Amazon.co.uk Review
In this adaptation of Victor Hugo's evergreen classic, Liam Neeson is Jean Valjean, imprisoned for stealing bread then paroled after nearly two decades of hard labour. A gift of silver candlesticks from a kindly priest helps him begin anew. Forging a decent and profitable existence, he finds success as a businessman and as the mayor of a small town. He even takes in a pregnant young woman (Uma Thurman) and raises her daughter as his own. But when a former prison guard (Geoffrey Rush) recognises Valjean, his past catches up to him. Director Bille August culls mesmerising performances from his cast, but loses us with an ending that panders to teen audiences. The focus shifts dramatically, and uncomfortably, from the haunted Neeson and his hawk-like pursuer, to his daughter (Claire Danes) and her romance with a handsome revolutionary. After this narrative shift, the script leaves behind Hugo themes of revenge and redemption to focus improbably on teen angst--hardly what the author had on his mind. --Rochelle O'Gorman
Customer Reviews:
Different, but as good as the musical........2008-03-01
I confess, I have not read Victor Hugo's work. I did order it online 5 minutes ago though.
I have seen Les Miserables on Broadway and twice in the UK and I often listen to the Cameron Mackintosh CD version.
This film IS different to the musical version, but that does not make it worse. It is captivating from start to finish with excellent performances from Liam Neeson and Geoffrey Rush. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoyed the stage adaptation.
Enjoyable on Its Own Terms.......2007-12-27
This is another of those films-I-think-I'm-not-going-to-like-that-my-son-forces-me-to-watch at Christmastime. And, as usual (but not always), he is right. The elegant production and cinematography capture the look of 1840-ish Paris. Some of the scenes are quite moving, actually. Liam Neeson (if one doesn't do the story's math) is convincing in the role of Jean Valjean (reminding me of Gerard Depardieu); Geoffrey Rush is outstanding as the relentless Javert; and Uma Thurman is properly consumptive as the dying Fontine (I also thought she was remarkably good in the role). As for Cosette and Marius, they are lovely to look at. The pomp of the funeral procession is splendid, and the violence at the barricades is compelling.
If the movie does not capture every moment of the book (which I did read in school), well, neither does Verdi's "Rigoletto" capture every line of "Le Roi S'Amuse!" This production of "Les Miserables" is nevertheless good on its own terms: It captures the essence of Hugo's tale of wretchedness, revolution; recognition and redemption admirably. Moreover, it captured my interest for a couple of hours. Not every movie nowadays does so.
A disappointing film.......2006-02-05
As a fan of the book and the musical, I had high expectations for this film. This is based on one of the greatest stories of all time, so I was at least expecting there to be a gripping plot. The first hour stays impressively loyal to the book, but then many parts of the story and many characters are not in the second hour, and the film drifts away from the original story.
The second part felt too rushed, and it skipped out many of the main elements. For one thing, the film seemed to villainise Javert too much, probably due to the fact that the storyline of a vital character, Thenardier, was absent.
Then there is the other important factor in this story: the love story. The originality of this story is completely cut out by the absence of the character Eponine, who would have added depth to the romance, which clearly lacked depth in this film adaptation.
As long a film as it is, it still seemed as if we barely got to know many of the important characters. It takes all of an hour to really get the story going, and it made me wonder what they were doing in the first hour. There was so much at the beginning which is not vital to the plot, so it is a shame that so many parts of this amazing story were lost during the second half. The film seemed to lead to an anti-climax, with not enough emphasis on what I felt were the important parts of the story. It was obvious that a film based on a book over which was over 1000 pages long would have to cut out some parts, but the creators did not choose well which parts to cut.
Excellent Cast - Shame About the Movie.......2005-07-15
Having long been a fan of the book, I was looking forward to this dramatisation, especially with such a strong cast. To my horror, however, I ended up with a soppy love story and a rather insipid production in general.
This rates as one of my top 5 worst dramatisations. In contrast, the recent mini series with Gerard Depardieu, John Malkovich and Jeanne Moreau is absolutely marvellous. More bleak, yes, but also more in keeping with Hugo's epic masterpiece.
One of the best Les Miserables movies!!!!!.......2002-04-11
This was a superb movie and one of the best performances by the whole cast than all the other Les Mis movies put together. Much better than the black and white one and also better than the film made in 1978! Les Miserables is beautifully portrayed and has all the key points of the West End show and also a few added bits which you probably wouldnt know about unless you'd read the book! The actors/actresses and castings for this film were great and perfect for every part that was played. But by far my favourite character was Javert quickly followed up by Jean Valjean played by Liam Neeson. If you are going to buy a Les Miserables movie or film you must buy this one because it has the best atmosphere and the best quality of acting than all the other films. It also keeps very close to the script of the book and musical although there are no songs included in this film!
Customer Reviews:
A classic worth watching once again.......2007-09-28
Another version of the classical novel The Misearables. Liam Neeson and Geoffrey Rush are wonderful in acting. The plot is still thrilling. The period is enacted in great reality. What excites me most is not the plot but the historical living conditions of the peoples long gone. It shows how the millions of ordinary people suffer and only a handful live in luxury exploiting others. The factory where Uma Thurmann works is a hell on earth yet when she gets sacked the only way to make her living is on her bed. A striking scene is the courtroom where only the ones who are rich have a say. The poor get years of hard labour just for stealing bread.
UK DVD:
- Les Miserables [2000]
- Life And Lyrics [2006]
- Lilya 4 Ever [2002]
- Little House on the Prairie: The Complete Season 7 (REGION 1) (NTSC)
- London's Burning - The Complete Second Series
- Longitude [1999]
- Love Comes Softly [2007] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
- Lovers Of The Arctic Circle [1998]
- Luther [2003]
- Mediterraneo [1992]
UK DVD List
UK DVD
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Les Miserables [2000]
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