A38 - North Shore News - Friday, December 28, 2012
FILM
Les Miz packs powerful punch onscreen
■ Les Misérables. Directed by Tom Hooper. Starring Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried and Eddie Redmayne. Rating: 8 (out of 10)
Julie Crawford Contributing Writer
OPINION about the new big-screen Les Misérables adaptation is likely to be divided into two camps: those fans and repeat attendees of the stage productions who will find the whole concept blasphemous, and those who respect the innovation employed to renew a beloved tale. Get ready to pick sides.
Victor Hugo’s story about Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman), the man sent to prison for 19 years for stealing a loaf of bread, is brought to life like never before under the direction of Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech). The actors all sing live during their scenes: no dubbing afterward in the safety of the studio. Which is why they should hand the Best Actress statuette to Anne Hathaway right now, based on her turn as Fantine. Hathaway is shockingly shorn after being kicked out of Valjean’s factory, and suffers her first sex transaction in the bowels of a wrecked ship (parents, keep this scene in mind when considering bringing children to see the film). But the film’s early “I Had A Dream” scene, shows the best of Hooper’s technique: we see the tears and torment close up, something the audience just doesn’t experience in the theatre, especially those of us who can’t afford front-row seats. For those few who don’t know the story, Fantine’s daughter (played by Isabelle Allen as a child, and Amanda Seyfried as an adult) is first sent to live with the Thenardiers (Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter), innkeepers who take Fantine’s money but work little Cosette like Cinderella. Her fortunes improve considerably when Jean Valjean honours Fantine’s death-bed plea to take care of the girl, but they are always on the run from Police Inspector Javert (Russell Crowe), who can’t forget the prisoner who broke parole. Ah yes, Russell Crowe. The Gladiator star is no stranger to the mic, having been the front-man for several Australian rock bands. See Role page 42
photo supplied
ANNE Hathaway and Hugh Jackman star in Les Misérables, Tom Hooper’s screen adaptation of the musical production based on Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel.
Need a designated driver? Call
™
We’ll drive you home in your own car for free. 1
Pick up the phone and call 604-619-0942 from 9 pm to 3 am on November 30, December 1, 7, 8, 14, 15, 21, 22 and 31.
2
will dispatch two drivers and a navigator to drive you home in your own car free.
3
Give the driver your home address, then sit back and relax.
™
To volunteer as a driver or navigator to help keep our streets safe, call Rudy’s volunteer hotline at 778-288-8996 or check the website: www.nsorn.org or email: volunteer@nsorn.org. Brought to you by the Rotary Clubs of the North Shore. Donations support youth programs in North and West Vancouver. Follow ORN on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ORNNorthShore
NORGATE CENTRE
1451 Marine Drive, North Vancouver 604-904-7811
PARKGATE VILLAGE
3662 Mt. Seymour Pkwy, North Vancouver 604-924-3221