Favorite Movie Friday: Les Miserables!

Yes, Fridays are usually all about music here at Make Life Lovely, but I just couldn't help myself this week.  Les Miserables has been my favorite book for over 10 years now since I first read it in Paris, former home of Victor Hugo (the author).  The book is absolutely amazing. I have read it three or four times, and seen the Broadway musical five times.  Being the huge fan that I am, I was very apprehensive about the movie, scared that they would "ruin" it.

So it is with great pleasure that I can tell you that I LOVED the movie.   I cried, okay, more like sobbed, throughout the whole thing.  It was so moving and touching and had such depth to it.  At first I was a little disappointed with the vocals, but as the movie went on (and Anne Hathaway sang!), I realized that the trade off was that I could see the emotion and expression of the actors, something that you just can't get from the play.

Anne Hathaway, who usually kind of bugs me, was spectacular and utterly believable as poor Fantine. Hugh Jackman was an amazing and perfect Jean Valjean, and I loved Marius, Eponine, Gavroche, and the young Cosette as well.  My only real complaint about this movie is Russell Crowe, who I usually love as an actor, but who fell totally flat for me as the unbending Inspector Javert.  Javert only knows justice and the strict letter of the law, but Crowe's portrayal of him was nothing like in the book or the play. I read an interview with Crowe where he stated that when we watched the play for the first time he hated the character of Javert, and thought that it was "too black and white."  He said that he wanted to "explore" the character, and portray him in a way that has never been done before. Didn't work for me.  But that is my only minor complaint, I thought that everyone and everything else was brilliant!

If you have not seen this amazing movie yet, you need to go.  Just remember to bring along a few tissues.  And you might want to pick up the soundtrack on the way home, because you will be singing the songs for the next few days, and you might as well sing the correct words, right? ;)

Here's an extended trailer for the movie.

Samantha Barks as Eponine singing "On My Own."

And I just couldn't resist...  Here's the Polish cast of Les Miserables doing a flash mob in the mall!

I'd love to hear your opinions about the book, play, or movie!  Are you a fan too?

Have a great weekend!!  Is it really the weekend already?!

XO, Laura