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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Amph Les Misérables movie

Discussion in 'Community' started by Miana Kenobi, Sep 20, 2012.

  1. laurethiel1138

    laurethiel1138 Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Feb 6, 2003
    I readily admit that the clip is somewhat disappointing. I will, however, reserve my judgment until I see the movie in the theatre and hear it the way it was meant to sound (i.e. with a proper Dolby sound system), and can form an opinion on the whole of Crowe's performance. YouTube is nice, but sometimes the infrastructure (sound format and/or compression, computer speakers and/or headphones) can distort the quality of the sound.

    Cheers,
    Lauré :)
     
  2. Chancellor_Ewok

    Chancellor_Ewok Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Nov 8, 2004
    I didn't think that he sounded that bad, actually. He actually seemed to be singing, unlike Hugh Jackman who seemed to be simply speaking in time with the music.
     
  3. halibut

    halibut Ex-Mod star 8 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Aug 27, 2000
    It's his tone. It's terribly nasally and no speaker system can sort that out.

    And he looks like a thunderbird puppet.
     
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  4. Miana Kenobi

    Miana Kenobi Admin Emeritus star 8 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Apr 5, 2000
    SO MANY LES MIS CLIPS!

    I know Hal already posted the Look Down clip, but I'm gonna post it again.












    !!!!!!!!!!

    SO MANY FEELS!

    So yeah, I'm still not liking Javert. He's just not a strong singer at all. :( Jackman and Hathaway, on the other hand, holy hell. Amazing. As is pretty much everyone else too. AND SAMATHA BARKS OMG YOU GUYS. I also LOVE Marius in that clip. He's doing the bumbling love-struck boy act so amazing adorable.
     
  5. Terr_Mys

    Terr_Mys Jedi Grand Master star 6

    Registered:
    May 19, 2002
    There were moments in the clip where Crowe really did sound crazy nasally and bad, but other moments where he sounded fine. Not the gravitas you would expect from a Javert, but not bad enough to ruin the film completely. I guess we'll have to wait for "Stars"... :p

    Not sure how I feel about Jackman's stylistic choices for "Who Am I," though. But I won't be able to judge it until I've seen the full song. Everyone and everything else looks and sounds amazing. Samantha Barks actually sounds even better than she did at the 25th anniversary concert, remarkably.

    I too am looking forward to actually hearing the music with a good cinema sound system.
     
  6. NYCitygurl

    NYCitygurl Manager Emeritus star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jul 20, 2002
    I'm ... not nearly that interested, haha :p

    Haven't watched the clips (I want to experience it in theatres the first time), but this is one of those times I'm glad I"m tone-deaf, so I can just enjoy it.
     
  7. solojones

    solojones Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Sep 27, 2000
    What, Crowe sucks?! Shocking. This is shocking news. This is definitely not something I've been saying for a year :p

    Seriously, though, it's baffling to me that a man with such a low and gruff speaking voice could have such an awful and nasally singing voice. I'm guessing they didn't actually really test him much. They probably assumed his voice would be more like his speaking voice. And yeah, if it were in that register, it would totally be right for Javert. But it's not. Valjean shouldn't be more vocally imposing than Javert. smh

    I'm just really pissed that this is probably going to ruin the dramatic back and forth of the film. Valjean/Javert is one of the best pro/antagonist combos in drama. Now it's just going to be Valjean totally smashing Javert. Ugh. You can't have an awesome hero without an awesome villain, guys.
     
  8. Rogue1-and-a-half

    Rogue1-and-a-half Manager Emeritus who is writing his masterpiece star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Nov 2, 2000
    I'm warming up to Jackman. He's really good in the Who Am I clip. I mean, really good.

    Presumably, Crowe is going to be acting as well as singing. I will be really shocked if Jackman dominates Crowe as completely as you seem to think he will. Crowe has one of the most commanding screen presences I've ever seen. In my opinion. Part of that's the voice so that'll be a little different because his singing voice is different from his speaking voice. But there are other things about Crowe that give him that commanding presence. I simply don't expect a not entirely up to par voice to be able to destroy that intense charisma that he has.

    I realize some people don't find him so compelling. I do, however. I used to call him the Brando of his generation. I don't anymore . . . he's actually better than Brando.
     
  9. Miana Kenobi

    Miana Kenobi Admin Emeritus star 8 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Apr 5, 2000
    Crowe's body language-acting in the clip is pretty awesome, if you watch it with the sound muted.
     
  10. solojones

    solojones Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Sep 27, 2000
    Unfortunately, you don't tend to mute a musical. The sound is mildly important.

    I'm not a Crowe fan in the first place, but in a non-musical version I could see him as Javert. In this, he's just an embarrassment.
     
  11. Miana Kenobi

    Miana Kenobi Admin Emeritus star 8 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Apr 5, 2000
    For those who haven't seen Les Mis, here's the Animaniacs version. :p

     
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  12. SithLordDarthRichie

    SithLordDarthRichie CR Emeritus: London star 9

    Registered:
    Oct 3, 2003
    Crowe's voice might have been OK in another role, but it seems as though when he tries to do anything emotional or singing which requires a higher range his voice then falls away. He seemed to almost be straining to get the words out to match what Jackman was doing, unfortunate as he seems to be acting the part well.
     
  13. The_Four_Dot_Elipsis

    The_Four_Dot_Elipsis Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Mar 3, 2005
    I'm having a serious James Donald "Madness!" moment here.
     
  14. Rogue1-and-a-half

    Rogue1-and-a-half Manager Emeritus who is writing his masterpiece star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Nov 2, 2000
    Crowe could have played Brando's part in On the Waterfront. But Brando wouldn't have the vulnerability to do what Crowe did in A Beautiful Mind. And there's quite simply no way that Brando would have so perfectly underplayed the villainous Ben Wade in 3:10 to Yuma. Brando, and most other actors, would have turned that into a banquet on the scenery, but Crowe's performance is so perfectly minimal. I mean, on those two performances alone . . . he's legendary as far as I'm concerned.
     
  15. Platelet

    Platelet Jedi Knight star 1

    Registered:
    Sep 2, 2012
    I'm just seeing these clips for the first time. Here are my impressions:

    Val Jean: Wasn't aware that Hugh Jackman had musical talent. Color me impressed.

    Javert: Crowe will do. Not the best, but not the worst.

    Fantine: I enjoy Anne Hathaway as an actress, but she's not working for me in this role. It's not bad by any means - she sounds fine - I'm just not a fan personally.

    Marius: Skeptical, but will hold judgement until I hear him in the revolution context rather than nervous and in love.

    Cosette: Seyfried sounds great. I prefer her to some of the more heavily operatic versions I've heard. I bet she'll be better known for Les Mis than Mamma Mia.

    Eponine: Already knew Barks could knock this song outta the park, but the cinematography is exactly how I imagined this scene to be. I'm going to be a wreck during A Little Fall of Rain.

    Overall, I'm so freaking excited to see this movie. [face_love]
     
  16. The_Four_Dot_Elipsis

    The_Four_Dot_Elipsis Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Mar 3, 2005
    Crowe wouldn't have been anywhere near as good as Brando in On the Waterfront. Or Julius Caesar. Or Sayonara. The spontaneity of Brando, as well as his natural charm, is almost impossible to emulate. I guess he could have done Stanley Kowalski, but then I'm generally not a massive fan of Crowe. Romper Stomper, L.A. Confidential and The Insider being exceptions, but the idea of him being on Brando's level is completely foreign to me.

    I guess we'll have the best barometer next year, when we can compare Jor-Els!

    EDIT: And if you want minimalism from Brando, wouldn't Last Tango qualify somewhat?
     
  17. solojones

    solojones Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Sep 27, 2000
    I'm starting to wonder how many people aren't aware he's a very talented and respected Broadway star, and did musicals back in Australia as well. I mean, he's hosted the Tony's multiple times. Yet I kept hearing people seeming skeptical about his casting. To me, he was literally the only person I could see in that role currently. The perfect mix of talent, presence, and box office draw.
     
  18. Narutakikun

    Narutakikun Jedi Knight star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 8, 2012
    Ah, the French Revolution. As the poet Roy Campbell noted: "More people have been imprisoned for Liberty, humiliated and tortured for Equality, and slaughtered for Fraternity in this century, than for any less hypocritical motives, during the Middle Ages."
     
  19. SithLordDarthRichie

    SithLordDarthRichie CR Emeritus: London star 9

    Registered:
    Oct 3, 2003
    Jackman is the big name male signer in Hollywood these days, if any big role in a musical movie is up for grabs I expect him to get it.

    Frankly I was hoping he would be cast as the lead in Phantom and then Sweeney Todd as he seemed the only logical choice for those roles.
     
  20. darthcaedus1138

    darthcaedus1138 Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Oct 13, 2007
    Well as soon as Burton was directing, it couldn't be anybody but Depp right?
     
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  21. Miana Kenobi

    Miana Kenobi Admin Emeritus star 8 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Apr 5, 2000
    I actually love Burtons Sweeney Todd.
     
  22. Chancellor_Ewok

    Chancellor_Ewok Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Nov 8, 2004
    So did I. Sweeney Todd was great.
     
  23. Rogue1-and-a-half

    Rogue1-and-a-half Manager Emeritus who is writing his masterpiece star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Nov 2, 2000
    My reservations about Jackman had nothing to do with his singing, but with his acting. I think the only real performance he's given to date is in The Prestige. Most of the rest of the time, he seems to be a pretty shallow actor. The latest clips have got me thinking that he's going deeper, getting better. I have hopes this'll be his best performance; anything less would do injustice to Valjean.
     
  24. The_Four_Dot_Elipsis

    The_Four_Dot_Elipsis Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Mar 3, 2005
    Good thing this isn't about the French Revolution, then.
     
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  25. SiouxFan

    SiouxFan Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 6, 2012
    I was going to point that out, but you beat me to it!