The Les Miserables Fan Club

[rothbart.]

Thank ya! I'm going off with my family to see the movie tomorow, and I can't wait. I saw the musical some time last winter, and it was just so powerful and well executed. ;u;

[HeartOfCoal]

If I had to complain about one thing it would be the way Eponine was portrayed. She was almost more of an annoyance than anything else. But that's not the way she's supposed to be. It was as if they were trying to portray a sort of "oh he doesn't love you so tuff luck" aspect. She had many important parts outside of the movie like her being the one to deliver the message to Cossette from Marius. She was suppose to be there when Valjean died, and they made it look like it was her fault that Cosette was leaving Marius when Cosette voluntarily told Valjean that she screamed to protect Eponine. Plus there where absolutely no tears out of Marius when she died.

Oh my god, thank you!! They totally butchered her character. It was important to show the friendship between Marius and Eponine, and instead they just kind of showed Eponine as this girl Marius might possibly have known a little who had a crush on him. It's a shame, really. Samantha Barks is such a wonderful actress.

A Little Fall of Rain was quite perfect though. Without having known previously, I easily could have guessed Marius had just realized she was in love with him. Brilliant acting on their part.

Anne Hathaway completely blew me away. I knew she was okay, but I never would have guessed she was that good!! She was absolutely phenomenal! I wish she would do some stage acting. Damn, that girl can sing.

[wibeke]

Username: wibeke
Fav Characters: Enjolras, Grantaire, and Javert
How you became a fan: My mom is a huge fan of the musical, and has been since before I was born. So I sort of grew up on it. =)

----

I just saw the movie earlier today. I thought it was great.
It wasn't perfect and there's a lot of things I would've done differently, but as far as movie adaptations go it was awesome. Hugh Jackman's singing kind of annoyed me, though. He's not a bad singer but I don't think his voice was right for the part, I'm definately used to Valjeans with much stronger voices. I know they were trying to make the singing less "pretty," but I always got annoyed when they'd come to a point in a song that's supposed to be a big note and his voice just dropped off. His acting more or less made up for it.
And I liked Russel Crowe more than I thought I would. He was definitely meant to be an actor, not a singer, and someone made a really stupid mistake by hiring him, but he sort of grew on me. I sobbed like an idiot when he gave Gavroche his badge. </3

I liked the people who played Marius and Cosette, even though I've never liked their characters. [I'm sorry! D8] "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" was perfect.

All the scenes related to the barricade were my favorite parts. I thought they were really well done, and my heart was pounding during all the attacks. I knew exactly how it would all end, but I was still somehow hoping they'd scramble out of the way just in time or something, and as soon as they started retreating into the wine shop my heart sank. I don't like seeing my babies die. =(
And "Do You Hear The People Sing" was awesome every time they sang it. They cut out Grantiare's part in "Drink With Me," which wasn't that noticable, but that was my favorite part of the song so I was grumpy about that.
Aaron Tveit was amazing. I'm VERY picky about my Enjolras', so that's an accomplishment. I liked the other students, too, even though they were treated more like extras than characters they had their moments. It was cute how they treated Gavroche like one of their own, and his death was made so much worse by Courfeyac's reaction. That scene was really well done, I thought.

And Eponine kind of seemed like an after thought, too. It seemed like the writers zeroed in on a few aspects of the story, and glazed over others. "On My Own" seemed completely out of place even though it's such a huge part of the musical because it looked like Eponine just talked to Marius once or twice and then breaks into song. OTL
I wish the pacing was a little better in the beginning. I LOVE Fantine [yay Anne Hathaway!] but they spent so much time on her story compared to many of the other sub plots. They should have tried to spread out the focus a little more, some scenes whizzed by and other dragged on and on.

Also I thought the Thernadiers awesome, but I see why people disagree.

But over all I loved it. It's neat seeing Les Mis with all the make-up [it takes skill to make people look that disgusting] and the closeups.

[light.]

username; rohirrim.

favorite characters; enjorlas, javert, little cosette

how you became a fan?; i first watched the movie, then downloaded the ost of the broadway show

[midnightmoon]

And I liked Russel Crowe more than I thought I would. He was definitely meant to be an actor, not a singer, and someone made a really stupid mistake by hiring him, but he sort of grew on me. I sobbed like an idiot when he gave Gavroche his badge. </3

Oh Russel, every time he opened his mouth to sing I just kind of sighed and shook my head. He tried so, so hard, but it just wasn't happening. It sounded like he had a ton of work done on his voice, too. But the scene with little Gavroche, lying dead next to his sister, and the medal and everything - I just lost it. I'm not an emotional person at all, but both times I just sobbed.

I also loved that Colm Wilkinson was the bishop, and when he came out at the end I just cried even more. Actually I couldn't take the entire ending, but especially Colm and when all the dead characters were on the barricade singing. For some reason that was insanely emotional for me.

If I had to complain about one thing it would be the way Eponine was portrayed. She was almost more of an annoyance than anything else. But that's not the way she's supposed to be. It was as if they were trying to portray a sort of "oh he doesn't love you so tuff luck" aspect. She had many important parts outside of the movie like her being the one to deliver the message to Cossette from Marius. She was suppose to be there when Valjean died, and they made it look like it was her fault that Cosette was leaving Marius when Cosette voluntarily told Valjean that she screamed to protect Eponine. Plus there where absolutely no tears out of Marius when she died.

I hate how much they minimized Eponine's role. She's one of my favorite characters, I just love her to pieces, and I wish they hadn't cut things like the Attack on Rue Plumet, Red and Black, and Eponine's duet with Fantine at the end. I mean, I get why they took her out of the ending, because she honestly has no reason to see Valjean into heaven or whatever, but I missed the harmonies. Also, I love watching Sam Barks on screen and I didn't get to see enough of her so that was disappointing.

[HeartOfCoal]

And I liked Russel Crowe more than I thought I would. He was definitely meant to be an actor, not a singer, and someone made a really stupid mistake by hiring him, but he sort of grew on me. I sobbed like an idiot when he gave Gavroche his badge. </3

Oh Russel, every time he opened his mouth to sing I just kind of sighed and shook my head. He tried so, so hard, but it just wasn't happening. It sounded like he had a ton of work done on his voice, too. But the scene with little Gavroche, lying dead next to his sister, and the medal and everything - I just lost it. I'm not an emotional person at all, but both times I just sobbed.

I also loved that Colm Wilkinson was the bishop, and when he came out at the end I just cried even more. Actually I couldn't take the entire ending, but especially Colm and when all the dead characters were on the barricade singing. For some reason that was insanely emotional for me.

Oh gosh, I died at both of those parts. I was all "oh, I'm not going to cry" and I was sobbing like a baby. That got me so hard. Seriously. And Crowe tried, but I just didn't like it. I'm training to be a classical vocalist so to hear him sing... At least he tried.

[midnightmoon]

Oh gosh, I died at both of those parts. I was all "oh, I'm not going to cry" and I was sobbing like a baby. That got me so hard. Seriously. And Crowe tried, but I just didn't like it. I'm training to be a classical vocalist so to hear him sing... At least he tried.

I like to think that Russel was to the movie what Nick Jonas was to the 25th anniversary concert. They both aren't really that bad, they just don't belong in a broadway show, especially with such a talented cast around them.

Oh another complaint, WHY OH WHY did they cut the Night of Anguish? What did that accomplish? It is literally two minutes, if that, so it would hardly make the movie any longer if that was what they were worried about. It's not an integral part of the show or anything but it's just... I wanted it there. I can't think of a single reason for cutting it. I just can't.

[HeartOfCoal]

Fair point. Nick Jonas really wasn't that bad, if you think about it. If you don't look at his facial expressions he gets loads better. I think Crowe is definitely an emotional actor. Though my mother disagrees, I liked the close up shots so I could see the actors' eyes, and I think he, Hathaway, and Jackman emoted the best. (They are more experienced then the majority of the cast though...) But I guess there's no use crying over spilled milk.

This is going to sound silly, but I forgot what Night of Anguish is. Reminder, please?

And they did cut a lot of things. I was hoping they would have included the full song of Little People, instead of just the reprise, even though they cut it from the new version of the script. And Drink with Me is such a powerful song, and they cut down that one too.

[midnightmoon]

Fair point. Nick Jonas really wasn't that bad, if you think about it. If you don't look at his facial expressions he gets loads better. I think Crowe is definitely an emotional actor. Though my mother disagrees, I liked the close up shots so I could see the actors' eyes, and I think he, Hathaway, and Jackman emoted the best. (They are more experienced then the majority of the cast though...) But I guess there's no use crying over spilled milk.

This is going to sound silly, but I forgot what Night of Anguish is. Reminder, please?

And they did cut a lot of things. I was hoping they would have included the full song of Little People, instead of just the reprise, even though they cut it from the new version of the script. And Drink with Me is such a powerful song, and they cut down that one too.

Whoops sorry, Night of Anguish is the little bit after Eponine dies when they sing, "Her life was cold and dark, yet she was unafraid." It's one of my favorite parts.

And I would have loved all of Little People (Gavroche basically made the movie, honestly - everything he did was perfect and adorable) but I've never been a fan of Drink With Me. I was actually really relieved when they made it as short as it was. That, and Dog Eats Dog, when they're in the sewers. That song honestly just creeps me out and I didn't need to see more of the nasty sewers anyway.

[HeartOfCoal]

Oh my gosh, YES!!! I can't believe they left that part out! I was so pissed! (And I never knew it had a name, so thank you for that! I'd heard of Night of Anguish, but I didn't know those were the same things, haha.)

Gavroche was so cute! I don't know which I like better, movie Gavroche or 25th Anniversary Gavroche. The 25th was wittier and more of a flirt, but the movie was just plain adorable. He was so perfect, with his little band of followers.

Drink With Me is one of my favorite songs, but I'm glad and mad at the same time because they didn't show that side of Grantier really in the movie, the we-have-no-hope guy. I'm glad they cut short Dogs Eat Dogs too. That was never one of my favorites either.