Les Misérables (2012 Film)

Surprisingly after all my years on this Earth, this is my first time experiencing this story in one way or another.  Granted from what I remember hearing when this adaptation came out, this may be one of the more questionable ways to experience this story, still for me it was the easiest option and I specifically wanted to see the musical.  After watching this I immediately see why this is the classic it is.  It is a phenomenal musical and even greater story.  This movie adaptation was a lot better than I remember hearing people say it was when it came out. I feel every aspect is superb but what caught my eye the most were definitely the performances and the cinematography.  I would already consider myself an admirer of Hugh Jackman's work and he still never fails.  But way more than him, every actor and actress did a phenomenal job as I believe for me this is more of a feat to have me feel so immersed in a story as a musical as the musical aspect requires more suspension of belief.  I specifically remember seeing criticism of Russell Crowe when this film was released but watching it now, I couldn't even remember the parts that were criticized.  Now there were some line deliveries that came through a little off, mostly just with Eddy Redmayne's diction with some words when singing as I feel the extent to how open his palate was so a random word would give a more kermit feeling but at the same time his general performance was more operatic which made it more mesmerizing and appropriate given the setting of the story.  Anne Hathaway was absolutely breathtaking and heartbreaking in her performance and so I believe she definitely deserves the awards she won for her performance.

One theme I found with this story that I really enjoyed was about Jean Valjean's spiritual journey and the question posed of whether someone can really be redeemed from their past.  I find it interesting how the movie explores this with the balance of law and chaos personified in the characters of Javert, Russell Crowe, and Thenardier, Sacha Baron Cohen, respectively.  I couldn't help but feel that both kept popping up in Valjean's life almost like ghosts or trauma of his past.  It's like Javert is the guilt and shame that Valjean battles with but knows to always forgive himself for just as he always forgives Javert for doing his duty and Thenardier he always stays wary of as he always appears in his biggest moments of weakness but Valjean always stays true to his path to righteousness.  I really like how these characters are portrayed in the story as they work at the perfect level of subtlety.

I yearn to see a live performance of this story and am a fan of the movie as Sacha Baron Cohen's performance was already my favorite rendition of Master of the House.  But now this is on my top tier musical list and story list in general.  It certainly is a classic that everyone should experience, or at least wait until they're older with more life experience which will allow for more appreciation of it.