Media Monday- Les Miserables (2012)

Once Upon a Time...

 
  Today we're going to talk about the 2012 musical version of Les Miserables!!! I've grown up with Les Miserables. My mom went and saw it with my dad on Broadway when it first came out and they became hooked, so I've listened to Les Miserables since I was little. Directed by Tom Hooper, this movie is different from many musicals because all the singing was done LIVE- aka no lip-synching or anything of the sort!! Pretty impressive!!
    The movie is based on the Broadway musical adaption of Victor Hugo's classic story of Les Miserables (a book I am in the process of reading- all like 1400 pages of it).

Jean Valjean, played
by Hugh Jackman

The story starts out with convict Jean Valjean, or prisoner 24601, in jail paying off his debt from stealing a loaf of bread. However, Valjean has completed his 19 year sentence and Inspector Javert, the "policeman" in charge of everything, gives him his yellow papers of parole and the duty of checking into a location at a certain time unless he wants to go back to jail. Valjean sets out in the world, not much enjoying his newfound freedom due to the mistreatment he- as an ex-convict- receives. He is turned out of every inn and is forced to sleep outside in front of a priest's home. The priest- the Bishop of Digne- finds him and invites him inside to eat and sleep. Valjean is met with a warm meal served on the finest silver they have and, as he's in bed, he decides to steal the very silver they generously let him eat off of. He is caught, however, and is returned in cuffs to the Bishop the next morning where the guards inform the Bishop that Valjean "had the nerve to say you gave him" the silver. The Bishop, being kindhearted, says Valjean is telling the truth, but he left so early, he forgot to take the silver candlesticks and gives Valjean the candlesticks as well. Valjean, feeling quite guilty, decides that he is going to become a better man but, to do this, he must throw away Jean Valjean entirely. With that, he rips up his parole papers and seeks to better his life. 

Javert, played by
Russell Crowe

    Eight years later, Valjean is no more. Instead, "Monsieur Madeline" has emerged as Valjean's attempt to change himself and he has become the mayor of a small little town, as well as the owner of a large beading factory. In one such factory, there is a young woman named Fantine who works for the mayor. Several other women, however, get her fired when they find out she has an illegitimate child. Cosette, Fantine's daughter, lives with an innkeeper and his wife (the Thenardiers) and Fantine sends what money she makes to support her daughter. However, because illegitimate children were a big deal in the time, the foreman of Valjean's factory sent Fantine on her way while Valjean dealt with other problems: Javert was here, but as a police chief for the town. Yet in a turn of events, Valjean, who had been known in prison for his incredible strength, saves the life of a man who was trapped under a cart- and Javert recognizes this feat of strength.

Fantine, played by
Anne Hathaway

MEANWHILE Fantine, who is now penniless, has to find a way to support her daughter so she goes to the sketchy marketplace to sell a locket. When the man doesn't pay her what she wants, she is approached by an offer from a woman who wants to buy her hair- and pay her well for it. So beautiful Fantine agrees and her hair is soon cut off. Not long after, a man wants to buy her teeth and does- but even that doesn't pay the debt she owes. So, then, in a moment of complete and utter desperation, Fantine becomes a prostitute (cue "I Dreamed a Dream"!). Eventually, winter comes and Fantine doesn't give this guy what he wants and he dumps snow down her dress (did you know Hugo based that part off a true story?!). Fantine attacks the man, Javert comes and the man lies and says she attacked him randomly. Valjean just happens to be there, hears her mention she has a child and can't go to jail, and he offers to help her- because now she's become quite sick.

The Thenardiers, played
by Helena Bonham Carter
and Sacha Baron Cohen

DOUBLE MEANWHILE Javert approaches Valjean and apologizes to him for thinking he was a convict. Turns out the REAL Jean Valjean was caught and facing trial!! The only thing is, that isn't the real Jean Valjean. Valjean feels guilty and breaks in the court announcing to everyone HE is Jean Valjean, then tells them to find him at the hospital where he goes to visit Fantine. Now on her deathbed from some unknown illness, Fantine's only wish is to see Cosette. Because it can't really be done, Valjean promises to take care of Cosette, to which Fantine agrees then dies shortly after. Javert finds Valjean at the hospital, but now Valjean begs for time to go help Cosette. Javert obviously denies the request but Valjean jumps out the window and disappears into the river, only to reappear near where Cosette is located. Come to find out Cosette is being mistreated by the Thenardiers and she is forced to go draw water from the well in the woods all alone- which is where Valjean finds her. He takes her back to the inn and tells them he'll pay whatever they want as long as they let her go with him. They settle on an amount and Cosette is whisked off to be with Valjean.

 

Cosette and Marius, played by
Amanda Seyfried and
Eddie Redmayne

Ten years later (and my favorite part of the story!!), the people of France are poor and in dire need of food. We see a gathering of the poor plotting a rebellion- a revolution led by a group of students, more specifically the leader of the group: Enjolras. A friend of Enjolras, Marius Pontmercy, is also with them and, though he is rich, he is pretending to be poor for some unknown reason. Marius is walking the streets one day and he notices a beautiful blonde-haired goddess (or something like that) and he's immediately in love. Who is this girl? None other than our girl Cosette out with her "dad". While Cosette and Marius are making googly-eyes, Valjean is being lured by the Thenardiers (who are con artists) to try to get money, yet they are thwarted by Javert who patrols the streets. Valjean disappears with Cosette to avoid being seen by Javert and Marius, still captivated by Cosette's beauty, asks his friend Eponine- the Thenardier's daughter who grew up with Cosette and is now madly in love with Marius- to go stalk her and find out where she lives. While she's doing that, Marius goes back to the ABC Café (the hangout of the revolution boys) and tells his friends about this amazing girl he's seen. Eponine returns and the two are whisked away to go find her. Cosette and Marius see each other, confirm the fact they both are madly in love with each other, yet are chased off by Monsieur Thenardier who is planning to rob Valjean's house. That, too, is thwarted and Valjean decides to move because people know his location now.
MEANWHILE the revolution is going to occur and they all get ready. The barricades are up, guns are loaded, and they wait for action. Finally, they decide the time is right and start the revolution. In an attempt to keep this short, everyone dies except Marius because Valjean found out Cosette and he have this love connection and Valjean saves Marius from the barricade. And when I say everyone dies I mean everyone dies. Everyone you will probably love will die and it kinda stinks. Anyways, Javert kills himself because the man he was hunting (Valjean) turns out to be a pretty nice guy and he can't live with the fact that he was wrong, Cosette and Marius are going to get married, but Valjean realizes he's dying (and doesn't want Cosette to find out he's a criminal) so Valjean hides away. The day of Cosette's wedding, they find out where Valjean is and the newly married couple journey to see Valjean where they arrive just in time for him to say his goodbyes and then he, too, dies and goes to a better place (where all our favorite characters are living!! :) haha). THE END.
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OK so that was a looooong summary. It's basically something you have to watch to TRULY understand. Anyways...

Eponine, played by
Samantha Barks

My Favorite Character: My favorite character is Eponine. Why? Well, she's a misunderstood, lovesick girl who dies for the person she loves. Not like that explains why I like her, I just like her because... well... I like her? She's cool!!! She fights for what she believes in and never gives up hope!! She's a dreamer!! I also believe every girl feels like Eponine at least once in their life... minus the dying part.
For the record, I love Enjolras. He's pretty cool. I love that he's willing to die for a cause he feels is right.
*I'm also a Enjonine shipper for any of you other crazy people who do that :)


My Favorite Character Most People Don't Care About: Grantaire. Most people don't know who the heck he is because he's not mentioned very often. Grantaire is the drunk one. I love him because the guy who played him, George Blagden, made him quite entertaining. One of Grantaire's best moments in the movie is the one captured in the clip to the left- his "I am agog! I am aghast!". Look at his face!! He's just amusing :D haha

My Favorite Song: One Day More. This song is the most FUN song to
sing- especially if you BLAST it in the car :) When my mom and I watched this movie in the theater, I got chills. It was so crazy. I love this song...

My Favorite Scene: I don't really know. I'm going to say the "Little Fall of Rain" scene. It's so sweet... Although depressing
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RATINGS:

~It is rated PG-13 for suggestive and sexual material, violence and thematic elements

~I personally give it 5 crowns out of 5 crowns! But that's cuz I've grown up with this.

 

 

 

 

~My trusty website that I always go to for my movie needs, commonsensemedia.org, says:

 

 

This rating says it's "ON" (the green) for kids 14 and up! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So there are some scenes in this movie that aren't too "great". The prostitute scene (basically the whole "Lovely Ladies" song), as well as the "Master of the House" scene can both be considered inappropriate for younger audiences. These scenes happen all within the first hour, so after that, there's just lots of death. There are also quite a bit of curse words throughout the whole movie. NOTE this is a longgggggggggggg movie. Like 2 1/2 hours long. If you don't like musicals, this probably isn't for you since it's almost ALL singing. But I love it :) Very much.

 

 

And They Lived Happily Ever After...

 

 

*NOTE: I do not own ANY rights to Les Miserables- the pictures, the quotes, the videos, ANYTHING. This all belongs to Universal Pictures!!*