Les Miserables

[tzikeh]

"The first-ever screening of Tom Hooper's Les Misérables received a rapturous standing ovation on Friday afternoon in New York."—Huffington Post

"Each musical number was followed by raucous applause with the principal cast taking the stage to a standing ovation at the end of the film."—Collider

"Twitter proclaimed rapturous, ecstatic acclaim for Les Misérables. Apparently the crowd went nuts, on their feet, in tears."—Awards Daily

"Les Mis brings screening audience to tears and becomes instant Oscar contender."—The Examiner

"Judging from a raucously well-received New York screening of Les Misérables on Friday afternooon, the most exciting aspect of the 2013 Oscar race will be a contest between the precision of Steven Spielberg's Lincoln and the passion of Tom Hooper's epic musical.... Hugh Jackman, who anchors the film as the ex-con Jean Valjean, and [Anne] Hathaway, who plays the doomed grisette Fantine, are shoo-ins for Best Actor and Supporting Actress nominations."—Movieline

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Official Site

Official teaser trailer

Official international trailer

Hooper made the decision to record the entire thing "live"—the actors sang while filming, rather than recording songs beforehand, and then lip-syncing on set.

Behind-the-scenes featurette: the actors talk about singing live while filming, and how it can make an enormous difference in a performance.

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I saw Les Misérables with Colm Wilkinson, both in the West End and on Broadway, in my teens. I also saw Phantom of the Opera with Michael Crawford, both in the West End and on Broadway. If you'd asked me then which movie I'd have been more excited for, it would have been Phantom, without question. When they finally made Phantom into a movie (I was in my mid-thirties), the trailer turned me off. I thought "Wow, that's gonna suck." And I wasn't wrong.

This?

It doesn't premiere here for 30 days yet.

I'm already in line, motherfuckers. I'm already in line.

Comments

[kass]

Good God. I had no idea it had such a cast. I...damn.

[tzikeh]

Yup. Serious heavyweights and a lot of movie starts who got their start in musical theater.

You should check out the trailers. I'm gonna add these links to the post:

Official teaser trailer

Official international trailer.

Hooper made the decision to record the entire thing "live"--the actors sang during filming, rather than recording songs beforehand, and having the actors lip-sync when filming.

Featurette: the actors talk about singing live while filming.

[kass]

Ooh, thank you for the links!

I mean. I adored this musical when I was a kid. I knew the whole soundtrack backwards and forwards. (I suspect I still do -- every time I see a commercial I come away with music in my head.) I read freaking Victor Hugo because I loved this musical so much. So I am pretty jazzed about this, ngl.

[thaccian]

I know every word of every song in English, and every word of every song in French (from the concept recording).

This movie had me from the first trailer.

That's me standing in line right behind you.

[tzikeh]

Oh man I *prefer* the French recording (really, the English translation pales).

I wish we were going to be able to go together on Christmas Day.

[thaccian]

Yeah, I prefer the French version as well.

This is so-o-o-o-o-o-o the movie we'd be seeing together at Xmas. It blows not being there to share Les Miz and crack wings.

[klia]

I don't know the story, and have never seen any of the movies or the musical, but I'm really looking forward to this.

[dorinda]

Awww yisssss I am so there!