TELL US: What Do You Think About Les Miserables the Movie?

The must see holiday movie of the year arrives Christmas Day when Les Miserables opens, staring Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe. 

The movie adaptation of the world’s longest running musical, features Oscar winning Director Tom Hopper’s innovation of actors singing “live”, taping their singing parts while filming rather than lip synching and adding their songs in post production.  The result is best captured when Anne Hathaway, as the desperate single mother Fantane, sings “I Dreamed A Dream” and the audience sobs with her in response to her character’s despair at her life as a prostitute.

Hopper honors his source material, which dates back to Victor Hugo’s story, while providing a visual feast from the opening scene where you brace yourself to be splashed with water to floating upward with a torn piece of paper rising to heaven to balancing on a narrow ledge with Notre Dame as the backdrop under a sea of stars.

Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter add comic relief as the Fantane’s daughter Cosette’s cruel foster parents and corrupt innkeepers.  One of their scenes will leave you roaring with laughter while vowing never to eat sausage again.

While set in 19th century France, the movie’s themes make it feel very relevant for today.  Take your teens but not your kids under age 13.  In addition to the movie’s violence, watching Fantane’s descent into hell as she sells her hair, teeth then finally herself away will break your heart and leave a child with nightmares – Les Miserables indeed.  

Several theatres in the Largo area are showing Les Miserables.

For more local showtimes and to purchase tickets, click here.

TELL US: Is Les Miserables the must see holiday movie for you this year and if not, what are you looking forward to seeing more?