Four more after the cut. (Thanks to Igor)
Better late than never! Barbie was placed in Adapted at the Oscars but is in the Original Screenplay category here,...
Read moreThe Academy should take a bow this morning for bringing back the Oscars, restoring them to their former glory in...
Read moreThe Golden Globes went off well enough this past year that CBS has signed a five-year deal with the Globes...
Read more
Glenn – Just because some of us aren’t impressed with the clips doesn’t make us “haters”. It simply means that we weren’t impressed. My feelings might change once I see the film.
Fanboys that aren’t willing to accept criticism for their beloved films are insufferable.
LOL – always a good sign when the haters come about and spew forth. Les Miz must definitely be a major contender. They will for sure be hanging on to Sasha’s every negative word despite the fact she enjoyed the film much more the second time around! Hating without having seen it just proves the mentality of some people!
You can tell from this clip alone that Anne Hathaway will win the Oscar. She is perfect for this role.
NOT impressed with everything else. Nobody can top Lea Salonga’s version of “On My Own”. This clip was terrible. This isn’t winning Best Picture.
Film Fatale deserves congrats for his terrific comments here! Bravo!
Eddie seems to have got a few tips from Hugh Grant on coy, nervous facial expressions.
I think the clips are very evocative. It appears to be making a successful shift away from being simply a film version of the stage production a la Phantom.
I also think Crowe will be good. Those finding his characterisation jarring might care to refer back to Phillip Quast’s version in the 10th anniversary production. I’d argue that Javert’s cold, aloof single minded rationality means can comfortably sit in contrast to the rest of the cast.
All up – looks brilliant.
Sasha seemed to be right. This looks like love it or hate it.
Oh Patrick ,please see the VVS entry,as that was the poster’s comment.A whole bunch of morose posters at this site.
Geez Film Fatale, alright, you win, here’s what my comment should have said:
“I acknowledge that these clips don’t actually appear in the film itself, therefore I absolutely cannot judge any work in it. Furthermore, these clips show absolutely no stylistic choices that are similar to or predominant in any of Hooper’s previous work.”
I thought I made it pretty clear that I haven’t? Which is why these clips are “discouraging”. Based on these clips, I merely commented that multiple characters singing looks weird with this camerawork. “I no longer see how it can translate well” on film.
At no time did I “naysay” on the film itself; just that my doubts of it have been elevated by these clips. There’s no fault in judging these clips and adjusting expectations because of them.
New high-res pics from Les Miz: http://collider.com/les-miserables-images/215203/
Funny how they make me more excited about the film than the clips…
Also, have you seen the Vogue photoshoot by Annie Leibovitz? It looks gorgeous and quite realistic actually, even though it’d be even more realistic in B&W:
http://www.vogue.com/magazine/article/dreaming-a-dream-cast-of-les-miserables/#1
Funny Patrick because that Wiki entry actually supports the argument that Hooper is an accomplished technician as a director and has used MANY styles (focal lengths, different depths of field, etc.) and is it firm command — not that he has one style, as you suggested.
But good to know you consult with Wilipedia prior to posting message board comments. Do you also refer to Emcyclopaedia Brittanica when formulating your opinions on movies? Or perhaps IMDB?
Patrick have you seen Les Miserables yet or just the clips? Well?
@Film Fatale
I’m glad you found my comment hilarious; Wikipedia’s hilarious too:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Hooper_(director)#Directing_style
As for Avatar being “unwatchable” now? Right. Avatar is one of the most magnificently imagined fantasies from probably the most visionary Hollywood director — who truly digs in (and miles below the sea) to his craft and expands the boundaries/technology of what film is capable of doing. If you are hung up on simple dialogue you are missing the big picture that audiences all over the world have taken from Titanic and Avatar.
Honestly all of you naysayers are ridiculous, especially Patrick who knows “Hooper’s style” (after seeing one film and a few new clips) and defines it as “the isolation and loneliness effect that worked so well in The King’s Speech” – HUH?
The most hilarious comment of the day.
I am so glad we have artists like Hooper out there making actual films and adding value to cinema and haven’t left that to all of you who undoubtedly will never write, direct, act it or probably not even formally review a movie.
NOT BUYING IT. It does look like a miss from these clips. I am afraid I am in the same camp with WS after seeing these clips. It seems like the actors are trying TOO hard to be brilliant. The great old movies musicals didn’t apologize for what they were…this one looks like they tried to make it NOT look like a movie musical and look somehow more gritty? But it doesn’t feel right. It is a huge story. It should be epic. The actors feel self-conscious to me. Even Jackman oddly enough. Redmayne being the exception. And why oh why would they cast a Cosette who can’t sing the role?
“So the singing/acting combo is too theatrical? Really? Well what about a Lady Gaga concert,isn’t that stage format too much singing/or acting?”
It was my understanding that Tom Hooper directed a film of Les Miserables, not a stage production…
So the singing/acting combo is too theatrical? Really? Well what about a Lady Gaga concert,isn’t that stage format too much singing/or acting? Perhaps the time period isn’t right for some people or I love this one ,Crowe is awful…oh sure. Actually this Hooper production appears to be the real thing , a well-made, well-acted film.
Is it just me, or has everybody started out with “Crowe is bad” and worked backwards from there?
It seems ironic to me that in such a fantastic year for movies, people seem to have becomes all the more desperate for there to be a large scale “loser” and have congregated their hopes around this movie for some reason.
hmmm
Don’t think I’m going to like this one. The singing/acting combination is too theatrical and doesnt come across as genuine emotion.
Hathaway will win because there’s no real competition in her category and also because I think the Academy loves her and are waiting for the opportunity to award Hathaway.
I also think Chastain will beat Lawrence.
Concerning Les Miserables reactions, it makes me think of the first reactions for Phantom of the Opera. There was a lot of enthusiastic reactions for a movie that was finally a real mess.
I also think of thé reactions to Dreamgirls that was finally robbed. Jennifer Hudson was unbeatable.
Personnally, i’m on the Lincoln trail.
The trailers were much more promising than these clips.
Crowe looks quite good here – I’m impressed. Hathaway….not so much. Very stagey in that scene.
Still looking forward to the film….will try to reserve judgment till then. Really hoping it lives up to the buzz.
Watching these, it just feels like Anne’s year. It was the only clip that really got me excited to watch the movie. I don’t know the Les Mis story at all; all the other clips therefore just confused me, and I was quite distracted by the “sing-talking” to the point in which it was hard for me to pay attention to the actual words to try to follow the scene. I hope it’s easier to get used to and easier to understand watching the story from the beginning.
@steve50
haha! I guess you’re right, they must have used heavy cgi to cover these up. Why isn’t Les Miz on the Vfx shortlist?
Thanks for the reassurance, Christophe – you’re probably right. Peering thru nose hairs and dodging uvulae tends to put me off my popcorn.
Why does everybody seems to hate Les Misérables right now? I agree that Crowe looks awful (along with the Cinematography), but Hathaway, Jackman, Redmayne and the overall Production Design are pretty good (for me, at least).
Boy are these clips discouraging. Can the camera do anything else?
Hooper’s style only seems to work well when the character is singing alone. Then you get the isolation and loneliness effect that worked well in The King’s Speech. Otherwise, like when multiple characters are singing together, it looks funny and awkward, as if the characters were speaking to each other from completely separate rooms. If there were any grandeur (or epicness) in the musical on stage, I no longer see how it can translate well with Hooper’s style. I assume fans will still love the film because they can imagine the grandeur; the rest of us can’t.
And I agree with others here; judging from these clips alone, Hathaway’s acting is cringeworthy (I bet she really nailed I Dreamed A Dream though).
@Steve50
I’ve watched the clips on a big screen television and despite the murky image it looked much better than on my laptop, so I guess on a movie screen it’ll be perfect. The bigger the screen the less claustrophobic it feels.
That is of course your opinion but some tweets did mention that the shooting style is a mess and really doesn’t work compared to Hoopers other films. I still don’t think this will win cinematography… Lincoln, Anna karenina or life of Pi will. Those are the films ampas usually wet themselves with. They really don’t like natural shot stuff. They like epic and pretty and Les Mis does not look like that.
Jackman looks and sounds great – if he’s ever to get a nom, it will be for this.
Redmayne and Barks are effective and appear to have a shot. Crowe – not so sure. Unfortunately, Seyfried’s cartoon chipmunk voice is grating as hell and sounds like Disney’s Snow White.
I don’t know how having the camera that close is going to play out on a big screen, either. At least these clips advise me to sit well back.
We wait.
@Film Fatale
I am a sucker for the good ol’ musicals too. And after seeing the trailers, I assumed Les Misérables would be able to rival those. But the clips felt really odd to me. It might be completely unjustified as I haven’t seen the movie, but I had the impression the actors were rushing through the lyrics and trying to provide so much information about the story that it was really hard to follow. I never had that feeling with musicals from the 50’s/60’s, where everything seemed to be right on time.
Having read about the book and having seen the musical in French, I do have a few pointers concerning the story, so I’m not worried about my own movie experience, but I’m wondering what impact it will have on those who do not know anything about the characters. Don’t you think they could feel overwhelmed or even put off by the way it plays out? Unless you didn’t know about Les Misérables either before going in, in which case your positive experience would be reassuring.
Jack Traven-
“Seeing a two and a half hour film where people ONLY sing (like that) just makes your hair stand on end” is it? Honestly, what is wrong with the viewers today that people do no understand/cannot embrace the genre of a musical? You do understand, right, that they were once a primary and driving genre in Hollywood and that the American public suffered through (and loved) them for decades without their hair standing on end, right? It’s called suspension of disbelief, understanding of the structure of a musical and appreciation of great music and talent.
Russen, no. The cinematography in the film is gorgeous from beginning to end. I’m not sure where you are getting that it is a “mess” — the film is great looking from frame to frame, for it’s entire 158 minutes.
They are not all getting nominated. After seeing the film, it will be Hathaway and possibly Jackman though his category is crowded. The rest, no — good as they are.
Sorry Tero, but I’ve seen the film and Russell is not “so bad” in it — as a matter of fact, his voice is actually quite effective given that it sounds more “realistic” and less sung than many of the others — he is on key in every song and his emotionality, particularly in Javert’s famous final scene, is spot on — it’s a very solid performance and he really surprises. Let’s all get over expecting every single actor to have the musicality of a Broadway phenom.
I thought these clips were great.
I am glad that we won’t have 2+ hours of people belting songs out (that’s the way the play always seemed to me) and instead we will have quiet moments that all as to recalibrate.
I had no issues with any of these (except for maybe that CGI Butterfly) and they made me think that this could indeed be a special experience.
After the trailers I really jumped to conclusions. I thought that it could be an impressive film. But the clips above seem to have proved me wrong. Completely. Just thinking of seeing a two and a half hour film where people ONLY sing (like that) just make my hair stand on end. I really don’t know if I will give it a shot, even if it wins big at the Oscars. What would be the first time after 18 years. Damnit!
Super KK, (what an ironic name all things considered!) I have NOT seen the film! The film opens on December 25th, and I have not been privy to advance screenings. To take aim at Hathaway as you have completely compromises everything you say here. You came here looking to pick a fight for anyone who had the temerity to show enthusiasm for the film and for Hathaway. I came here to voice some good vibes for what I have seen by way of clips and trailers. I am not as you daintily say with great insight “up Hathaway’s ass” but rather as a long-time fan of the Broadway show who has seen multiple productions, see her vocal work as having cream of the crop potential.
To repeat: I have NOT seen the film yet.
Redmayne looks and sounds really great. Crowe acts circles around Jackman, but his voice is horrible. If he gets in, it must mean that AMPAS is not only senile, but also deaf.
So I guess they could both get in.
superkk,
Agreed but don’t expect to be treated with respect by these rabid fans for having a different opinion. Based on this clip alone, I also don’t see what the big deal is. ‘ZOMG Anne Anne Anne!!!1’ What? lol
That said, there is almost unanimous agreement on her performance being superb so I’m sure she’s deserving of all the praise, but let us see the film first!
Eddie Redmayne is my favourite from these clips.
Russell is so bad that it would be an injustice if he gets in over Redmayne who does feel wonderful. If they name both… that would be better than not having Redmayne at all. Four acting nominations I can see, one male lead, one supporting actor and two supporting actresses. It’s not going to brake any records in acting categories. Not this year.
Poor Russell Crowe. I just wanted that to end!
Eddie Redmayne is my new hero.
Amanda Seyfried does not have the voice for the role. That is apparent. Really stretching. Eddie Redmayne however…wow.
@phantom
Not so sure about Barks. She does sing very well, but from what I’ve seen so far, there’s not much acting going on, or at least not enough to secure a nom, the Best Supp. Actress field is already very crowded.
Crowe and Redmayne on the other hand might have better shots at noms, since their field seems more open right now. But things might change very quickly, once we’ve got reviews for Les Miz and Django, since the latter also boasts strong contenders in the supporting categories.
To sum it all up, I’d say 1 acting nom is a lock, 2 is a safe bet, 3 looks good, 4 if the Academy really loves the film, and 5 would be a huge surprise.
Vince
Agreed, it has 1 lock (Hathaway), 2 strong players (Jackman, Barks) and 2 viable ‘maybe’ contenders (Redmayne, Crowe). 5 would be a stretch, but 4 could easily happen : Hathaway WILL make the cut; Jackman probably will, Barks has a good chance, her category has been waiting for a strong 5th contender (Hathaway-Field-Hubnt-Adams), AND even though the supporting actor race is filled with heavyweights, Redmayne OR Crowe could still sneak in.
Oh wow is all I can say. That was so moving just watching those one minute clips but Samantha Barks nailed it there for me. There is going to be Anne hype all over this film which is such a shame for Barks ….. the role that theatrically wins all the awards. This is going to be one of those films where I need to go and see it alone – I don’t want any distractions whatsoever – just me and Les Miz.
Phantom > Me thinks five acting nods for Les Mis is pie in sky. Hasn’t happened since Network, and that was using all four categories, though Godfather II did it without Best Actress. One can dream, but five acting nods just seems so implausible.
Four seems quite possible, though. And, under the right circumstances, there’s also the chance it may only scrape together two.
Three seems a safe bet at this point, but I’m wagering one of the supporting categories is more open than meets the eye. Critic awards and the like may see to that. But, yes, Crowe strikes me as likely, and either Eddie Redmayne or Samantha Barks slipping in, along with Hugh Jackman. There are just so many variables, but one thing is certain: Anne is, to quote Charlie Sheen, winning (all the way through Oscar night).
I agree, Vince, Redmayne – the wild card – was surprisingly impressive in this. IF reviews back up the early buzz, I think the film could pull off 4 acting nominations without a hitch (Jackman, Hathaway, Barks, Redmayne) and Crowe should be still in consideration even if he divides critics/audiences because at the end of the day, he is STILL an Academy Award winning leading man playing a baity, iconic supporting role in a potential Best Picture frontrunner.
Eddie Redmayne impressed me. Russell Crowe’s singing voice sounds … odd, but I dug it. Anne, Anne, ANNE! So excited. *chills*
Loved, loved, loved the coloring, especially in the Fantine scene with all the greystone as a backdrop.
Ryan, THANK YOU for posting.
Crowe’s singing is absolutely terrible compared to the others. Barks, Anne and Jackman are great, though
@Karen – except she’s supposed to play a French woman, but I do think the movie was custom-made to appeal to British audiences. Given the huge sucess of the musical in the UK, it might turn out to be the biggest market for the film. Btw Les Miz cost $61M to make and if it does as well as Skyfall at the UK Box Office ($143M), it could turn a profit thx to that country alone, so I guess the British accents were a shrewd move.
lol sam youre such a tool. nearly 2 other people along with me who did not see the movie stated they saw this clip and just thought it was OK. we are basing it on THIS CLIP. like i said.. nothing special. okay youve seen the movie great. just because im not up every awards site and hathaways ass like you are doesnt mean my opinion isnt justified. im entitled to it and as are you. ive been doing this awards thing for a while as i am sure have u…many performances and movies that people think are oh so great have just been average to me. i.e. i thought elizabeth olsen gave hands down one of the best female performances last year but she was snubbed in oscars..guess my opinion on her performance isnt “magical” because i thought she was better than streep. oh well.
YOU may have seen the movie but there are literally so many people on sites, heck even before filming started said…hathaways gonna win, hathaways going to win. i heard people saying she was going to win back in march so dont give me that. anyway, sorry we cant all jump on the bandwagon! will believe it until i see it. have a great day!!
When I think of Eponine singing “On My Own”, that’s exactly what I imagine in my head.
Wow Anne Hathaway’s English accent improved immensely since One Day.
Pleasantly surprised by Crowe’s singing, although some of the notes sound weird (“do not forget my name, do not forget me…,” for example). Well, he might pull it off, after all.
Can’t wait to watch a clip with the Thenardiers (Master of the House, maybe?). As a matter of fact, I haven’t heard anything about them even from those who’ve seen the entire film. I wonder if that’s a good sign or a bad one…
It looks to me as if Hooper has done an excellent job as has the principal players. Shooting a movie version of a stage play exactly like the play would be odd. The intimacy of the shots makes for a more interesting film. As for Crowe’s voice quality,well Crowe is a fine actor, a real pro so that is what I am looking for ,but then again some people watch films for what they perceive as faults.
So we automatically have to like her performance, because everyone else does? or is it because she’ll probably win? If that’s what you’re saying what’s the point of having an opinion? If everyone thought the same it’d be boring. I don’t like every single performance that has been praised by critics (God knows, I don’t always agree with Oscar wins),so sue me.
I’m not impressed by any of these, but I have no interest in seeing the movie at all so that might have something to do with it.
The people who are predicting Hathaway have seen the ENTIRE FILM in screenings! Geez! And why would Universal show all their cards in trailers? The little we see here of Hathaway is magic. But beyond that she sings one of the work’s most beloved arias, one that has ravished theatre audiences for decades. It’s not just critics who are saying she’s in, it’s virtually every prediction site, various people in the industry who have seen the film, and those who at this point are in the know to make such a statement.
The statement that Hathaway is “average” is hysterical though. That alone makes your comment disposable.
I can sing like Amanda lmao Or Russell Crowe
a one minute clip of her looking pitiful and people say best supporting actress is a done deal? seriously? people wait until you see the freaking movie until saying someone is/isnt a lock or theyre going to win. dont listen to critics..actually have an unbiased opinion on your own and judge for yourself. there was nothing about hathaway in that clip that screamed ZOMG OSCAR. just average at best lol.
Hathaway is simultaneously wrenching and magnificent. A music career is born. Barks is lovely, Jackman majestic, Crowe the weak link, but he’ll still get by. Waiting 24 more days is pure torture for me! Thanks for making me smile tonight Ryan! One of my favorites posts of the year!
Wow. Russell Crowe is terribad. Couldn’t even listen to his clip. Not sure if I can ever get used to shaky cam closeups like the On My Own clip. Just completely ruins the moment and song.
But on a good note, it seems like Redmayne’s hype is real.
@Rg,
What does that have to do with me disliking her in that clip.lol
@lisa sorry I was trying to be sarcastic but I did feel the same way on first viewing that scene. also, the direction looks weird to me: why are all the women behind her? It made me feel like they would either defend her or stay silent, but if they are to trash her why not have them behind the man or surrounding Fantine like she’s trapped or smth.
I don’t really have a problem with the closeups, but I can see how it could bother other people. If it’s done to an excess, than it’s certainly not the most creative way to film scenes.
Crowe sounds a lot better than what I was expecting. But Seyfried sounds like a weak Snow White.
Lisa, I bet you a 100 bucks Anne Hathaway will get that best supporting actress nomination and possibly win.
oops I meant song.
score will go to either Lincoln or Anna Karenina.
@Christophe, I meant her acting looked awful.
@Rufus agreed though it won’t be up everyone’s alley
@Russen methinks the score is NOT eligible for an Oscar since it was created for the musical, and not specifically for the film, but there’s an original song in the bunch that could get a nom for Best Song.
Loved the Anne Hathaway clip, and the Eddie Redymane.
hate the Barks clip and especially the Jackman and Crowe clip. I think Supporting Actress, production design, and score are a done deal for this awards reguarding oscars.
But the cinematography is a mess, and I dont know. I think this will get mixed reviews. Yes the tweets were positive, and this will no doubt be a box office hit due to its fans, but yah there is a whole lot of awkwardness here.
Christophe,
I agree. The close ups will take some getting used to–I’m finding it jarring. It’s a strange sensation to suddenly be in the face of the performers of the songs. And I say that as a big fan of the stage musical. But I do think it is an interesting and rather bold experiment for adapting a musical to the screen. Not that musical performers aren’t great actors, but this approach really requires the performers to find that balance between film and stage acting.
I must say I was actually most struck by Jackman in these clips. He looks utterly committed and believable. Barks also looks very strong.
@Lisa – I think that was the point of the movie: make her look miserable!
Maybe it’s the clip, but Anne looked awful there.
The frail singing + closeups combination does feel weird but I could get used to it. It’ll sweep the Baftas anyway. The Oscars? Not so sure.
Yay!!
It become a post!
Like I said on the other comment, keep your eyes on this site: http://www.universalpicturesawards.com/#/lesmis
And look what Samantha Barks and Anne Hathaway can do in ONE MINUTE!
Can’t wait for the two hours!