Les Miserables now on DVD/Blu-ray

By Alexandra Heilbron on March 22, 2013 | Leave a Comment

As a fan of the stage production Les Misérables, I was thrilled to hear it was coming to film, although I worried something might be lost in the translation. The stage version has been going strong for more than 25 years, and there’s a reason for that – it’s done to perfection, with the finest singers available. I was pleasantly surprised at how moving the story was on the big screen. Adapted from the book by Victor Hugo, Les Misérables follows ex-con Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman) from his release and through his transformation into an upstanding citizen, but always has the police on his trail because he’s broken parole. He’s torn up the card that shows he’s an ex-con, because it prevented him from moving on with his life and getting a job. He becomes a factory owner and unbeknownst to him, Fantine (Anne Hathaway), one of his workers who has a child to support, is fired when she refuses the factory supervisor’s lewd advances. After selling everything she owns, Fantine finally turns to prostitution to raise money to support her little girl, but becomes ill in the process. And that’s just the beginning of this epic, classic tale.

The stars who signed on for the lead roles in this movie are Hollywood A-Listers, known for their strong acting talent. Remarkably, all are capable singers and brought their own unique qualities to their characters. Jackman packed on muscle and lost weight to portray Valjean, who’s been doing hard labor for 19 years after stealing a loaf of bread. Hathaway lost 25 pounds from her already slender frame and had her hair chopped off during filming. Russell Crowe plays Inspector Javert, the policeman who has been trying to find Jean Valjean for years. Although their singing voices are not as strong as what you would hear in the stage production, they were good enough to sing these challenging songs and their acting was superb.

Crowe played a gentler, more introspective and conflicted Javert than we see on stage – he was at times even a sympathetic character. On stage, Javert is usually played as a relentless, single-minded, heartless man. Hathaway was heartbreaking as Fantine and well-deserving of her Oscar win, while Amanda Seyfried was radiant as Cosette. Newcomer Samantha Barks, who has played Eponine on stage, was perfectly cast. Other cast members who should be given mention for their incredible performances are Aaron Tveit as Enjolras – the leader of the student revolutionaries, and Daniel Huddlestone as the young street urchin Gavroche, who steals your heart.

The only drawback was the Thenardiers, the ruthless people who take Cosette in and abuse her. Onstage, they always get laughs as they admit their dishonesty during “Master of the House,” but during the screening I attended, there was not one chuckle. It just wasn’t funny. Played by Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter, I expected the Thenardiers to be hilarious. After watching it again on DVD, I think the problem was the timing. The song was slowed down to the point where the jokes just didn’t come fast enough to catch the audience by surprise.

Other than that, Les Misérables is an epic, heart-wrenching, highly entertaining movie that deserves every one of its eight Academy Award nominations. Special extras on the DVD include “The Stars of Les Misérables” – a look at the A-List actors who were cast in the lead roles; “Creating the Perfect Paris” – showing how the street sets were designed and created in a London studio and a biography of Victor Hugo, the author of the original book, as well as a feature commentary with director Tom Hooper. The Blu-ray also offers “Les Misérables on Location,” “The West End Connection,” “Battle at the Barricade” and “Les Misérables Singing Live.” ~Alexandra Heilbron

5 out of 5 stars.

Les Misérables releases on DVD/Blu-ray March 22, 2013. Click here to read our interview with Colm Wilkinson, the original Broadway/London Jean Valjean, who plays the Bishop in the movie.

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