I shouldn't have been worried. From the first few opening bars, I was enthralled. For those of you who don't know, I'll try to give a quick recap: Jean Valjean was imprisoned by 19 years for stealing a loaf of bread. Upon his release, Inspector Javert warns him he will be watched for the rest of his life, and if he steps out of line, he'll be back quicker than you can sing a song about it (I paraphrase). Valjean is taken in by a kindly priest, but Valjean is hardened by prison and time and chooses to steal the priest's silver. When he is caught red-handed by the authorities, the priest covers for him, later telling him "I have saved your soul for God." This makes a huge impression on Valjean, and he leaves behind his name and identity to become a good man. Cut to years later, when he is the mayor of a small town in France. He has made good on his promise to become a better man, but turns a blind eye when a young factory worker named Fantine is fired for resisting the advances of her supervisor. She has a child to support, and must turn to all sorts of awful ways to support herself. When she sees Valjean again, she blames him for her plight, and he offers to care for her daughter. Years later, there's a revolution boiling in France that threatens all of their lives. From then there's all sorts of twists and turns that I won't get into for fear of spoilers.
OK, now the actual review: this movie was nearly everything I wanted it to be. I say "nearly" because there were a few things I was ever-so-slightly disappointed in. However, Hugh Jackman's stellar performance as Valjean is not one of them. He's a powerhouse, knowing exactly how to emote when singing (did I mention the whole movie is singing? I should've. Seriously, 98% is singing.), but also showcasing the voice he's been blessed with. Anne Hathaway blew me away, as well. I'm not a big Anne Hathaway fan, and I fully expected to be disappointed. But no! Her rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream" is one of the most powerful things I've ever seen on screen. You could've heard a pin drop in the theatre - there wasn't even a sniffle.
Much has been made of the fact that all the actors are singing live, and not lip-syncing to a pre-recorded soundtrack. And for the most part, it works very well. I know a lot of people have criticized Russell Crowe's performance as Javert, but I thought he did a good job. The rest of the actors sort of talk-sing through their songs, and he full out sings. While it's jarring at first, I choose to believe it's a character choice. His character is very methodical and by-the-book, and to me it made sense that he would sing that way, as well.
The only disappointment I have is in Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter as the Thenardiers. In the show, they are much-needed comic relief, but that wasn't translated well here. Particularly in their introductory song, "Master of the House," it felt unnecessarily seedy and wasn't nearly as much fun as in the stage show.
Other standout performances are Samantha Barks as Eponine, Eddie Redmayne as Marius, and Aaron Tveit as Enjolras. Amanda Seyfried is fine as Cosette, and sings very well, but didn't stick in my mind as much as she could have.
So there you have it! All in all, I give it an A. And I dare anyone to walk out of the theatre not singing/whistling/humming the songs.
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