By SAM THOMPSON – Web Staff
Passion. Pain. Fear. Sorrow. Captivation.
A rapid fire of emotional bullets shoot from the screen as over one hundred slaves heave, suffer and strain to pull a surreally gigantic ship into the French harbor. This seemingly superficial slew of powerful emotions charge forward unperturbed through Tom Hooper’s adaptation of the musical motion picture Les Misérables.
Disease. Death. Disgust. Despair.
Vital emotions are expressed not only in the characters but in their appearance. The makeup, hair and costume for this work were seemingly so real that the emotional connection grew stronger still for the viewer. From the grime on a hungry child’s cheek to the rot engulfing a prisoner’s teeth, the details were so up close and personal that one could almost step onto the impoverished streets of 19th century France.
The soundtrack was impeccable. The viewer will surely exit the theater unconsciously humming one of the songs. Whether it is the sheer quality of voices or the sound mixing, the music will stay in the back of your mind. Although not all of the singing was up to par with the broadway version, the all-star leads shone through to express all of the emotion, providing a gratifying listen.
Winner of 17 awards and nominated for 54 additional accolades, Les Misérables is making it’s claim to fame. The best is yet to come: Les Mis’ was also nominated for 8 Academy Awards, including best picture, best actor, best supporting actress and best original song. Fans can only hope that the film will additionally reap what it has sewn.
View the official trailer:
