Do you hear the people sing? Loud and clear!
Powerful performances overcome some directorial issues
by Stuart Munro
I think it’s safe to say Les Misérables is one of the most anticipated movie musicals in a long time. Musical theatre lovers my age grew up with this show, and I know each of my four recordings inside and out. I find it fascinating tracking the small changes that have been implemented over the years (most of them not to my liking, save the new orchestrations for the 25th anniversary production), and I wondered if the film would follow a particular incarnation of the show or not. More importantly, I wondered how a sung through musical as grand in scale as Les Miz would translate to the big screen, and whether or not the bold experiment of using live singing throughout would pay off.
I’m happy to say the effort, while not quite perfect, succeeds wonderfully where it counts most: the emotion is honest and powerful, and the performances are stunning across the board.
