"Les Misérables (2012)" Movie Review

"Les Misérables" movie poster.

"Based on the novel by Victor Hugo, 'Les Misérables' travels with prisoner-on-parole, 24601, Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman), as he runs from the ruthless Inspector Javert (Russell Crowe) on a journey beyond the barricades, at the center of the June Rebellion. Meanwhile, the life of a working class girl (Anne Hathaway) with a child is at a turning point when she turns to prostitution to pay money to the evil innkeeper and his wife (Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter) who look after her child, Cosette (Isabelle Allen). Valjean promise to take care of the child, eventually leads to a love triangle between Cosette (Amanda Seyfried), Marius (Eddie Redmayne) who is a student of the rebellion, and Eponine (Samantha Barks), a girl of the streets. The people sing of their anger and Enjolras (Aaron Tveit) leads the students to fight upon the barricades." Written by JBW (Source below.)

Anne Hathaway (being carried) and Hugh Jackman.

Directed by Tom Hooper ("The King's Speech", "John Adams" TV Mini-Series, "Elizabeth I" TV Mini-Series) and based on the original stage musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg, Alain Boubil, Jean-Marc Natel, and Herbert Kretzmer. The screenplay was written by William Nicholson ("Elizabeth: The Golden Age", "Gladiator", "First Knight") with additional text written by James Fenton.

Russell Crowe.

In the starring role is Hugh Jackman ("The Prestige", "X-Men"). He does an excellent job and I don't think he's getting enough accolades for it. Opposite him is Russell Crowe ("Gladiator", "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World"), who, though not a singer, holds his own. He wasn't terrible and I think he acted the part rather well. For the record, Javert is my favorite character out of the whole musical. Anne Hathaway ("The Devil Wears Prada", "The Dark Knight Rises") isn't in it for very long, but she is brilliant and will probably win supporting actress come Oscar time.  Though her vibrato bothered me a bit, Amanda Seyfried ("Mean Girls", "Mamma Mia") was also very good. Her character doesn't have too much depth to her so in consideration of that she did well. 

Amanda Seyfried (L)
and Eddie Redmayne.

Sacha Baron Cohen ("Hugo", "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street") and Helena Bonham Carter ("Alice in Wonderful", "The King's Speech"), even though they tried really hard to be funny, it just didn't work for me. Cohen was the only one with a French accent and it was a bad French accent. They were okay, Carter could've sung her parts louder, but her acting was good. Eddie Redmayne ("Black Death", "My Week With Marilyn") was good, but his face shook every time he sung a long note out and that was a bit distracting. Aaron Tveit ("Ghost Town", "Howl", "Premium Rush") was cute and had a great voice, but in comparison to the Enjolras I saw on Broadway (in about 2009) really got me gung-ho about the revolution. Tveit was adorable, but I didn't fall in love with him like I did the one onstage. 

Samantha Barks.

Samantha Barks ("Les Misérables in Concert: The 25th Anniversary") is basically known for being an amazing Eponine onstage so I think she suffers from the same thing that Jackman is going through right now: because everyone knows that she's a great stage actress, she's not getting the praise that is due her way. Daniel Huttlestone was wonderful as Gavroche. He has an excellent voice and was oftentimes singing rings around the other actors in the scene. And Colm Wilkinson ("The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall") was the Bishop that shows Jean Valjean some kindness and helps him to become a better man. He wasn't in it very long but he does an excellent job with his part as well.

"Les Misérables"
movie poster.

The makeup, or rather lack thereof, was brilliant. Everything was done very realistically. You saw how dirty, disgusting and sick everyone was. Also, everything seemed historically accurate which is something that can't always be shown in a musical stage production. The clothes were very good. I still don't think it's going to win "Best Picture" though. Because of the way they filmed everything, they had to keep very close to the actors. The actors were really singing while they were being filmed. This is what people actually sound like when they sing. 

Russell Crowe.

I had to watch this musical two times before I could write a review (damn people!). If you know the musical, you will notice that they cut some parts out and put some parts in. Most of it doesn't matter to the overall movie. I really liked how they humanized Javert. This wasn't something that could be done onstage. He was obviously changed by the end of the movie.

Also, Lisa Schwarzbaum: who the hell watches a movie musical when they don't even like musicals?!

I would like to read the book one day. I read an abridged version in high school some years ago, but the only part I remember is when Eponine is helping some old guy water his flowers while spouting off revolutionary, political jargon. 

Also, this review, featuring Sourcefed's Meg and Trisha:

Sources: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1707386/plotsummary and http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1707386/fullcredits#cast.

"Body of Lies" Movie Review

"Body of Lies" movie poster.

"Roger Ferris (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a CIA operative in the Middle East; Ed Hoffman (Russell Crowe) is his control at Langley. Cynicism is everywhere. In Amman, Roger works with Hani Salaam (Mark Strong), Jordan's head of security, whose only dictum is "Don't lie to me." The Americans are in pursuit of a cleric, Al-Saleem, (Alon Aboutboul) who leads a group placing bombs all over Europe. When Hani rebukes Ed's demand that Jordan allow the Americans to use one of Jordan's double agents, Roger and Ed hatch a plan to bring the cleric to them. The plan involves implicating an innocent Dubai-based architect named Omar Sadiki (Ali Suliman) as a rival terrorist, but the plan is complicated by its being a secret from Hani and by Roger's attraction to a local nurse, Aisha (Golshifteh Farahani). Satellites and cell phones, bodies and lies: modern warfare." Written by jhailey@hotmail.com

(Link below.)

A Ridley Scott film of 2008 with screenplay by William Monahan, based on the book of the same title by David Ignatius. It is kind of a cut and dry story as far as CIA operative spy thriller movies are concerned. But it is enjoyable and has a political message that still has relevance to today's society.

Script can be downloaded here:
http://www.screenplaydb.com/film/scripts/bodyoflies20070921/.

Mark Strong.

The cast also consisted of Oscar Isaac and Simon McBurney. Nobody's acting was particularly strong, but everyone was very good as their characters. Mark Strong was sultry and sexy as Hani Salaam. I felt so bad for Omar Sadiki - poor bastard.

*SPOILER ALERT* I'm still a little confused about the ending, what did Hani tell Aisha that would make it hard for Ferris to earn her love? And is Ferris fired?

Golshifteh Farahani.

I'm going to read the book in the hopes that it clears most of this up. But I have heard that the movie is actually better than the book and it doesn't have all of the same characters. I have also heard that the book has a kick-ass ending though, so hoping for the best. (Book review here.)

Favorite Lines:

[first lines] 

Title Card: I and the public know what all schoolchildren learn, those to whom evil is done, do evil in return. - W.H. Auden

Roger Ferris: [having cell phone conversation] You know what? I've had it. I've had it. I can't do this anymore.

Ed Hoffman: Yes, you can. Now, you just get yourself a couple of hours' sleep. And you call me when you're thinking straight. 

Roger Ferris: You know what? I am thinking straight. You're not, all right? You can't, because you're a million fucking miles away. I'm here, Ed, every day. And I see the unnecessary travesties of this war... that the rest of you backstabbing political fucking bureaucrats... only look at pictures of. So don't you dare tell me I am not thinking straight! This is not working, all right? It's not working, I'm out. 

Ed Hoffman: Ferris? Ferris? 

[phone disconnects] 

Ed Hoffman: I should pack.

Russell Crowe (L) and Leonardo DiCaprio.

Hani: And so we throw him back into the sea to swim where he naturally swims, to learn what he naturally learns. We'll see how long he remembers my benevolence. 

Roger Ferris: What if he forgets? 

Hani: If he forgets, I remind him that I have the power of life and death over him. Because you see, any time I wish, I can let them know he works for me.

Roger Ferris: I thought you didn't believe in torture, Hani Pasha. 

Hani: This is punishment, my dear. It's a very different thing. 

Mark Strong (L) and Leonardo DiCaprio.

[Nizar refuses to come to them and Bassam has to leave the car to fetch him] 

Bassam: Hey hey, listen to me. I'm not getting my head cut off on the Internet, alright? No. If something happens, shoot me. Will you shoot me? 

Roger Ferris: Fuck that shit, I will shoot you right now. 

Bassam: I'm not kidding. 

Roger Ferris: Quit being a pussy.

Garland: ...and a list of emails for the Brothers of Awareness. 

Roger Ferris: The Brothers of who the fuck?

Ed Hoffman: Nobody's innocent in this shit.

Source: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0758774/plotsummary.