Les Mis�rables (2012)

[Guest El Segundo Escupidor]

Wtf did I just watch?

What a painful way to spend 3 hours. The only reason I survived this film was the 1/4 litre of rum i mixed in with my frozen coke. It wasn't enough unfortunately. I actually looked up MBTN at some point, only to be disappointed that there were no recent updates. Then i read a nice piece about the "Hall of Greg" electing Piazza.

Crowe's singing is like cleaning one's ears with sandpaper. Hathaway was outstanding, I expected more from Jackman although he came into his own towards the end. Cohen was funny as Th�nardier, I kept thinking of George Costanza singing "Master of the House, keeper of the inn" etc

But let me be frank: putting musical plays on the silver screen is not a good idea.

Poll forthcoming (when i sober up in a few days).

Edited January 11, 2013 by Guest

[Vic Sage]

But let me be frank: putting musical plays on the silver screen is not a good idea.

Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't.

some good ideas:
ON THE TOWN
OKLAHOMA
MY FAIR LADY
WEST SIDE STORY
SOUND OF MUSIC
OLIVER
FUNNY GIRL
FIDDLER ON THE ROOF
CABARET
ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW
HAIR
LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS
GREASE
CHICAGO
DREAMGIRLS
HAIRSPRAY
HEDWIG & THE ANGRY INCH
SWEENEY TODD

some bad ideas:
LIL ABNER
PAINT YOUR WAGON
ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER
MAME
MAN OF LA MANCHA
GODSPELL
THE WIZ
ANNIE
THE FANTASTICKS
EVITA
PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
RENT
THE PRODUCERS
MAMMA MIA

[Edgy MD]

The increasing demand for realism has rendered the surrealism of the movie musical increasingly anachronistic. That leaves the filmmaker who dares make such an animal two options: add increasingly realistic elements, or to forsake realism and defy the trend.

I don't know what the answer is, but executing becomes harder and harder. Do you go for the lighter material or the heavier? I'm a fan of Little Shop of Horrors, but it has the advantage of kinda being about popular tastes, which kinda gets it off the hook for being subject to popular tastes..

I'm also a fan of The Sound of Music, and am impressed at how it can still capture children's imaginations like no live action musical since. (Even Grease, probably.)

[Vic Sage]

The increasing demand for realism has rendered the surrealism of the movie musical increasingly anachronistic.

I'm not sure i understand what increasing demand for realism you are referring to. Action/SF/Fantasy films totally dominate our movies, and our popular culture; our literature is largely escapist fare. "Realism", like political satire, closes on Saturday night. sure, "reality tv" has been a successful tv genre but its got as much to do with "realism" as superhero movies and has not translated to the big screen.

I agree that the conventions of the musical genre, like those of westerns and pirate movies, have fallen out of popular taste and seem anachronistic, and its harder to make one these days that can land with an audience (particularly younger audiences who may never have even seen one before). But i don't think it has anything to do with "realism", and some musicals have worked recently that deal with realistic premises or issues ("Dreamgirls", "Chicago", "Hairspray", "Mamma Mia") even while dealing them in musical theater terms.

[batmagadanleadoff]

What's wrong with us?

[Ceetar]

my wife wants to see this, so i'll probably suffer through it. Doubt I'll enjoy it, the only good musical I've ever seen was South Park.

[Edgy MD]

As the 'pedia says, "More generally, realist works of art are those that, in revealing a truth, may emphasize the ugly or sordid, such as works of social realism, regionalism, or Kitchen sink realism."

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Vic Sage wrote: I agree that the conventions of the musical genre, like those of westerns and pirate movies, have fallen out of popular taste and seem anachronistic, and its harder to make one these days that can land with an audience (particularly younger audiences who may never have even seen one before).

You guys don't have children? Or, say, a television? There's a reason a not-inexpensive Les Miz got bankrolled so easily.









While I make no argument about their quality, you could argue that musicals-- and various mutant forms of the musical-theater sensibility-- have never been more prolific in American popular culture, even as Broadway dies a slow creative death.

[Edgy MD]

Glee leaves no doubt that pumping musical drama full of irony can get it over with a small screen audience. That still leaves open the challenge for someone who actually wanted say something a little more sincerely than Fred Schneider might.

[Guest El Segundo Escupidor]

I accept my broadbrush statement about musicals-to-film may lack some conviction. However, let's be honest about this film: it's intended audience is (a) nouveau riche, pseudo-intellectuals residing in Williamsburg seeking "cultural fulfillment" ( chicks. Problem is, Kretzmer's adaptation never impressed me on a good day.

Despite all these shortcomings, i give it 3 stars only for Hathaway & Cohen's performances. If Hathaway receives best supporting actress (which she'll walk in) she will surely break the record for the least amount of screen time winning an award.

Edgy MD wrote: The increasing demand for realism has rendered the surrealism of the movie musical increasingly anachronistic. That leaves the filmmaker who dares make such an animal two options: add increasingly realistic elements, or to forsake realism and defy the trend.

You know, I pondered in an inebriated reverie, why a film like this is proliferated with CGI. I guess, this statement answers the question. Problem is that the CGI has the opposite to the intended effect.

Ceetar wrote: my wife wants to see this, so i'll probably suffer through it. Doubt I'll enjoy it, the only good musical I've ever seen was South Park.

Seriously, dude, take a flask of your favorite bourbon into the theatre (and perhaps a smartphone). If you have a Playstation Vita, take that as well.

Edited January 11, 2013 by Guest

[Guest themetfairy]

I actually enjoyed the film. But it helps that the book was one of my all-time favorites.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

I accept my broadbrush statement about musicals-to-film may lack some conviction. However, let's be honest about this film: it's intended audience is (a) nouveau riche, pseudo-intellectuals residing in Williamsburg seeking "cultural fulfillment" ( chicks.

The latter? Oh, definitely.

The former? Oh, hells no. This is aimed square at the suburban/exurban bourgeoisie what made Les Miz a Broadway staple when they visited New York/summerstock staple when they went back home (and their tween kids), fella.

[Vic Sage]

you beat me to it. I would wager that any screens in the Williamsburg area showing the film will be among the lowest grossing in the entire tri-state area.

[Guest El Segundo Escupidor]

Presumably because they are too busy reading up on the virtues of post-materialism on their iPads.

Poll's up.

[Guest El Segundo Escupidor]

[youtube:1wh5t2af]IBYfA3zTxFE[/youtube:1wh5t2af]

[Edgy MD]

There you go. Fantine sells her teeth in the novel, but it's done "off-screen," in a scene Hugo doesn't describe first hand. They leave that out of the stage musical, but include it in the film musical and insist on depicting it directly. Realism.