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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. solojones

    solojones Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Sep 27, 2000
    Rogue, perhaps (as with a number of actors), it's not that Jackman was only okay or that he's getting better, but simply that he's been given much deeper material to work with this time. I think a lot of actors are a lot better than we know. Cinematic writing is just often really generic. Just look at what happens when you put someone in an Aaron Sorkin show. Suddenly you realize Matthew Perry is quite good.

    Meh. It had a few moments, but overall I think he doesn't understand Sweeney Todd. He just made it like any other generic Burton/Depp movie. It was overly grotesque and not nearly clever and bitingly satirical enough. Not completely awful, but like everything he does now it was more about Burton than about the material.
     
  2. The_Four_Dot_Elipsis

    The_Four_Dot_Elipsis Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Mar 3, 2005
    As it should be, really. If he wasn't imprinting his own perspective on it, there would be no point in him making it.

    I love Burton's Sweeney Todd. I can think of few more cathartic moments than the "Pretty Women" reprise with Depp's crazy eyes and "BENJAMIN BARKER".

    Funny that my two favourite Burton films are the ones that Danny Elfman has nothing to do with.
     
  3. SithLordDarthRichie

    SithLordDarthRichie CR Emeritus: London star 9

    Registered:
    Oct 3, 2003
    I was suprised by how good Alan Rickman was in it, singing-wise.
     
  4. Platelet

    Platelet Jedi Knight star 1

    Registered:
    Sep 2, 2012
    Yeah, this is probably new to a lot of people. I enjoy musicals and have seen many on stage, including Les Mis, but I don't keep up with Broadway culture enough to know that. And from a Hollywood standpoint, so many big name actors have been cast in musical movies (Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Gerard Butler, John Travolta, Richard Gere, etc) I really have no idea of who actually has a solid theater background.

    My only clue about Jackson's theater background was the "best of both worlds with Hugh Jackman" sketches on SNL, though with that I just assumed it was SNL's usual ridiculousness.
     
  5. SithLordDarthRichie

    SithLordDarthRichie CR Emeritus: London star 9

    Registered:
    Oct 3, 2003
    Usually it's the ones that aren't terrible :p
     
  6. darthcaedus1138

    darthcaedus1138 Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Oct 13, 2007
    DAT ALAN RICKMAN VOICE

    That's all I have to say about that.
     
  7. 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
    The rest of your point I'll concede, but, no, no you really don't. :p
     
  8. laurethiel1138

    laurethiel1138 Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Feb 6, 2003
    Les Mis will be in IMAX! I'm so happy, as it means the movie is taken very seriously by the various actors of the film business... and that the sound quality will truly be astounding. I cannot wait!

    Cheers,
    Lauré :)
     
  9. Miana Kenobi

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

    Registered:
    Apr 5, 2000
    Noooooooo!!!

    Advance tickets are now on sale for Les Mis. One of my local San Diego theaters will actually have a midnight showing!!!

    But OF COURSE I'll be at my parent's place, and OF COURSE the theaters up there won't have a midnight showing, and the first showing Christmas Day isn't until 11am, which does not leave me enough time to drive back to San Diego for work, so I'm going to have to wait and go by myself after my shift on Christmas Eve.

    BUT I WANT TO GO TO A MIDNIGHT! :( :(
     
  10. Terr_Mys

    Terr_Mys Jedi Grand Master star 6

    Registered:
    May 19, 2002
    Too bad I no longer live in L.A. or Toronto. :(

    I was listening to the original French concept album today and came across Eponine's "lost song." For the Les Mis nerds:

     
  11. SithLordDarthRichie

    SithLordDarthRichie CR Emeritus: London star 9

    Registered:
    Oct 3, 2003
    We aren't getting it here until January 11th, presumably to stop it getting wrecked by The Hobbit and losing out on IMAX screens.

    I'm amazed anyone anywhere would show a movie on Christmas Day, all the cinemas here are closed.
     
  12. Chancellor_Ewok

    Chancellor_Ewok Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Nov 8, 2004
  13. solojones

    solojones Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Sep 27, 2000
    My family is debating whether to go see it Christmas night or if we will wait until the 26th. My mom is an even bigger Les Mis fan than I am, so I will just leave it up to her.
     
  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
    I've been rewatching the 10th anniversary concert. Mistake. There's no way the performances in the movie will be as good as the performances that night. Ah, well, I'll take what I can get. I doubt anything will ever replace the 10th anniversary concert as the definitive rendition of the musical for me.
     
  15. Chancellor_Ewok

    Chancellor_Ewok Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Nov 8, 2004
    Fixed. :p
     
  16. 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
    Colm Wilkinson > Alfie Boe

    From where I sit, at least.
     
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  17. SoloKnight

    SoloKnight Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Feb 13, 2003
    I like Valjean, Thénardier, and Eponine better in the 10th than the 25th.(Though Samantha Banks is in no way bad, and I think she'll do a heck of a job as Eponine in the film.) I like Javert and Fantine better in the 25th than the 10th. Cossette and Marius sound better in the 10th than the 25th (Nick Jonas? Really?), but when watching it, they both seem too old. I like both guys who played Enjolras.

    I thought the 25th did a better job in deciding what to cut and what to keep--mainly Eponine delivering Marius' letter and Thenardier's revelation to Marius--but I adore all the Valjeans singing at the end of the 10th.

    So my solution was to piece together both soundtracks. Which does leave me with Lea Salonga playing both Eponine and Fantine, but I'm OK with that.
     
  18. I Are The Internets

    I Are The Internets Shelf of Shame Host star 9 VIP - Game Host

    Registered:
    Nov 20, 2012
    I've never gone to see a movie in the cinema on Christmas Day, but I'm seriously considering doing that for Les Mis. The more trailers and T.V. spots that I see, the more I really want to see it.
     
  19. Miana Kenobi

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

    Registered:
    Apr 5, 2000
    The 25th has Nick Jonas.

    10 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 25.
     
  20. Terr_Mys

    Terr_Mys Jedi Grand Master star 6

    Registered:
    May 19, 2002
    I know that Nick Jonas has no acting skills whatsoever, but I prefer the more youthful-sounding voice for Marius. I agree that Marius and Cosette seem too old in the 10th anniversary concert. The younger voices are also more faithful to the concept album.

    This is also why Frances Ruffelle is the definitive Eponine for me. Aside from her sheer talent, her voice actually conveys Eponine's teenage angst. As great as Lea Salonga is, her enunciation is impeccable and her performance always felt technically excellent but ill-suited to the character IMO. I prefer her as Fantine, although even there I think Ruthie Henshall from the 10th anniversary wins out slightly.
     
  21. solojones

    solojones Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Sep 27, 2000
    I mean, it's tricky because as visual representations of the characters, of course a lot of the people were too old in the 10th Anniversary. That wasn't really the point, though. And anyway, Marius is almost always played by someone too old on stage to get a more powerful voice. You can't deny how lovely Michael Ball's voice is.

    That being said, from the standpoint of all-around casting, I agree that Marius should be more youthful and naive. Haven't heard a ton of the guy in the film, but he at least looks more the part. As did Nick Jonas (who, no, doesn't have the right kind of voice for this but actually IMHO wasn't nearly as bad as I'd expected him to be).

    No, but here's the thing... there's a difference between bringing your own vision to a story and simply imprinting your brand on it. Burton used to have vision. Now he has a brand. Outside of Big Fish, he's used the same exact stylistic approach in every one of his films in the last 10 years. That's not good filmmaking because it's not actually looking at each story and deciding what it uniquely calls for.
     
  22. laurethiel1138

    laurethiel1138 Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Feb 6, 2003
  23. darthcaedus1138

    darthcaedus1138 Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Oct 13, 2007
    So, having never seen the musical/really heard any of the songs, should I listen to them before I see the movie, or let the movie colour my first impressions?
     
  24. 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
    Let the movie set the bar. Then you'll be blown away when you watch the 10th/25th anniversary concerts. If you watch the concerts first, you'll probably be disappointed by the movie renditions. My opinion.
     
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  25. halibut

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

    Registered:
    Aug 27, 2000
    The 10th also has a bursting balloon scaring the crap out of Cosette in Castle on a Cloud. 10 > 25
     
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