In a nutshell Les Misérables was a great experience. There was nothing so bad in it that it was actually bad, there were only things that probably could have been better. And the things that were great were exceptional.
I will not go into any plot or deviations thereof here. I can't imagine that people don't know at least the basic plot by now, and I generally don't care about deviations unless they completely change the tone of the source. Onto the cheers and jeers, in reverse order.
First let me say that even though I'm a general fan of Broadway, I'm not always a fan of "Broadway voices." Often I find, that for my tastes, Broadway singers sound a little too brash or have a little too much vibrato. So my biggest letdown for the movie was my own fault, because somehow I was expecting little or no Broadway voices, fool that I am. And since Hugh Jackman, who did the most singing in the cast as Jean Valjean, had the Broadway-iest voice, I had to adjust quickly. Other than that, Hugh Jackman was excellent with an emotionally bared and raw performance.
I fear that poor Mr. Russel Crowe may be getting the brunt of any general bad feelings towards Les Misérables. I knew going in that his singing wouldn't be bad, per se, but it wouldn't be great. He is the lead singer of his own rock band, but I think that's about how far it goes. Oddly enough Mr. Crowe reminded me a wee bit of David Bowie when he sang, which is a good thing. The only thing I found lacking in Mr. Crowe's performance was during his big solo numbers. Simply put, the emotional side of the performance wasn't at the level it should have been. When he sang bits or with other people, the passions and hardness of Javert were there, it was just the solos that fell short. Unfortunately his self-awareness (and likely self-consciousness) about his singing was apparent instead of a deeper emotional performance. But his solos were not awful in the least. There was this tender, sweet moment with Javert towards the end that, for me, made up for whatever emotion he lacked in his singing performance. I won't spoil it here, because it's definitely something that didn't or couldn't come across in the stage performance. It was also the moment that I knew the my tears would likely not stop until the credits rolled. (I cry a lot in movies, so that's no shocker.)
My lowest expectations going in were of Anne Hathaway. It's no secret that I think she is an over-rated actor and an even more over-rated singer. But her performance was very good indeed with only a few moments of "performy" distraction.
The best singer, and perhaps the best overall performance, was Eddie Redmayne as Marius. His voice was so clear yet it had so much depth for his highest of high tenor (and I'm sure falsetto). And as far as his emotional performance goes, he was Marius. "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" has never been so heartbreaking. Also there is something absolutely perfect about Marius being covered in freckles.
I know that Jean Valjean and Javert are supposed to be the leads, but I have come to the conclusion that Les Misérables is really about Marius. His passion and sense of justice reflect the best part of Javert, and his compassion and capacity for love reflect the best of Jean Valjean. Marius is Javert's fixation on right mixed with Valjean's capacity for good. As that amalgamation, Marius becomes the light and the hope in a thoroughly depressing story; he is the person who can begin to make the changes and live the life that everyone is fighting for or longing for in some way.
My favorite part of the film adaptation was the presentation, and the best bits of the presentation were the tight, unwavering shots of characters during their solos. Each solo was about being in that emotional moment, and director Tom Hooper honored that by staying close enough that nothing could distract or detract from that. It was intimate and truthful, and the intimacy was what made it more superior than an expansive stage production. Yes, I said it. And I mean it.
