"Les Miserables" Short review......

[madmac]

Ok folks......I'm going to get right down to the chase here!!. I rented this DVD because of the recognition it got at the Oscar's but honestly??????. I knew there was some singing in this film but what I did not know is that ALL of the dialog was singing!!??. Ok..... and I will say this......BAD singing too!!!. No...I'm serious....it's just bad singing!!. Russel Crow singing???. OMG!!!. I'm sorry and I've said this before.....but......I just can't do musicals!!. I just cannot!!.
I tolerated this film for about an hour or so and turned it off. Musicals like this are ALWAYS a bad idea and I have no idea why people make them!.

One strong point though is the cinematography.......VERY nicely filmed.....Pretty to watch.


But.....That's it......That's all!! Goodbye:roll:

[Ovation]

Ok folks......I'm going to get right down to the chase here!!. I rented this DVD because of the recognition it got at the Oscar's but honestly??????. I knew there was some singing in this film but what I did not know is that ALL of the dialog was singing!!??. Ok..... and I will say this......BAD singing too!!!. No...I'm serious....it's just bad singing!!. Russel Crow singing???. OMG!!!. I'm sorry and I've said this before.....but......I just can't do musicals!!. I just cannot!!.
I tolerated this film for about an hour or so and turned it off. Musicals like this are ALWAYS a bad idea and I have no idea why people make them!.

One strong point though is the cinematography.......VERY nicely filmed.....Pretty to watch.


But.....That's it......That's all!! Goodbye:roll:

Musicals are usually love it/hate it (especially on film). I'd guess you're not going to risk any more in the future?

I actually enjoy a good musical (I've been in one on stage--Guys and Dolls--amateur production). However, I'm NOT a fan of Andrew Lloyd Webber, so I'll likely avoid this one.

[aud19]

I totally get some folks not liking musicals. I certainly have to be in the right mood before I can watch one...

But did you actually go in to this one not knowing it was a musical...?:blink:

[madmac]

I totally get some folks not liking musicals. I certainly have to be in the right mood before I can watch one...

But did you actually go in to this one not knowing it was a musical...?:blink:

I knew there was some singing but I did not know that it was ALL singing!!. Why?????????....Why would they do that?????................For what reason???. It's brutal to listen to, because the actors/ actresses are NOT good singers!!................WHY????!!!!. It would be like hiring bad actors to act!!??. I just don't get the concept!. "Grease" was a musical back in the day and upon re-watching it recently. It is bad....but....at least there was some dialogue no?.

[Ovation]

I knew there was some singing but I did not know that it was ALL singing!!. Why?????????....Why would they do that?????................For what reason???. It's brutal to listen to, because the actors/ actresses are NOT good singers!!................WHY????!!!!. It would be like hiring bad actors to act!!??. I just don't get the concept!. "Grease" was a musical back in the day and upon re-watching it recently. It is bad....but....at least there was some dialogue no?.

Musicals vary to the degree with which dialogue is presented in song, but there are a good number where it is all in song (or where song is 85% or more of the dialogue). Generally, non-singing dialogue in musicals is intended as bridging information between the important material--which is always in song. Even in musicals where song is not the only form of dialogue, nothing important is ever presented unless it is via a song. That is the fundamental nature of musical theatre and film.

Also, the expectation of singing quality is secondary (though not unimportant) to acting ability in any quality musical production. Acting is non-verbal as well as verbal and many people with good singing voices are horrible at non-verbal emoting. On the other hand, a capable actor with even a modest ability to carry a tune will often be in a musical because the ability to act is as important to the entire production. If you watch a musical and expect the actors to be as good as professional singers, you're likely to be disappointed. They need only be good enough to carry the tune. Some exceptions are made for certain parts, but they are rare. It's why almost every recording of a musical tune sounds best when sung by real singers. Ella Fitzgerald recorded a number of Broadway musical tunes and she did them fantastically (full disclosure--she is my favourite singer of all time, so I might be biased )--better than the originals, from a singing standpoint, in almost every case. I doubt she would have been a good enough actor, though, to star in musicals, either on film or the stage.

One thing about the production of Les Miserables--the actors were recorded (if the article I read is to be believed--and I see no reason why it shouldn't) as they are in regular filming. Many musical films will record the singing separately and dub it in (and sometimes get others to do the singing) but in this case, the singing was done while filming. This probably makes it less polished (I haven't seen the film). An aesthetic choice, but one that takes the singing further away from a proper professional studio recording. Probably intended to give greater immediacy to the emotions of the characters and to make it more like a live stage production. Can't judge its effectiveness, and probably never will. I'd be willing to explore that approach with a musical in which I am interested, in case one comes along.

[aud19]

Ella Fitzgerald recorded a number of Broadway musical tunes and she did them fantastically (full disclosure--she is my favourite singer of all time, so I might be biased )...

:T agreed Ella is tip of the top!

[madmac]

I've just got to stay away from musical's in film. However, I DID like "Chicago" ??!!!

[Chris D]

Yeah, you should read my Les Mis thread in the Movies section too. I totally get that some people just don't like all-singing musicals. It's kind of artsy-fartsy. The producers in this film debated it, and decided to create a world where yes, characters do sing each and every thing they say. By contrast, the Broadway "Phantom" does have some spoken lines that are not sung.

Totally agree with you about Russell Crowe. He was the weak link in the singing line-up in this film. But other than that, I actually LOVED this film, and thought the rest of the singing was quite good. To each their own.

[Kal Rubinson]

I knew there was some singing but I did not know that it was ALL singing!!. Why?????????....Why would they do that?????................For what reason???.

Because it was written that way, sorta like opera, y'know.

[George Bellefontaine]

Because of my age, I grew up with musicals, but few were of the singing dialogue variety. Still, you had to get used to having someone break out in song at any given moment, and often in the middle of dialogue. But one of the most beautiful moments of musical cinema is in Carousel when Gordon Macrae and Shirley Jones both talk and sing their way through If I Loved You. There are not many musicals made today, but I make sure I see everyone one. Sometimes I like. Sometimes I don't. But I hope they never stop making them.

[wkhanna]

Sweeny Todd with Johnny Depp is one of my favorites.
Oh My! I am about to break out in song as type away!!!

[Chris D]

George, I can't remember, have you seen the new Les Mis yet?

[Kal Rubinson]

George, I can't remember, have you seen the new Les Mis yet?

Not George but we just finished watching it. Mediocre music and terribly predictable lyrics but good entertainment.

[mjb]

Still, you had to get used to having someone break out in song at any given moment, and often in the middle of dialogue. But one of the most beautiful moments of musical cinema is in Carousel when Gordon Macrae and Shirley Jones both talk and sing their way through If I Loved You.

I love the classics, like Carousel, but Les Miserables is cringe worthy. Yuk! Even Sweeny Todd is border-line... but hey, each to his own.

[George Bellefontaine]

George, I can't remember, have you seen the new Les Mis yet?

Yeah, I did, Chris. Cinematography was fabulous and acting quite good, but there were times when I wished they had used the voices of professional singers. Unlike most musicals that I love to watch and re-watch, I'm not sure I would want to sit through Les Mis again. I liked it, but I just didn't love it enough I guess.

[Briz vegas]

One of the very few musicals that I like. It actually helps that I don't know the words. You kind of get the meaning without them.

[Chris D]

If you want a real musical treat, watch "The Pirates of Penzance" with Kevin Kline and Linda Rondstadt.

[George Bellefontaine]

Hey Briz, that is one sexy soprano.