Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Les Miserables

Title: Les Miserables
Director: Tom Hooper
Running Time: 152 min.
Released: 2012

Description: In 19th-century France, Jean Valjean, who for decades has been hunted by the ruthless policeman Javert after he breaks parole, agrees to care for factory worker Fantine's daughter, Cosette. The fateful decision changes their lives forever. (via IMDb.com)

Thoughts: Normally I save my blog for things that I read, not for the movies based on books/plays/musicals, but this is a special movie, especially since I had just finished the book just prior to seeing the movie.

I loved the movie and as I write this, I am very seriously considering purchasing the movie when it comes out on DVD (and also Lincoln).  Since I had just finished the book, a lot of the plot in the book was still freshly in my head, so it saved me from having to quickly read a brief summary of the book before going to the movie, although I wish that the woman that was sitting near me had, as she was asking her husband quite loudly to explain the movie and it was quite distracting, and if I had been on my own, I would have moved, like the lady on the other side of this individual, not say that her phone went off during the final scene in the movie (people, if you go to a movie, please turn the ringer off, at the very least; it is distracting to those around you that want to watch the movie; there is a reason that they ask you to turn off your phone's ringer before the movie starts).

Anyways, it was excellent.  And even though I hadn't read at least the first 1/3 of the movie in about a year, the story started to come back to me as the film was being played out.  And of course there were things in the movie that were left out from the book.  And granted that its a 1200+ page book, one can be excused for taking somethings out of the story, especially since it was adapted from the musical, which was adapted from the book, I assume.

One of the best parts was that I recognized most of the cast from various movies and mini-series that I have watched over the years, although it took me a bit of time to recognize Sacha Baron Cohen, who portrayed Thénardier.  And no matter how many roles Amanda Seyfried does, she will always be Lily Kane to me.

Hope you get sometime to watch this movie sometime soon, as I would think its going to win some big awards come award season.

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