Les Miserables. Tom Hooper (2012)

Spoiler Alert!!!

As a fan of musical theater it's somewhat difficult to evaluate this movie from strictly a cinematic point of view. Les Miserables is the last in a long list of hit Broadway/West End musicals which have been made into successful movies. It seems like a good formula. Choose a hit musical, build up a cast of famous stars (who can actually sing), and throw in  $100 MM. The result, a blockbuster like Les Mis. To refresh your memory, these previous musicals have become instant screen record breakers: The Sound of Music; Mary Poppins; West Side Story; Chicago; Oliver; Grease; My Fair Lady and many others. At least three of them won Best Picture awards.

Les Miserables, or as it is usually known, Les Mis, is based on the best selling novel by Victor Hugo and tells the story of Jean Valjean (played by Hugh Jackman) a man who was given a very stiff penalty for stealing a loaf of bread in the aftermath of the French Revolution, where France was immersed in poverty. Valjean serves his duty and upon release refuses to report to the police as a paroled man. He becomes a businessman and changes his name. Javert (played by Russell Crowe), a committed policeman, looks for him everywhere and their lives cross paths several times, with Valjean narrowly escaping all of them.

One of Valjean's employees, Fantine, is fired by Valjean's merciless foreman, and she turns to prostitution in order to provide for her little girl, Cosette. Fantine is beautifully played by Anne Hathaway. It's a short but powerful role, where the misery and degradation of prostitution in 19 Century Paris is explicitly displayed. Valjean finds out about Fantine and, feeling responsible, vows to take care of Cosette. Fantine dies very young and sings one of the most important songs of the musical "I dreamed a dream" This is a very powerful and dramatic scene. I felt really moved by Hathaway's performance and singing.

The story moves ahead a few years, with Valjean starting over yet again, this time with Cosette by his side, who he treats as his daughter. A few youngsters unhappy with the ever powerful government, organise a protest. Among these men, a young lawyer, Marius (played by Eddie Redmayne), falls in love with Cosette, something that is not approved by Valjean.

At the height of these protests, Javert once more spots Valjean. He (Valjean) then decides to leave once again and alerts Cosette, who doesn't want to as she's in love with Marius. The protests escalate and a whole section of the city is barricaded off. The soldiers, with sheer force, manage to contain these protests and eventually go over and around the barricade, killing most of the young men involved, with Marius being gravely wounded. Valjean decides to help him and carries him away to safety through the underground sewers as he's pursued by Javert.

Javert, who at one point was imprisoned by the protesters and whose life was spared by Valjean, commits suicide, putting an end to a life long pursuit and to Valjean's troubles.

The movie ends with the death of Jean Valjean, while he's reunited once again with Cosette and Marius.

A highly dramatic plot, loaded with fantastic songs and settings. The acting was spot on, especially by Jackman, Hathaway and Amanda Seyfried. I guess Russell Crowe was Ok although his voice didn't do him any favours. The director, Tom Hooper, used extreme closeups with all actors, especially Jackman, I believe to emphasize the drama. I found this really distressing at times, but I guess he manages to obtain that effect. For those who are not particularly fond of the musical theater, I believe this could be a long and slow movie. But for those who admire this art form, this movie is a must see.

The renditions of "I dreamed a dream" by Hathaway and "In my life" by Amanda Seyfried were nothing short of brilliant. Most of Jackman's solo's (a heap of them) were terrific. He has a strong musical background and has played the main part in several musicals. I can recall him as "Curly" in "Oklahoma", where he took me by surprise for his strong tenor voice. The part of Jean Valjean is possibly the most sought after male role in all of musical theatre, possibly rivaled by The Phantom. It;s a difficult, tiresome and long script loaded with songs. The whole movie revolves around him and his internal struggles to find himself and to be a better person. I haven't seen "Lincoln" and once I see it I'll have to compare Daniel Day Lewis' part with Jackman's, but regardless of this, I strongly believe this was a major piece of acting by Jackman.

Once again, if you like musicals, then this is a must see. If you don't, you might get bored.

This is, at least, my opinion. And I could be wrong.

Argo. Ben Affleck (2.012)

I've never believed in the Oscars as a benchmark to define the quality of a movie. I understand though, that it's definitely a good reference of movies you should see. I took that decision many years ago when a cheesy romantic comedy like "Ghost" was nominated for best picture. This theory of mine was once more proven this year with "Argo".

I usually like films based in historic events. "The Right Stuff"; "Amadeus"; "Ghandi" are some of the titles I've truly enjoyed throughout the years. These movies encourage you to read more about the events that took place in real life therefore you end up learning a bit more about history. However, you have to be careful about what you see because there could be a big gap between reality and what the Director wants you to believe. This is the case with "Argo".

Ben Affleck intends to portray the events that took place in Iran when in 1.979 a group of fanatics took the US Embassy in Tehran taking 50 Americans as hostages. Six of them managed to escape and holed up at the Canadian Embassy. The US Government, through the CIA and an officer named Tony Mendez, device a  clever plan to retrieve these six Americans by pretending them to be part of a film crew that were looking for locations for a sci-fi film named "Argo".

The movie itself is interesting, as you realise this happened in real life. The tensions keep mounting because everyone is aware that is the plan is uncovered, everyone would end up executed and tensions between the two countries would escalate. In this sense, the movie is good. A thriller complete with last minute escapes and phone calls taken on the last ring. But in the end, something I'd rather watch on TV during a Saturday night at home.

The acting was relatively good, only Alan Arkin standing out, as he usually does.

But the part I really disliked was the manipulation of the truth for cinematic convenience. Tony Mendez, who is Ben Affleck's character, only spent 2 days in Iran when this all happened. It was mostly the Canadian Ambassador Ken Taylor, who risked his life for weeks by hiding these Americans and issuing false passports to all of them.

In the end, it was another so-so movie made to look important by touching the American's sense of patriotism. Good old USA saving the day once again. 

This is, at least, my opinion. And I could be wrong.

My favourite movies (III)

Spoiler alerts!!!


9.- Pulp Fiction. Quentin Tarantino (1.994)  A film like no other. Tarantino expresses himself through a series of events that seem like random acts of violence put together in no particular order. That is, until the viewer starts putting the story together. Tarantino uses time as he pleases and therefore you see Vincent Vega (John Travolta) happily eating a hearty breakfast when minutes ago he had been shot in the chest with 12 gauge shotgun. This is not the first or the last time that alternative times are used in the narrative of a story, but it really is unsettling for the viewer, something I find fascinating. Then you have Vega's partner, brilliantly played by Samuel Jackson. A cold blooded henchman who recites the Bible while killing with no remorse at all. His monologue prior to shooting the drug dealers who owed his boss money was fantastic. And then you have "The Shark" played by Harvey Keitel, another of Tarantino's favourite actors. An extremely cool character who cleans up after someone else's mess. The dance sequence between Travolta and Uma Thurman is now a movie icon and the music is overall fantastic.Like any Tarantino movie, there's a lot to talk about but it's not the intention here.

10.- The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Sergio Leone (1.966) The quintessential Western. You can call it a Spaghetti Western if you like, but it's still the best that's ever been made. Leone uses three American actors in Clint Eastwood (The Good); Lee Van Cleef (The Bad) and Eli Wallach (The Ugly) to create a story of violence in the far West of the mid to late 1.800's The characters are cold hearted, with nerves of steel and with pinpoint accuracy when shooting. They are all relentless and violent and don't take no for an answer. Leone gives us a sound score that everyone remembers through the mastery of Enio Morricone. The landscapes are extremely dry deserts shot actually in Southern Spain instead of Texas, as most of the actors were either Spanish or Italian. A must see for every movie fan, an especially if you're also a fan of Tarantino, who has imitated and Leone in several of his movies.

11.- 12 Angry Men. Sydney Lumet (1.957)  One of these movies that get better with time. Everytime I watch it, I find something new I hadn't noticed before. It's the story of a jury of twelve males gathered to deliberate about a murder case. They are only referred to by their numbers. You have people from all walks of life and of every age and religion. These men argue about the case and sometimes their arguments are clouded by their own biases and personal baggage. The jury is a sample of society and how people are mostly not good or bad, but respond to feelings, personal issues, their upbringing, etc. Henry Fonda plays the very centered juror who doesn't want to send a young boy to the electric chair without being fully convinced he's guilty. He embodies the essence of Justice: people are innocent until proven guilty. The strong script and exceptional cast along with Lumet's perfect use of cinematography, made this film a classic everyone should watch.

12.- One flew over the cuckoo's nest. Milos Forman (1.975) The famous Broadway play brought to life by Milos Forman and then producer Michael Douglas. A movie that showcased Jack Nicholson as a great actor, but also encased him into the "crazy" characters he'd play along his career. A small time crook fakes his way into an psychiatric asylum trying to avoid a third conviction, and once inside, he becomes the undisputed leader of the place. The strict and somewhat cruel nurse Ratched, played by a fantastic Louise Fletcher, knows that Nicholson isn't totally insane and they immediately start a personal war that ends when Nicholson is lobotomized and then murdered by one of his closest friends in the ward, who escapes the asylum. A very hard to watch film, beautifully acted, that plays with the viewer's emotions. I find it hard not have this film among my favourites.


There's my first twelve, again, in no particular order. There will be more in future posts