801 replies to this topic

[djp]

Doogie Hoser, on 10 November 2012 - 12:01 AM, said:

I just feel Helena Bonham Carter was mistaken casting.  She looks so Tim Burton in the brief bits we saw.  I recognize I am saying it without having seen her performance and I truly hope to eat my words.  But I'd bet a twenty the rave reviews for this will be qualified by remarks about Russell Crowe's adequate singing and HBC's resemblance to so many other characters she's played.  

And I may be alone in this but I could listen Amanda Seyfried's lovely, trilling voice all day.

Helena looks a bit Bellatrix,  but they could have changed that with a wig if they wanted to. I am looking forward to her otherwise . Loved her Mrs Lovett -  and anyone who can make Bellatrix credibly evil but massively loved by fans, should have fun with Madame T.  Amanda  sounds a bit thin. and her Cosette looks as if she's back in her passive box, but there's not enough to tell.  Its going to be an interesting contrast with the WE Cosette's singing later on,  and between her and Sam Barks -  who looks good and sounds great - as may the contrast between this young Cosette and a Matilda later on. Russell Crowe didn't sound right at all  - he's meant to be hitting the notes hard and showing strength and determination - he sounded if he was opting to go on leave for the day. Perhaps the sound isn't very good on that recording.

Hugh Valjean though works fine for me.  and Ann Fantine is looking  superb and  looks like awards waiting to happen.

Still not sure why anyone would build a barricade in the middle of Grand Square at the Royal Naval college. It just invites death standing behind something that long and exposed.  I would build it accoss the narrower roads and stick my men in the buildings  behind stone. Perhaps that what they did wrong in  the real revolution too......

[mystifyre]

I picked up on a few things from the international trailer:

1. Javert sings "One day more to revolution, we will nip it in the bud." The actual production lyrics are "One more day to revolution". It just sounded weird having it the other way, but there is perhaps a reason why they changed it.

2. Marius is seen with Eponine asking "Who is that girl?" and Eponine replies "Cosette". Doesn't this take away from Marius' line in "A Heart Full Of Love" later on, when he says "I do not even know your name"?

Overall, I'm extremely excited for this movie! However, just by the trailer, Amanda Seyfried's voice I am not too sure of for Cosette. Her vibrato makes her sound weak yet her voice, as heard in Mamma Mia, is reasonable. Nevertheless, I shall wait and see when I see the movie in full to make a judgement.

[Anthony]

Sp I've been reading the thread on this and as genuinely excited about this I feel I must respond on a couple of things here.  Good point about Marius being seen with Eponine asking "Who is that girl?" and Eponine replies "Cosette". Does this also mean that Eponine's errand has been cut, where upon being asked by Marius "Eponine, who was that girl?" and she responds "Some bourgeois two-a-penny thing!"

Amanda Seyfried is opera trained and Russell Crowe has a grungry rock voice. In Australia he was the front man for a short period of time of a rock band called (believe it or not) 50 Foot of Grunt. He's also previously performed in musicals- Eddie in Blood Brothers and as Eddie/Dr. Scott in Rocky Horror

[Jon]

I imagine they'll alter the line 'I do not even know your name?' to something like 'I only know your name?

[luce66]

I'm so excited for this but I also don't want to set my expectations too high. I think i'll find it hard to separate it and take the film for what it is, rather than thinking about how I'm used to the songs sounding on the stage. I hope I can be very open minded!

[Janki]

First of all, Amanda S. is probably one of my favourite actresses, she has just got something special on screen, but....Everybody keep saying "Amanda has opera-training", I'm sorry, but (as someone who HAS had Opera-training) I cannot hear it! Honestly, to me she sounds like has got no technique at all. And her vibrato is not really a vibrato, it just sounds like she is incredibly nervous! It worked in "Mamma Mia", but from what I have heard here it's NOT right!

Russel Crowe doesn't sound that bad, he has not got an amazing voice and he kinda "oversings", but hey only time will tell if I'm right!

Eddie R and Sam Barks sound gorgeous though!

Cannot wait for the film! From reading the screenplay and watching the trailers I cannot see how this can fail...I think it'll be even more gorgeous than we all expect!

[Jamiem]

The advertising on this is phenomenal, brilliant.

[Jon]

I wouldn't be surprised if there is a surge in ticket sales for the show, I imagine the film will be a bit hit here.

[Elliott]

If anyone's interested, Universal has updated their awards website with a list of categories they will be pushing for Les Mis to be nominated for. The list is as follows:

BEST PICTURE
BEST DIRECTOR - Tom Hooper
BEST ACTOR - Hugh Jackman
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR - Sacha Baron Cohen, Russell Crowe, Eddie Redmayne
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS - Samantha Barks, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
BEST FILM EDITING
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
BEST MAKE-UP AND HAIRSTYLING
BEST SOUND MIXING
BEST SOUND EDITING
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
BEST ORIGINAL SONG - "Suddenly", performed by Hugh Jackman

Also, Vogue magazine was given a special screening of a rough cut of the film and had this to say:

"A spectacular achievement that, anchored by powerful performances from Hugh Jackman as Valjean, Russell Crowe as Javert, and Anne Hathaway as Fantine, reconnects the musical to the novel's narrative richness and moral vision. Like 'The King's Speech', the film is rooted in vivid historical detail, though, thanks to the almost expressionistic production design and Hooper's eye for symbolism, it inhabits a heightened reality somewhere between period drama and movie musical, where it feels right for escaped convicts, imperious officers of the law, young lovers, and student revolutionaries to sing their feelings."

[poster J]

I was hoping they'd push Anne up into the Best Actress category to give the others a chance at Supporting, but I guess Fantine really isn't in it enough...