to see it anyway.

I thought that it was much better than I had expected. It is a very emotional and yes, depressing, film though. Anne Hathaway was terrific and she will undoubtedly win Best Supporting Actress at the Oscar. The comic relief provided by Sash Cohen and Helena Carter was good. I am glad that I went.

I often enjoy musicals, but when I saw The Miserables road show with my mom-in-law & my wife, I had to visit the lobby for a Stoli on the rocks & a Black Russian ciggie break to escape the omnipresent grimness. If I'd gone to the production alone, I'd have left; this is the only time I'd have left a theater for any movie or stage show that I've attended.

The feel-good holiday hit.

Not.

I saw it years ago on Broadway and aside from incredibly cool set changes I was (like PzGeneral) bored silly. I even fell asleep for a while. Worst play I ever saw, aside from Phantom of the Opera and Tommy, both of which an old girlfriend forced me to suffer through. I'll say this much for LM-- at least they don't try to make it happy happy like the other two.

I do like musicals (Damn Yankees and Young Frankenstein were great when I saw them) but most of these these "hits" are just painful.

I don't know if i will be going but i live the summary by wyatt

I happen to love Les Miserables, the novel as well as the musical. I've actually never seen the latter (which I regret), but if you could wear holes in a CD, my copy of the original London cast's soundtrack would look like a sieve.

Yes, it is a story about depressing events, but it is a story that ends in hope— love wins out over law, and mercy over judgment. That's the point of the whole thing. Fantine's fate is sad, but her daughter's fate is not, because one man is willing to sacrifice himself for the love of others. If all you see is what happens, you are missing the point.

I'm planning on seeing the film.

(As a postscript, I have a dear friend who understudied Eponine in the touring production back in the day. Back when I directed, I could count on her to draw tears from an audience with a single look. I don't know who held the primary spot for the role, but if Ann ever filled in, her performances of On My Own and A Little Fall of Rain would have left the theater flooded. After I Dreamed A Dream, they're the most moving songs for me in the score.)

I took him to be paraphrasing this review: link

I went on Christmas Day…night (if that makes any sense) and thought it was really quite entertaining; I've seen the stage production twice and own the complete symphonic recording, so I do have something of a soft spot for musicals.

It may not be for everyone, of course, as indicated above.

Does it have a happy ending?

Actually, reading this thread has made me "Less Miserable" about Not seeing the film. My thanks to all. LOL

Now, what can I do with the money I just saved? : )
Cheers,

If you were planning on going with someone and buying popcorn and a drink you can probably get yourself a box set of Perry plastic French dragoons and paint them up to play scenes from the musical while singing to yourself!

As Arteis says, musical theatre does seem to polarise people into Love or Hate, and the hates never seem to see anything good about a production, which is a pity as some of the effects in the film are remarkably good. Still, each to his own …

I've just seen a production of it on stage at my god-daughter's school, average age of performers was 16 and they were amazingly good. The young man who played the lead had never sung a major role before and brought the house down.

I've seen enough trailers to be looking forward to the film. The scene where they're hauling in the warship looks spectacular and I'm interested in how different it will be from the stage-bound version. I don't find it depressing as for me, it ends on a positive note (it probably helps that I don't actually care what happens to the revolutionaries as they're an irritating lot!)

Love the original review in this topic, though!

(it probably helps that I don't actually care what happens to the revolutionaries as they're an irritating lot!)

I felt the same way when I read the book. I cared about Marius and Jean ValJean, I tolerated the (older) Cosette, but the radicals? Pffft. Typical idealist nutcase grad-student types. "Oh, if the world were just the way we want it to be." Meh.
Thankfully, the story isn't about that, regardless of what Hugo thought.

Does it have a happy ending?

Perhaps in the sense that it does -- finally -- end.

I thought it was great and have seen th eHobbit twice and think it has a slight edge on it :-)

Just got back from seeing it and I thought it pretty good. I did watch the 1935 (non-musical) film the other day so I was prepped for the new one.

I'll wait for it to,um, come out on RedBox,yes,that's it! Strapped from the holidays,and…(walks away whistling)

Les Miserables, sounds like an overweight "mother-in-law, darkies, queers and Pakis jokes" comedian in a ruffled shirt and sideburns.

Very Funny review. I will have to send it to my wife.

I saw it Christmas Day as well with the whole family. My kids loved and hated it at the same time. They loved the story, but they hated the raw emotions that it invoked.

I had also seen it once on Broadway and have the Original Cast Recording. Not normally a musical fan, hated Phantom, but I do like Les Miz.

The opening song is not one of my favorites till I saw the movie. The scene pulling the boat in, is amazing. Very powerful.

Again, funny review, cheers, Xin

I'm not much of a musical fan. However, I did like Phantom.

Thanks,

John

As Arteis says, musical theatre does seem to polarise people into Love or Hate, and the hates never seem to see anything good about a production,

Actually I love musicals. This one just never seemed to me to be a good subject for a musical.
No laughs, grim story, no happy ending. I suppose one could say the same about West Side Story too, which I love.
I guess my tastes are stuck in the 60s or 70s for movie musicals.

Cabaret is pretty grim as well, at least in the stage versions I've seen (the movie version seems to have been prettied up a bit for Ms. Minnelli's sake).
Les Mis just doesn't appeal to me because I don't care for the music… which goes for Phantom as well.

And it just picked up some nominations for that "Little Gold Statue";including Best Picture,Best Actor(Hugh Jackman)Best Supporting Actress(Anne Hathaway),among others.

the book was so GD depressing why in the he:: would I see the film. yeah yeah yeah Andrew LLoyd Weber

do like opera on occasion when they simulcast it via satellite at the local screen. (guilty pleasure)

Firstly, I am a great opera fan. I'll happily sit through 3 hours to see everyone die at the end. Far more if it's by Wagner – indeed my idea of heaven is eating pate foie gras with a good burgundy as listening to "Götterdämmerung"

Yet the idea of going to a musical is something else, about the only enjoyed is Cabaret.

She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed suggested we go today and I was pleasently surprised.

Cabaret was/is a fine fine film.

I saw the film the other night and liked it very much. It was unusual to say the least and a bold move on the part of the producers to make it at all.

Today I found myself thinking about it from time to time in a positive light. Ann Hathaway deserves an Oscar – she was great.

Got to see it last night. The obvious culture clash in above postings seems to be caused by the fact that its not Rodgers and Hammerstien!

In fairness calling it a musical pigeon holes it a bit as gives an image of Hollywood style where there's a normal script and then people burst into so for no reason.

The movie being done in operatic style and having the dialogue sung must have come as a shock to anyone not reading about it before they went in!

OK so it wasn't a comedy (you should try reading the book!) but life's a bitch and at least the two romantic leads come out of it with something!

Jackman and Hathaway were sensational, Crowe could sing better than I ever imagined and the rest of the cast were brilliant.

Not the show for a laugh riot but it certainly delivered what was intended and then some.