Printer Friendly - New Les Mis Footage
Posted by willep 2012-11-30 00:59:15
On the Les Mis film youtube channel!
New Les Mis Footage
Posted by My Oh My 2012-11-30 01:09:52
I'm sort of speechless right now, but I loved it.
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Posted by jo 2012-11-30 01:47:21
Loved it!
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Posted by AwesomeDanny 2012-11-30 02:13:55
Hearing more of Russell Crowe and Amanda Seyfreid makes me less confident in their singing. But the rest of it looks great.
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Posted by ray-andallthatjazz86 2012-11-30 02:58:46
I know Amanda Seyfried is going to get a lot of flack from people in the board, but I'm actually extremely excited about her take on Cosette, she has so much presence and her acting looks so natural that I think she'll be the one to finally turn Cosette into as much of an emotional anchor as she's supposed to be; ultimately, she's the object of all these people's affection (Marius, Valjean, Fantine) and she'll make that part of the character very believable, when I want to hear a mind-blowing soprano I'll look for one of the other albums, but I think Seyfried will be one of the best parts of the film.
The footage looks great, Crowe does seem like a weak link to me, not so much because of his voice but because of everyone in the cast he seems the less committed. Anne Hathaway's bit during "At the End of the Day" has me excited beyond belief over her Fantine, she'll be brilliant.
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Posted by My Oh My 2012-11-30 04:26:22
I think what makes Crowe's voice a bit jarring is it sounds kind of unnatural. What I mean is it sounds as if he is consciously (or maybe subconsciously) trying to deepen his voice. The result comes off as amateurish.
I will say that, even so, I'm not all that disappointed based on what I've heard of him so far. It's one of those things that I'm sure I'll get used to enough that it won't bother me half way through the film.
But, as is usually the case with me, my mind is relentlessly detail obsessed and nit picky, so of course I've got a theory, hehehe.
And the following is just that, a subjective theory. I am in no way claiming it is a fact.
Why might he be deepening his voice? The same reason all those American Idol rejects embarrassingly have the tendency to imitate the original artists of their chosen song, but they imitate them badly, of course, and with emphasis on only the few characteristics that are more a unique part of the original singer rather than characteristics of an artistic interpretation. This is usually done subconsciously (like 99.9% of Idol rejects), and it happens when a mind can't refer to any natural, inherent talents. Of course, if one is determined to be a star, they cling onto any recourse available and thus the mind assumes if they can sound as much like the original artist as possible, then that = a GREAT singer, because, hey, you sound just like someone famous!! Never mind whether or not that famous person really possesses a spectacular singing voice, just emulating a person who happens to be famous is enough. When a no-talent decides to compete in a singing competition, they are going on purely what they hear through their heads and if it matches in some way to a famous singer, that must mean they are gifted singers. Case in point:
http://youtu.be/6ijx-oe0o64?t=40s
Dude honestly thought he was awesome because his mind had tricked him into believing just that. He actually successfully emulates some of Madonna's unique inflection, but that's not interpretation, it's Madonna! So copying her is trying to sound like a woman, a woman with a very high pitched voice, and it's trying to be someone you're not, lol. Throw in no talent and you've got a BAD imitation, a caricature of Madonna.
An artist interprets and creates. Emulating and attempting to carbon copy is the mark of an amateur. Unless, of course, you are an impersonator and have talent and thus are good at impersonating. Imitation, reproduction, and impersonation are certainly valid artistically as well, but what distinguishes them from what an amateur does is one's inherent good taste and natural talent regulates all those fine details and turns in a winning performance. An amateur approaches it without any intention of copying consciously, they sincerely think that reproducing only one or two distinct traits of a famous singer means they've arrived and they are GREAT.
So if a performance feels iffy (emphasis on "feels" because it can technically sound good, be on key, and not have obvious flaws but can also still have a jarring quality to it) it's more often than not due to misguidedness on the part of the singer.
Now, I'd never be so mean as to place Crowe in that category and he certainly has many diverse talents that he applies effectively to his craft, but he might be guilty of either intentionally or unintentionally morphing his voice in a way he perceives a Javert should sound like, based on the many men who have played him onstage. To his credit, it isn't over-the-top or ridiculous but I get the distinct impression one gets when witnessing a singer trying to be an *idea* of a singer and character rather than an artist crafting an interpretation of a character.
I probably typed all of this for nothing because I realized before even typing it that it's certainly possible Crowe's singing voice simply has that quality--a quality that comes across as what I wrote above, but isn't actually borne out of that and is inherent. I've never heard the man sing before and knew I could be very wrong. But I decided to type this without even first checking some of his earlier singing work, because the point isn't that I think I'm right or want to be right. Nor did I post this to school anyone on anything.
I'm a fan and this is the kind of sh*t fans do! LOL. I just turn it up a few hundred notches...thanks to my uber nit-pickiness, roflmao. People always assume I go through all this trouble. Trouble? I produce this crap in minutes. Not like I sit here half the day writing stuff about amateurs, ha! I do this and don't even post it sometimes, and just save it for myself.
And the length helps weed out those who can't care less about the things I care about, which is always a nifty bonus. 
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Posted by jnb9872 2012-11-30 09:39:48
I'm not sure where you think Crowe is deepening his voice? The unnaturalness you speak of, to me, seems like it's an output of forced projection in that scene with Jackman, who is effortlessly introspective and understated. But why must that be the actors' singing quality in question, and not a choice as to how the character would sing? (Would not Javert, a proud and just officer of the law, sing with authoritative and broad notes with little subtlety? Let's hold judgment on Crowe until we see his "Stars" or his suicide, eh?)
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Posted by henrikegerman 2012-11-30 09:50:12
People often seem unnatural in short clips from movies even when they are not singing. A moment of performance in a vacuum with no sense of what preceded or stimulated it can be jarringly unpersuasive.
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Posted by Someone in a Tree2 2012-11-30 10:31:38
As one who's seen the complete film, sadly your impressions of these clips do not lie: Russell Crowe is singularly the weakest link in the film, and never comfortably lives in his singing voice. Worse, there is a ... constipation (forgive me) to his acting choices that can't be ascribed to his weak vocal instrument alone. The man just seems to have a stick up his butt from first scene to his last, well beyond the dictates of the character Javert. Not fatal to the movie as a whole, which is chock full of wonders, but disappointing to any fans of Crowe's past work.
And to Awesome Danny, Amanda Seyfreid is just sweetly adequate as Cosette, easily outmatched by Redmayne's Marius. I'm convinced the role of Cosette is a doomed one from the get-go, and even someone as talented as Amanda can't bring it to life.
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Posted by My Oh My 2012-11-30 11:09:30
Henrik, like I said, I'm likely completely off here and this doesn't at all apply to Crowe. I am not suggesting he's a no-talent either. All of that was a sort of background that explains where I derived the theory. I stated at the top of my post that, even if Crowe so far gives me the distinct impression of someone misguidedly fixing their voice to mimic an idea of what Javert should sound like, it's negligible enough that I'll eventually forget about it, hopefully, with more exposure to his portrayal.
But something Someone In a Tree 2 said worries me more than that...that Crowe appears "constipated" for the duration of the film. I had earlier expressed concern they were going for the misguided 25th ann. U.S. tour take on Javert, where most of that sinister essence (that is clearly a part of the music and can't be ignored) is removed and replaced with attempts to "humanize" him. Problem is, he had always been "humanized." Removing that facade makes his second act meltdown less dramatic and there is no contrast. Apparently portraying him as stoic and sinister is portraying a caricature and Javert is an actual human being who feels real emotions.
Yeah, but this is THEATRE and it's traditional in this art form to be broad strategically in order to project a character's essence. All Javerts I've ever seen have been thoroughly satisfying, and while they may have been similar in how they chose to portray the character, it wasn't "wrong." It was very moving to see that once unbending rock suddenly buckle and reveal that very side of his that it is claimed was never explored in the original production: the vulnerable, or "human" side of him.
The 25th ann. take on Javert was ambitious but very ineffective. I had completely forgotten about the character half way through the first act and when he showed up, I felt he had an Eponine complex with the constantly longing and concerned, neutral expressions that seemed to avoid like the plague any semblance of menace. A wimpy Javert is non-threatening and one that always looks worried eventually gives the impression this cop wants Valjean's butt. I admit this way of looking at it probably isn't typical, as many have thrown heaps of praise on that portrayal, but I was surprised that even I wasn't able to make myself like it. As a fan, I'm always interested in enjoying a performance of Les Mis as much as I can, and it's usually 3 hours filled with joy and wonder, but I'm also not a drone and I can't trick myself into liking something that feels wrong and Javert as nice, misunderstood cop who is just doing his job is not only an overblown perspective of the good that Javert has in him, but that sense of threat that makes the chase so riveting is lost his 2nd act meltdown is just another in a collection of many crinklings of the forehead and sad, forlorn expressions. Even Hugo's Javert has a sense of menace and is a real threat. Overblowing the idea he is just doing his job is not only redundant, but completely misses the point of just how adversely this man had affected the life of a largely noble man who made mistakes, but shouldn't be held to them considering what they were. And it's Valjean's story. Making it about Javert and not showing a glimpse of what he meant to Valjean is the worst idea ever.
Hopefully Crowe doesn't go there.
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Posted by E.Davis 2012-11-30 11:29:03
I really wonder who Kate Fleetwood is in the Factory. She just has a wonderful presence.
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Posted by jimmycurry01 2012-11-30 14:01:25
I don't typically care too much about how Cosette sounds. The role is so small to begin with. In any case Seyfried cannot sound any worse than Tracy Shayne does on the Complete Symphonic Recording.
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Posted by Wynbish 2012-11-30 14:13:09
Word
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Posted by MrMidwest 2012-11-30 14:22:59
"So, now we enter Les Miserables. And now we see what happens when Hooper tries to get clever with his camera. Shit happens. The guy has no idea how to frame anything, which is baffling if only because the lion's share of the film's shots contain a single actor singing their hearts out in one long take. I don't know how a person of reasonable competence can **** that up, but Hooper ****s that up. Actors get the top of their heads cut off, or they get stuffed into a corner of the frame, and there's no reason for it other than Hooper's ineptitude. His film looks terrible. Apart from composition, the camera hovers and shakes like it's being shot by your drunken uncle at a family reunion, and if he's not doing Extreme Close-Ups, he's doing swooping overhead shots. That's it. That's his whole repertoire. Like I said-- baffling. And that's to say nothing of his aversion to color or his very, very cliche make-up choices. (You can tell a person's social class by their teeth. It's obnoxious.)"
http://www.chud.com/community/t/145942/les-miserables-post-release
Thoughts from people who have seen it?
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Posted by Rainbowhigh23 2012-11-30 14:49:11
Are there only press or industry screenings going on now? They usually have public pre-screenings for films but am wondering when.
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Posted by broadway0501 2012-11-30 14:51:14
I think she's supposed to be the girl Fantine fights with. I agree, though, that she's a phenomenal actress. Her Lady Macbeth was near definitive.
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Posted by JRybka1611 2012-11-30 14:53:56
Yes they are having a big non industry showing on the 18th of December.
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Posted by Fan2 2012-11-30 14:54:06
According to the Universal Pictures press packet, Kate Fleetwood is "Factory Woman 1." Here's the link to the press packet, which has the whole cast listed plus other good stuff.
And there's a press conference going on right now in NY as I type this. There's been a lot of them happening and more to come.
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Posted by Rainbowhigh23 2012-11-30 14:58:02
I heard about the December 18th screening. I remember getting a free pass to a pre-screening of Spice World when it came out, so was wondering when this would happen for Les Mis.
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Posted by SporkGoddess 2012-11-30 15:02:10
Amanda Seyfried is not even a passable Cosette singing-wise for me. Yes, I am pickier than some, but she is barely even hitting those notes. Acting-wise I'm sure she'll be great, but bad sopranos are like nails on a chalkboard to my ears.
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Posted by sparrman 2012-11-30 15:27:53
I wondered how casting a baritone like Jackman would affect Valjean's keys. Hugh's "Who Am I" is in A flat, as compared to the original key of B natural.
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Posted by scripps 2012-11-30 15:44:51
Forget Hooper's directorial choices, there is some really terrible CGI scattered throughout the film that's even more distracting!
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Posted by E.Davis 2012-11-30 16:24:56
I just looked at the screenplay and there is only Main Factory Woman then goes to Factory Woman 2. So she is most likely like you said, the one who fights with her. And in the screenplay they gave her alot of the lines. On another note, Hannah Waddingham is play Factory Woman #2.
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Posted by ray-andallthatjazz86 2012-11-30 16:29:43
Random but since we're talking about stage actors who have cameos, I was wondering if Frances Ruffelle cameo made it into the final cut of the movie.
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Posted by saisai 2012-11-30 17:08:21
Was anyone able to snag tix to the Dec 18 Screening through Playbill Club? By the time I saw the email, it was sold out!! 
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Posted by Rainbowhigh23 2012-11-30 17:30:55
Might be a free for all at the theater. Better to use the free ticket Tuesday at Clearview Cinemas.
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Posted by Phyllis Rogers Stone 2012-11-30 17:55:26
Youtube took it down, so I need to reup.
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Posted by michellek45 2012-11-30 18:27:42
Clip of "A Heart Full Of Love": http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=SVFr56GR1mo
Gotta say I really love Amanda in this clip, though I feel like the lighting is really strange.
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Posted by NewYorkYankee2006 2012-11-30 18:36:32
where did you get this clip from and do you know if there are any more?
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Posted by michellek45 2012-11-30 18:40:06
It's from the official Les Miz YouTube. I'm pretty sure it's the only one as of right now, but if they released one, I'm sure they're going to release more.
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Posted by Fan2 2012-11-30 18:46:22
Usually closer to the release of movies studios release some clips so it looks like it may be starting now. Love that clip.
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Posted by Wynbish 2012-11-30 19:02:01
Kate was so menacing as Lady Macbeth
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Posted by Wynbish 2012-11-30 19:04:13
I love the caption on this one
"Comfort" as in "she 'bout to die, y'all"
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Posted by michellek45 2012-11-30 19:07:28
Semi-related note: Has anyone seen tickets for a midnight showing yet? The theaters in my hometown are selling tickets for Christmas Day, but no midnight showing. I was wondering if that was a weird Maryland quirk, or if they're not on sale for anyone yet.
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Posted by kyl3fong2 2012-11-30 19:22:35
There are no midnight showings for me either and I am from California.
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Posted by Owen22 2012-11-30 19:24:14
I sorta love Amanda's thin reedy soprano...I dunno...it seems appropriate...and let's face it, Older Cosette is underwritten for anyway...how many songs does she actually sing?
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Posted by henrikegerman 2012-11-30 20:57:28
Teasers can be so easy to misconstrue, but since they are bombarding us with them, one can't help how one is struck by them. I really hope this is as good as the reports make it out to be, but is there anyone else who thinks some of it seems amateurish?
I had to replay "then make no sound" five times to get what AS was saying. And I, unlike much of the audience, have heard "A Heart Full of Love" (or as I heard Redmayne phrase it "a heart full of luf?") 500 times.
There seem to be more than a few over-underacted songschpiel moments as if there was a fear on the set of doing something as vulgar as simultaneously acting and singing. In "Who am I?" the line "I'm Jean Valjean" seems ruinously weak, at least out of context. Perhaps in the song's entirety it might work (one can't really judge too much from a teaser, but still, one can't help judging... provisionally). And, yes, I know the line is repeated more than once in the song so there might be a dynamic owning-it moment later on. Still....
At the risk of sounding completely inconsistent, there are some moments where the technique seems to be working magically. I love Redmayne's "I'm doing everything all wrong," a beat in which under-vocalizing makes perfect lyrical sense.
Crowe on the other hand sounds flat, perhaps not tonally flat, but leaden, dull, lifeless...... and amateurishly bad.
I'm trying to keep an open mind but given the hype and my expectations already being high as a Hooper fan, what I'm seeing looks - ok shoot me - mostly like crap.
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Posted by SporkGoddess 2012-11-30 21:18:20
Amanda Seyfried still sounds terrible to me. She has some beautiful high notes in the musical and it won't do her character any favors when Amanda Seyfried butchers them.
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Posted by AEA AGMA SM 2012-11-30 21:27:15
"Semi-related note: Has anyone seen tickets for a midnight showing yet? The theaters in my hometown are selling tickets for Christmas Day, but no midnight showing. I was wondering if that was a weird Maryland quirk, or if they're not on sale for anyone yet."
I would guess you are not going to find too many midnight showings for this one, considering that would mean you would not only have employees working on Christmas Day (which is obviously inevitable) but also very late night on Christmas Eve. I would imagine not a lot of theater owners/managers want to look like Mr. Scrooge making employees work all of those times.
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Posted by TheatreFan27 2012-11-30 21:35:26
They've added several more official clips as well, including:
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Posted by jo 2012-11-30 21:46:17
>>>In "Who am I?" the line "I'm Jean Valjean" seems ruinously weak, at least out of context. Perhaps in the song's entirety it might work (one can't really judge too much from a teaser, but still, one can't help judging... provisionally). And, yes, I know the line is repeated more than once in the song so there might be a dynamic owning-it moment later on. Still....<<<
That scene where he sings "Who Am I" must be in the middle of the song ( which takes place in at least more than one setting) when Valjean is still vacillating about moral issues, deciding whether he should let things go and not save the man from being unjustly imprisoned or to be true to himself. I thought in that context that it was a fine acting and singing moment. Here he is wearing a shirt and vest...but there have been earlier footage showing him fully dressed ( with a coat/jacket) as he marches into the courtroom and tells the judge that he is Valjean, # 24601! ...There have also been on-set reports about how brilliantly he sings out the numerals.
True - teasers and trailers can take things out of context, especially if one is familiar with the original material on which the movie is based. In this case, Hooper may have decided to make a different directorial choice on how to film that iconic song!
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Posted by GlindatheGood22 2012-11-30 21:49:19
I didn't know Kate Fleetwood was in this. Love her.
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Posted by michellek45 2012-11-30 21:57:09
My biggest problem with these clips is the sound mixing. I pray that these are not the final edits, because wow, it does not sound good at all, especially in "Who Am I?" and "At the End Of the Day." Les Miz is not just about singers; it's about an orchestra, too. And the way things are currently mixed, it sounds like the singers are just sort of thrown on top of the orchestra instead of blending with it, and then, in addition to that, they put the volume of the orchestra way low and the singers way high. You can hardly even tell the difference between piano and forte. Honestly the mixing here is worrying me even more than Russel Crowe's singing at this point.
Edited to say: I really did like the interpretations of the songs by the singers, including the debated "I'm Jean Valjean" line. I think it sounds like he's affirming it to himself- in the show, he affirms it to the whole courtroom, I believe, so it makes since for him to be shouting it out. When he's by himself in his bedroom? Not so much. I like Hugh's take on it. Except for that sound mixing.
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Posted by Phyllis Rogers Stone 2012-11-30 22:17:42
I think for the most part it all sounds pretty good. I'd image the mix between vocals and music will sound better in the cinema, regardless of whether or not those clips are final or not.
Actually with all I've been hearing, Russell Crowe sounds better than I expected. Granted, it's not one of his big numbers, but I think I'll be fine with voice throughout.
I do agree Seyfriend sounds a little thin, especially at the beginnings of phrases, but I'm not losing any sleep over it. And this isn't a critique, but mostly just an observation - they (especially in "A Heart Full of Love") seem to be doing a lot of backphrasing (I think that's the right term? I learned on here).
So, in the clips posted, do people really see the big deep importance of them singing live? I'm not sure I can say I do. Perhaps it will feel more transcendent on screen and/or upon seeing the whole thing, but I didn't really go "Wow, the live singing really makes a difference!" If anything, I thought it made the women in in "At the End of the Day" sound pretty thin and breathless (which of course could have been a conscious choice).
But all that said, I got nothing but excitement for this.
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Posted by My Oh My 2012-11-30 22:18:18
I'm probably alone in my opinion that Tracy Shayne was good as Cosette on the CSR. I'll admit that Shayne did jar the senses at first, but only because I felt she briefly over-reached the little girl voice. But that literally lasts a few seconds. Some don't like her rapid vibrato, and others simply think she sounds shrill. I personally very much enjoy her and the delicate colors she infuses her vocals with.
As for Cosette, I'm surprised at all the dismissive words said about her. Cosette isn't a nobody, she is the reason for so many people's life-changing sacrifices and it all comes from love. She reflects this in her trusting and sincere love for Marius. Her loving nature is a direct result of her upbringing with Valjean, who loves her as his own, and through that love, Valjean has effectively halted the vicious wheel set in motion by the Thenardiers.
No, Cosette isn't the most dramatic, tragic role. But to say she is a nobody, even as she unintentionally shapes and molds the very story we are witnessing by virtue of her innocence, is missing a vital thread that runs through and eventually comes full circle. I actually LOVE that she is the face of the novel and the musical, and now the film. That expression on her face says it all, and when she's finally free and has found that freedom in love at the end, as we see some of those who helped her reach that end standing there boldly still wearing their humble garb and still sporting dirty faces but glowing in brilliant light, as they ask the audience directly if they'd like to take the torch and continue the fight for a better world, well, I don't know how anyone can NOT fall apart and be moved to tears. XD
And I don't know how, after all that, anyone can think of Cosette as a nobody.
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Posted by eatlasagna 2012-11-30 22:23:04
just watched the Javert clip... I'm OK with Russell Crowe... but that lyric change is one I'm going to have to get used to
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Posted by Fan2 2012-11-30 22:28:49
There's lyric changes in a few of the songs.
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Posted by CATSNYrevival 2012-11-30 22:42:57
Why are they all talk singing?
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Posted by Fire and Music 2012-11-30 23:35:29
I want to love Amanda Seyfried so badly, but I can't get past that awful Snow White vibrato. Other than that, this movie looks really promising, far beyond my expectations, so I'm excited. :)
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Posted by kyl3fong2 2012-11-30 23:42:51
I was skeptical about Russell Crowe as well too, but after watching this clip I'm fine with him now too.
LOVE Hathaway's acting in the "At The End Of The Day" clip, and I actually like how Hugh whispers "I'm Jean Valjean."
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Posted by followspot 2012-11-30 23:54:40
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Posted by EponineThenardier 2012-12-01 03:06:16
LOVE On My Own. It looks beautiful.
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Posted by perfectlymarvelous 2012-12-01 03:26:33
Amanda sounds exactly as I feared...horrible. Thin sopranos are like nails on a chalkboard, it's just such an ugly sound and that vibrato is just...no.
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Posted by Dave19 2012-12-01 06:55:34
I love the clips of "At the end of the day" and "On my own".
Anne and Samantha have a natural way of combining the singing with the acting, wich gives me goosebumps, it looks and feels real.
Now, that is exactly what is really, really wrong with Russel Crowe's performance. That feels jarring, very uncomfortable and I actually feel a bit ashamed watching it. There is no connection whatsoever between the "singing" and the acting. It sounds amateurish to say the least. His performance reminds me of Pierce Brosnan's performance in Mamma Mia. Also, he is constantly ahead of the timing of the music, very annoying. The difference in quality of being able to convey emotions through singing on screen in this film is huge.
While Anne and Samantha really take me on a journey with every word, movement, intonation and note, Hugh Jackman has good moments, but also bad moments.
In the clip "Javert releases prisoner" there are some unnatural, weird moments. For example the word "bread" is way too exaggerated. Which makes the rest of the sentence immediately unbelievable. You think, oh, now he's acting, oh, now he's trying to sing again. That is an example of a failed moment. Another moment that does not work is "It means I'm free". Totally unbelievable because of the separation between the acting and the singing. The next sentence "slave of the law" is very good. That's exactly how it should be. "my name is Jean Valjean" is also well done. So with Hugh it's about 50/50 at the moment for me.
Same goes for the "Who am I" clip. Some good moments, some really unbelievable moments.
It might have to do with Hughs unnatural way of singing. It seems like he is putting on this "vibrato trick", which immediately disconnetcs the emotion. The moments he is letting this go, are immediately better sung and acted.
It seems like many actors in this film do not have the natural ability of acting through song, and that there was some kind of atmosphere on set to tone down the singing, because they thought that "well sung" equals "live theatre like". Wrong. Hugh's wrong moments in the film are extremely theatrical.
My point is, that if something is sung really well, emotionally connected, by someone who masters the craft of singing extremely well and act through it, only then a performance will work well in a musical film.
For example, this clip from 1:55
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qi_yL8_Y2QE
This actor has a very natural way of conveying the emotions, and it feels much more real.
Or imagine a Javert like this on film. This is what I call great acting.
These people DO master the craft, just like Anne and Samantha and it's clear how well this kind of singing works on film. Don't you think that every single person on earth would be more swept off it's feet by a performer like this than they are by Russel Crowe?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFr6nk4ry4Y
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Posted by peachesr82 2012-12-01 08:04:48
I'm no super fan of this musical so I don't have that devotion to the show that others here clearly have and I'm not going sit and examine every inflection of every line. I have to say, I seem to be one of the few who isn't offended by Russell Crowe. Yes, better people have sung the role, but I see where they were coming from casting someone who's got that gritty, bulldog determination to contrast with Jackman. I can't honestly think of a another middle aged major movie star who could have stepped into the role. Perhaps I'll change my mind after seeing the movie but he doesn't bother me.
Amanda, worries me more but again, I get the idea of having more of a delicate little voice, I see what they're aiming for, but not sure whether she pulls it off.
Anne is just superb, everything I've seen of her in this is just fantastic, something bout watching her really hits me emotionally. Samantha looks solid and Eddie seems to just light up. It's all good to me.
They're clearly avoiding releasing to much, particularly any of the bigger songs, I'd like to see some of the students and Thenardiers though.
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Posted by Owen22 2012-12-01 10:20:02
Oh my God, are you people REALLY dissecting how single WORDS are being sung in this? God save us from theatre queens.
I actually didn't think Russell sounded so awful, though I'd been prepared for the worst.
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Posted by StageManager2 2012-12-01 10:20:36
Seyfried sounds terrible, like a chipmunk on helium; Redmayne is good but that lighting does him no favors. Depending on the light/angle, he can look either hideous or handsome. In "My Week with Marilyn," he was adorable, but here he looks like a ventriloquist's dummy. And that CGI butterfly is so cheesy!
Furthermore, my God, the close-ups! It's too much! I felt like the merchant at the beginning of Aladdin: "Too close! A little bit too close!" As someone stated in another forum, "It's like holding a handheld in the face of every actor of some amateur production of Les Miserables." I don't know how I'll be able to stand all that for 2.5 hours.
New Les Mis Footage
Posted by broadway guy 2012-12-01 10:44:04
heart full of love:eddie sounds geeat! amanda is to shaky.her singing is to pitchy and the vibrato is killing it for me.
who am i: perfect
end of the day: Love the foreman.Anne is heartbreaking,she is so winning her oscar.the factory ladies are...okay..I wish they sounded mmore full and rich.
On my own:sam nails it.
Prologue: crowe sounds great.
Im not understanding the hate for crowe.I think his voice sounds reallly strong.Amanda is the weakest out of all of them.
I CANT HERE THE DAMM ORCHESTRA!!!!!!it almost sounds like they are singing acapella,the music is so quiet i hope it doesnt sound like that in the theatre.
I have no problem with closeups.
New Les Mis Footage
Posted by mamaleh 2012-12-01 11:13:48
Quast is great in that clip. His intensity and power fit the venue: playing to the far reaches of the balcony. But to do so in a movie would be off-putting, to say the least. Film is necessarily toned down because it's so in-your-face. I trust that Hooper has made the right cinematic decisions.
New Les Mis Footage
Posted by mamaleh 2012-12-01 11:17:39
That would be great, but one has to have cable, phone, etc. service through Optimum to qualify for free tickets on Tuesdays. If you don't live in its service area, you can't partake.
New Les Mis Footage
Posted by muchadoabout_me2 2012-12-01 11:36:34
Is anyone else confused by how in the trailer, there's the "Who was that girl" exchange between Marius and Eponine, and yet there's still the "I do not even know your name" lyric in A Heart Full of Love?
New Les Mis Footage
Posted by Kad 2012-12-01 11:47:44
Oh boy, I can't wait to read the paragraphs and paragraphs of nitpicky, inane analysis that will appear when the film actually comes out.
New Les Mis Footage
Posted by StageManager2 2012-12-01 11:55:24
Is anyone else confused by how in the trailer, there's the "Who was that girl" exchange between Marius and Eponine, and yet there's still the "I do not even know your name" lyric in A Heart Full of Love?
I think that was just for the trailer. Oftentimes trailers contain deleted scenes or altered dialog that are not found in the final product. For example, the My Week with Marilyn trailer has this bit:
Marilyn: Shall I be her?
Colin: Who?
Marilyn: Marilyn!
But in the actual film Marilyn just asks "Shall I be her?" and then proceeds to switch on the Marilyn persona for the adoring crowds, with no response from Colin.
Another example I can think of is in the Chicago trailer Velma warns Roxie to "Keep your paws off my lawyer!" but the actual line in the film is "Keep your paws off my underwear!" It was clearly dubbed "lawyer" for the trailer to emphasize that they're both fighting for the same attorney. So it's probably the same thing with the Les Miz trailer -- Eponine says something else but for the trailer they dub her saying "Cosette" to establish that Marius doesn't know her.
New Les Mis Footage
Posted by Dave19 2012-12-01 13:45:20
@owen22
Ehm, yes.
We are discussing the way words/sentences are sung.
That's the whole point of a movie musical.
Getting emotions across through singing.
And we are not allowed to discuss it because of what?
Why do you like the "disconnected from emotion" strange notes of Jackman so much?
New Les Mis Footage
Posted by Dave19 2012-12-01 13:50:16
"Film is necessarily toned down" is not an excuse.
That's the big misconception here.
Jackman is more theatrical than a lot of great stage Valjeans.
Only in the wrong moments.
New Les Mis Footage
Posted by Kad 2012-12-01 14:09:55
You've seen the film, then?
New Les Mis Footage
Posted by ABB2357 2012-12-01 14:29:23
I've seen the completed film and had the same sound issues that Michellek45 mentioned. The mixing/design are horrible. All the battle scenes are ear-piercingly loud, but the orchestra is soft throughout and never overpowering.
I saw it in a perfectly calibrated theater for an awards screening, so it was definitely no fault of the venue. Also, her comments about the vocals just being thrown on top of the orchestra are dead on.
New Les Mis Footage
Posted by Wildcard 2012-12-01 15:38:27
Do yourself (and us all) a favor Dave19... DON'T see this movie. 90% of your posts on any topic have been negative. You are unable to distinguish between film and stage performances. If you see the film, you might get an aneurysm.
New Les Mis Footage
Posted by BroomstickBoy 2012-12-01 16:09:18
I didn't know Hugh-perpetually-embarrassed-Grant was the role model for this Marius portrayal.
I may be biased, because I can't stand either Marius or Cosette. Both are grating, annoying, whiny characters...who get good songs for some reason.
New Les Mis Footage
Posted by EricMontreal22 2012-12-01 16:13:12
I think Amanda sounds and looks great. Judging purely from these clips, I'm less keen about the amount of singing towards the camera (something I hate), though honestly, I'm not sure how else some of these songs could be done.
New Les Mis Footage
Posted by NYC4Life 2012-12-01 16:20:02
I went to a screening of the film and loved it. I don't see any way it could have been done better. all the actors were strong and the singing was raw and connected emotionally. Russell Crowe and Amanda Seyfried are getting so much backlash on these boards that no matter how rich their performances are people are going to complain. Crowe has a steady an consistent passion throughout that makes one feel uneasy. It was perfect for Javert. Seyfried has such a glow and truthfulness that she made Cosette believable as someone that is the center of all these characters lives. She is why this story happens and you don't wonder why.
Hugh Jackman is the heart and soul. I hope he gets a nomination and wins the oscar. He has the Golden Globe in the bag.
Hathaway = Oscar.
I do feel sorry for people who have made up their mind that any of these actors are wrong or not playing their part well. Odds are you won't be able to focus on how wonderful all the pieces of this film are. If you want to hear it like your favorite broadway singers. Go to youtube, amazon (for the two concerts, or many cast recordings) or wait for it to come back to broadway or through your home town. This is a very unique and fresh moment for movie musicals. Brovo Tom Hooper. Anne Hathaway, Eddie Redmayne, Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe and Amanda Seyfried.
New Les Mis Footage
Posted by Dave19 2012-12-01 16:45:58
Wildcard, do you have any idea what you are talking about?
Is Samantha Barks giving a "stage performance" just because she played the part on stage? No.
I am talking about mastering the craft of singing and combining it with the acting.
People like Philip Quast, Anne Hathaway, Samantha Barks do this.
People like Russel Crowe do not do this.
People like Hugh Jackman do this at times, and fails miserably at other times.
It has nothing to do with stage/screen. Of course a screen is more intimate, but mastering the art is the first thing actors need, the second thing is to bring that to the screen, listen to the director and keep it real. If the first sentence feels real and the second does not, something is wrong.
And that's what is happening in "Javert releases prisoner" and "Who am I".
I just watched all the clips again and I think I have the answer.
The most important thing in a film like this is that the singing comes very naturally for the actor, like an extension of speech.
Hugh Jackman can sing reasonably well, but it does not come naturally for him. When he starts to sing he uses a trick, a vibrato, a technique that feels a bit fake. That is why I feel his acting and his singing are too disconnected at times. Especially when he goes into that "mode".
New Les Mis Footage
Posted by boggess 2012-12-01 17:57:01
I hated Russell Crowe's voice the first time I heard the clip, but I went back and listened to it again and it's growing on me. Anne Hathaway is already bringing tears to my eyes. And Eddie Redmayne sounds awesome. Like others, I do hope the orchestra is louder in the actual film. It sounds very uneven as-is.
New Les Mis Footage
Posted by Kad 2012-12-01 18:04:30
I'm glad you can analyze the performances based on about 5 minutes of clips. Can't wait to read the dissertation you'll write once you see the full length film.
New Les Mis Footage
Posted by Phyllis Rogers Stone 2012-12-01 18:11:30
What, you don't appreciate the insight into Hugh Jackman's psyche?
New Les Mis Footage
Posted by Kad 2012-12-01 18:22:06
It's just too advanced for me.
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Posted by bryan2 2012-12-01 19:38:28
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSDgXERsPDA
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Posted by My Oh My 2012-12-01 21:55:49
They seem to be using mostly John Cameron's original orchestration, which is great, and have slipped in bits of the new crap, which I will never be able to wrap my mind around the rationale of choosing any part of it over the far richer original.
But I'm willing to compromise and am happy most of it in those clips so far (a good 85%) are the original orchestrations. Sad that they cut the beautiful original violin;viola;cello;and double bass string section from "On My Own" and have a single cello and viola in its place.
I actually like the funky little woodwind thing they added to "At the End of the Day." I'm almost certain they will use the new orchs for "Master of the House," one of the most badly reorchestrated songs in the show.
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Posted by Joviedamian 2012-12-02 01:25:58
Does anyone know the male actor's name that sings to Fantine and later throws her out? I feel like I have seen him before!
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Posted by westcoast_wannabe 2012-12-02 04:16:57
Michael Jibson
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Posted by Dave19 2012-12-02 07:29:12
Kad, is it too advanced for you too, to understand that people can cry after watching the clips of Anne Hathaway?
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Posted by Kad 2012-12-02 11:24:05
That isn't even what I was talking about. I was talking about your ridiculous analysis of the performance of actors in a film you have not even seen. Based on some short clips and trailer material. Given how you've managed to turn every sung word over and over, I don't think there is any way you'll actually enjoy this film. You've already made up your mind.
If your bar for the success of these performance is "Can they evoke tears in an out-of-context clip?", I'd say don't even bother going.
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Posted by Plum 2012-12-02 12:32:52
And there's why I'm trying very hard to resist looking at the clips. Songs in movie musicals - okay, musicals in general - often work because they're greater than the sum of their parts. Like, "Pretty Women" in the Sweeney Todd movie? I enjoyed the hell out of that number in the movie theater. Once I listened to it on the OST, though, it became a disappointment. Context and visuals were needed to make it beautiful.
Now, the "Pretty Women" in the OBC of Sweeney stands up perfectly well without visuals for me, and is better overall. But that doesn't mean that the movie version should be totally dismissed as crap. It worked in its context. So basically, I'm trying to resist my usual urge to gather any and all information and spoilers I can get my paws on, because I don't want to preemptively be disappointed in musical numbers presented on a tiny YouTube screen and laptop speakers with no context coming before.
Or at least that's what I tell myself so I can stop from clicking those links for another 23 days. :P
(My WAG, for what it's worth - which isn't much - is that Les Mis will end up being maybe a half-step above Sweeney quality. Which I mean as a compliment! I haven't been entirely satisfied by any movie musical of the post-Chicago era, but that one probably came closest, in large part because it wasn't ashamed or self-consciously po-mo about what it was. Les Mis looks similarly confident in its way, and I appreciate that.)
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Posted by jasonf 2012-12-02 13:45:37
I have to say that I watched the clips on my computer and was taken aback a bit by how "actory" they seemed. I realized though that they were just that - clips - so it's hard to judge. I was at a friends' house last night who has a HUGE Apple TV with a killer sound system. We put on the "At the End of the Day" clip and the problems I had on the small screen were gone. It looked like a MOVIE. I really think showing clips like this does a disservice to the material. Wait for the movie - I think we'll all be pleasantly surprised.
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Posted by jimmycurry01 2012-12-02 14:29:28
Kad, you are correct, Dave19 made up his mind about this film several moths ago when he first saw the trailer recorded by cell phone on someone's computer screen. He will never enjoy this film, and should probably steer clear of it altogether. He seems to constantly fail to understand the difference between screen acting and stage acing, despite constantly claiming the opposite.
Chances are he is a high school kid, or a young theatre student with a highly idealized view of what acting should be. His opinions seem to be largely inexperienced and misguided since they are based on minute long clips, but they are his opinions none the less. I just wish I was able to push a block button so that I quit reading them by accident.
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Posted by Dave19 2012-12-02 16:25:11
Kad, I'm not talking about clips that should move people to tears, but I'm talking about the "tension arc" created by believability. And that believability in this format happens to depend on the craft: acting through singing.
So if 2 out of 4 scentences in a scene do feel fake/acted/disconnected from emotion, because the singing feels like a tric, that's a shame and yes, that can be seen in a few scenes.
russell crowe
Posted by Dave19 2012-12-02 16:40:18
And Jimcurry, this is not about the difference between stage and film acting. In both mediums believability is important.
Is Samantha Barks giving a stage performance on film? No, it's about believability and being able to build that tension arc in your performance to take the audience on an emotional journey.
If anything, Hughs performance is extremely stage-like, with the long vibratos that feel very fake, but that is not the problem. Believable actor/singers (Samantha Barks) do that too, only it has to feel real, the singing has to always feel like an extension of speech, and that does not necessarily mean speak/singing, that can also be done in loud/full singing. If someone belts and acts out a song in a believable way on stage (Philip Quast) it suddenly becomes film-like. Because it feels real.
Hugh Jackman belts out notes in a more theatre way of singing than John owen Jones, a great stage Valjean. So the stage/film thing is not the problem, the believability of the singer is.
And I am 30 years old and work as a professional actor/singer for almost 15 years now. I've always been intrigued by various ways of acting and in finding out what works and what does not. My focus has always been on "acting as real as possible", and I also teach that to youngsters.
I have a passion for music and am always thinking about songs and singers, why certain singers make me believe their story and others don't. Then I came to the conclusion that people with voices that are a direct extension of speech (Whitney Houston, Lea Salonga, Karen Carpenter, to name a few), feel much more real than people that sing with a vibrato that feels like a trick/pose/learned. In some way too disconnected from their real voice/emotion.
So I guess I could also say; I've seen many people giving a film performance on stage and it made the audience cry. So please stop using this as an argument.
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Posted by nasty_khakis 2012-12-02 17:13:05
It very well could be these aren't the FINAL mixes. After hearing Hooper talk about the intricate process of recording the live vocals and adding the orchestra later it's possible it isn't all done and finalized yet. These do sound thin for the 80-100 pieces I read about them using. Throw on top that Hooper claims he just finished editing the night before the first screening I can bet this isn't the final sound mix.
