Les Misérables
The opera-lite smash from Victor Hugo's novel comes to the screen, with ex-con Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman), his dogged pursuer Javert (Russell Crowe), the doomed Fantine (Anne Hathaway), her daughter Cosette (Amanda Seyfried) et al, under the direction of Tom Hooper. There is much to respect in the movie, and the show's fans will no doubt be satisfied. But they may find it less stirring here than on the stage as Hooper does make an occasional hash of things: unimaginative staging, often sloppy editing and the much-vaunted live singing on the set is at best a mixed blessing. Still, the production is lavish, the casting (including Eddie Redmayne as Marius and Samantha Barks as Éponine) is spot-on. The highlight comes early on, with Hathaway's searing rendition of the show's most famous song, “I Dreamed a Dream.”
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