Les Miserables - ch4 now

Why do they have to keep singing all the time, it's like bedknobs and broomsticks but with tramps.

You will notice that the singing is done live.....not over-dubbed.

Doubtful...he's got the sound turned down! 

I will watch it later.....going on to Rise of the Footsoldier.....London Live.... Freeview 8....10pm

I wanted to watch it and I did try.

Have heard a few emotional songs from it, but I'm afraid that I only lasted ten minutes!

There is a clue in the title that its rather sad, here's the only
cheery song in the show.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTZYSzxZcvA

Sorry, not going to pretend to be "high brow" by liking it.

I think it might even be a better watch, in the theatre, than the movie!

With the sound off "Sica Dan's" link is in the school of "Mr Bean".....

I love Les Mis. I went to see it live in London. I have the DVDs of the 10th and 25th Anniversary Concerts. The 10th Anniversary Concert being the best one, in my opinion.

Alan Armstrong, in Sica Dans link, is my favourite  Thenardier.

I also have the film with Hugh Jackman. I thought everyone was perfectly cast in it. I could not believe the standard of singing from the actors.

This is my favourite song from Les Mis

Stars
.http://youtu.be/urxk4mveLCw

The film butchered the stage show.  Any one watching the film without seeing the live show must have been wondering what all the fuss was about.  I thought the show was brilliant but just didn't like the film version.

There is talk that they might be making a film of Miss Saigon, if they do I hope they do the casting from the stage show in London. Eve Maria Noblezada would be perfect for the main part, they don't need to replace her with a well known actress. Some critics said she was not technically perfect, but what she lacked she made up for in raw emotion. But film versions of stage musicals tend to go for well known film stars, and Les Mis didn't need this, there were so many they could have used from the stage show who I think would have been a lot better in the film.

Agree with above post about the 10th & 25th Anniversary Concerts, both were excellent but 10th one the best, outstanding highlight: Lea Salonga singing On My Own.  She was just so perfect.

I saw the stage show with the original cast.Still think Colm Wilkinson was  easily the best 'Valjean'.

Agree with above.

Lea Salonga - On My Own

.http://youtu.be/VjfmP7h3gBw

I watched the film and expected to feel exactly the same way as you Hound Dog, having seen the stage show three times and loved every second of it.

I have to say I feel the exact opposite to you however!

I thought the raw emotion Anne Hathaway bought to the role - and the commitment to do what it takes to make great art in starving herself down to get to the essence of Fantine - was spellbinding. Hugh Jackman was a revelation, as was Russell Crowe in his own way and I'm glad they used Samantha Barks as Eponine from the stage show.

If there was a weakness it was Amanda Seyfreid as Cosette, who was far too fey and girlie for my taste but there we go.

Anyway, just my 10 centimes worth....

That was what I was thinking H-D

Yes, Pinot Noir. Colm Wilkinson will always be my Valjean.

I loved the film as much as the stage show.

Russell Crowe blew me away with his performance. I had never been a fan until then.

Amazing camera work in the suicide scene.

and Frances Ruffelle,as Eponine.

Hang on... I will find it... brb.

You cant really beat the original in most cases Makybe.

Very true Pinot Noir.

I can't seem to find a good video of Frances Ruffelle in Les Mis.

You'll have to have this instead

Lonely Symphony
.http://youtu.be/PdaARqoRUTA

Appologies Makybe..get mixed up with the marvellous  Patti LuPone as Fantine. "I Dreamed a Dream"

I'm supposed to be watching Breaking Bad.

Patti LuPone coming up!

I Dreamed a Dream - Patti LuPone

.http://youtu.be/2M4lgq_aEaM

Interesting comments on here and different opinions.

Re Frances Ruffelle as Eponine, she had the part in the original production of Les Mis and was a huge success. Such was her success, she opened the show in Broadway, winning a Tony award.

Yet by the age of 22, her career was all but over. An affair with the show's co-director left her pregnant. She left the show on the understanding she would re-join within a year. But the producer - Sir Cameron Mackintosh - never used her again, her recording deals were dropped and she was finished, all the offers simply dried up......... and the daughter she had turned out to be a pop star, Eliza Doolittle.

Even at the 10th anniversary concert she wasn't invited to appear, but pretty sure they did invite her back for the 25th concert.

I can't match the expertise on here.

I saw the show in London and being a bloke I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked it and I also thought the film was very good with some great performances. Having great actors who can sing really added to it with Hathaway being a revelation and absolutely heart breaking when she sung and acted I Dreamed A Dream, Jackman being very good but for me the stand out was Redmayne who was almost good enough to be a stage singer in my view. I even found Seyfreid passable. My one disappointment and I hesitate to say this because I could absolutely picture him as Valjean was Crowe. For me he just didn't have the power and richness of voice required.

There was a 'school' version during the Edinburgh festival and the
youngsters were amazing, the only scenery was some wooden boxes.
Their 'Drink to me' nearly brought a tear to my eye.

should of course be 'with me'

That clip above for the song Stars, Philip Quast just gives that song so much, his delivery is perfection. He would have been brilliant in the film, but they wanted a big name actor and got Crowe, and he is just a very average singer who just sings it, no comparison at all to the powerful delivery of Quast.

I didn't think Anne Hathaway was that brilliant as a singer although she got a lot of praise for the part, especially singing I Dreamed A Dream.   But with her it was all facial expressions she wasn't a great singer. They could have used several singers from the stage show who would have been a lot better in the film.

Thank God they cast Samantha Barks in the film the only bit of casting they got near right. I didn't think Hugh Jackman brought any spark to the film. 

For me the film was nothing but a miss, a big thumbs down. They should have used a different director and done the casting from the brilliant choice of performers they had from the stage shows. Les Mis didn't need A-list actors, and I think that is where the film version got it terribly wrong.

The stage show was truly amazing, 5-out-of-5 star rating with a big +

The film = 1 star.  A grab bag of talented actors who were expected to sing.  After seeing the show I wanted to hear those songs again, but the emotions you get watching it on stage were not in the film.  They were actors who couldn't bring those emotions into the songs.

Some stage musicals don't work on film. And some musical films don't work on stage.

I've seen the stage show a few times and love it but unlike a few others I loved the film too. Whilst I agree it doesn't necessarily need a-listers I thought most of them did an excellent job. Anne Hathaway may not always be pitch perfect (though personally i thought technically her singing was very good) but the raw emotion she brought to the role is much more important imo. Hugh Jackman  and Eddie Redmayne were excellent too. I did think Sacha Baron Cohen was slightly over the top and obviously Russell Crowe isn't a great singer but I'd see it as nitpicking. It's a great film. Hopefully they will do a film version of Miss Saigon soon as it edges Les Mis as my favourite musical.

Producers would have insisted on big names, they put bums on seats.

A bolt out of the blue came when Susan Boyle sang “I Dreamed a Dream” on Britain’s Got Talent. Almost overnight it became the world’s most popular song with now over 200 million YouTube hits and counting !

The connection of this song with extraordinary worldwide exposure means that Les Miserables was a hit all over again. Been running in the West End for about 30 years now, and some critics on opening night didn't like it at all and called it The Glums.

live stage show so much better,but film is still ok

Preferred the book.

Great film

tried to watch it - 15 minutes in I abandoned it. Singing without a snappy tune - zero points.

I love the old Frederich March film with Charles Laughton. The musical version was unnecessary.

seen the show 7 times,was really looking foeward to seeing the film,but was a big disapointment,would find it hard to watch the film again