RELATED: 'Les Misérables' Review: A Gorgeous, Haunting, Blessedly Non-Musical Adaptation on PBS There are quite simply too many adaptations to count, with some existing as early as the 1910s (though these are generally lost films now, due to their age.) Victor Hugo's epic novel about the law, crime, social inequality, and revolution is a timeless one, and certainly one that filmmakers continually return to again and again. It's not the definitive version I would have liked, but it's got enough great moments to make the parts where it falters forgivable.It might surprise you to learn just how many Les Misérables films there are. It's still Les Miz, and I really like Les Miz. It's an odd dichotomy there, but it's still worth seeing for when it is amazing. When it stays small it's incredible, but when it tries to be epic it shoots a little too far. It's a good version though, but a flawed version whose ambition far outweighs its ability. This could have been the definitive version, but ultimately it is just another version. Eddie Redmayne is surprisingly good, Hugh Jackman was a singer before he was an actor so he's great, Anne Hathaway earned her Oscar, and most of the supporting cast are good. However much of the cast still does great. He has the strength and power for the roll, but when he has to sing it's painful. On the other hand the star of the show in this scene, Sacha Baron Cohen singing, is surprisingly low key. In Master of the House, the camera is all of the place and there's tons of crazy stuff happening, but none of it is that good. The direction is frenetic and hard to handle, but the performances too often don't go big enough.
That being said though, when the movie goes for grander songs like revolution scenes and party scenes, it is both too big and not big enough. When it's just one person singing, usually the sad songs, and usually in one take, the movie knocks it out of the park. Interestingly, while I was most looking forward to the big budget take on things like battle sequences, it's the more intimate moments that the film does best. The costumes, the sets, and (most of) the performances are excellent. There is a lot to love in this adaptation. However, it just doesn't reach that point.
I've seen the musical performed, a few different adaptations, and I really feel like this big budget musical could have been the definitive version.
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