Historical context for anyone who wants it. The main part of this show takes place during the Bourbon restoration. After Napoleon was finally defeated, the Monarchy was restored. The barricade stuff that you see is what is sometimes called the June Rebellion, and it happened a lot like it shows. Parisian youths rallied and barricaded a small section of the city, thinking the people would rise up around them. They didn't, and the rebels were decimated overnight, with about 3,000 rebels against 60, 000 National Guard and Army. Apparently, Victor Hugo - the original author for the book this all was based on - got caught up in one of the barricaded sections and had to hide during the fighting. Sorry, just a history nerd who loves musicals!
@@IraKates Nah. Hugo was famous for procrastinating, it’s not entirely beyond him to just take 30 years to finish a book because he kept jumping of to other projects.
@@Ballin4Vengeance "Hugo was famous for procrastinating, it’s not entirely beyond him to just take 30 years to finish a book because he kept jumping off to other projects." And this is why he's one of my favorite authors, not only because I adore his work but because as a writer myself, his process is so damn relatable. We've all been there like, "I should dust off that project I've been working on for forever and--ooh, wait, a shiny new idea! I must develop it right away!"
Javier (Crowe’s character) was not a villain, but a true Antagonist. He wasn’t out to destroy Valjean for the heck of it, but because he was dedicated to upholding the law at all costs. This would put him at odds with compassion and mercy.
I met Mr Jackman 20ish years ago when he starred in "The Boy from Oz" on Broadway. No matter how the show had gone, he ALWAYS exited through the stage door (never ducked out another door to avoid people), greeting fans who were waiting, signing autographs and taking photos. And he had this gift for being able to focus on the one person right in front of him, no matter what else was happening. So even if it was only for 5-10 seconds, for that 5-10 seconds, you had his complete, undivided attention.
His performance in that show was PHENOMENAL!! And I loved his audience interaction at parts. Out of all the shows I've seen - that was the single best performance, bar none! The play itself would be mediocre at best - but with Jackman it was just amazing!
Brian, 2.5 mins into the movie: “I have not been happy yet.” Me: And you aint gonna be. I love this movie/musical a lot & replayed the soundtrack endlessly for a while. One of my favorite quotes ever is from that last heartbreaking scene - “To love another person is to see the face of God." I think that’s something that anyone with any sense of spirituality, not necessarily religion, can understand & hopefully feel deeply at some point in their life.
The ending scene will never not make me break down sobbing. This movie is full of tragedy and as someone who gets way too attached to characters this is really rough to watch
Not sure if anyone has said yet, but the man playing the Bishop (Colm Wilkinson) originated the role of Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman’s character) on both the West End and Broadway…it’s a lovely little tie between the stage and show versions Edit to add another fun fact: Gavroche (the little blonde boy with more guts than most adults) is the little brother of Eponine (the girl who didn’t get the guy) and is therefore the son of Helena Bonham Carter’s character
I love this musical. Eddie Redmayne's "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" when he gets to the climax, I cry every single time. I love the way they chose to film this, the rawness of it.. it is incredible. I don't mind Russel anymore, but they could have cast better. "You Family Dollar Ron Weasley" hahahaha HAVING SAID THAT, yes - the anniversary concerts are worth a watch.
Russell Crowe can sing. He's been the frontmam of a band since the 90s. They've released several albums. He's actually got a good folky rock voice. Check out The Photograph Kills or You Treat Me Like Chocolate. He needed some teaching on how to sing this kind of song. I feel so bad for him because he gets sh*t on for no reason.
Not sure if you're aware but they sang this live while filming rather than dubbing it over in studio. They had a small ear piece in and had a piano play along with them while singing. Brings out the emotion.
I disagree, I actually think the freedom the actors were given really stifles the emotion. Compare this version of Valjean's Soliloquy to others, there's so much less passion and energy.
@@legendaccount3247 I'm not going to argue with you, art is subjective. However, there are technically right and wrong ways of performing music. However, I encourage you to watch the Sideways video. He explains what went wrong with this film much better than I could.
Eddie Redmayne's Empty Chairs at Empty Tables is my favorite too. So much emotion. I cry every time. I also really like Russell Crowe's number "Stars." I know a lot of people gave him a ton of crap for his vocal performance but I think it was fine. Not everyone in real life is a great singer. He hit the notes and brought the character to life and it felt real to me. But regardless of the vocal performance, I think the melody and lyrics are really poetic.
Les Miserables literally translates from french to "the Miserable". And the novel has so much nuance. Everyone fighting for a respectable cause meets their end. Fontine was trying to save money for her child, the men of the barricade fight for new and better world. Eponine joins the barricade because she wants to stay by Marius, in a way you can say she's fighting for love. Jean Valjean is fighting for his soul. Even Javert is fighting for a respectable though misguided cause. Javert was literally born in a jail and fought to prove himself despite his upbringing. Even developing an overactive sense of law. Best way to describe Javert is as chaotic good. He was born among the lowest rung and wants to escape it by keeping order, even to a fault. Valjean stole, granted his sister's child was sick and dying and they needed food but Javert's sense of law makes him blind to that. And it isn't till he realizes just how selfless Valjean is and that he's been wrong about him the whole time that he started to truly doubt and question himself. He starts to feel his perception of the world shift and feels like he's lost control of himself, and gains back control the only way he feels he can. Javert isn't a villain, just an antagonist but he's the perfect foil to Valjean. Valjean broke the law to help others, Javert used the law to hurt others. In the end only four people remain. Two couples. Marius and Cosette and the Thenardier's. The Thenardier's only cause in life is to line their pockets. Victor Hugo referred to them as the undeserving poor. And in the end the true tragedy is that they succeed. They rose through society with their ill-gotten fortune. I'd also recommend you watch Sweeney Todd. Johnny Depp and Alan Rickman are in it. The innkeeper couple is in it too, Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen.
Yes, I know Mr. Jackman. I was a nanny some years ago and my young charge was best friends with HJ's daughter. The first time I met him, I shook from head to toe, covered my giggling mouth with both shaking hands and could barely choke out "it's nice to meet you, Mr. Jackman." He made heart-melting eye contact and calmly said, "Please, call me Hugh." I couldn't figure why he didn't look at me like a lunatic, which is certainly how I was behaving. I continued having this reaction until I realized that HJ didn't act like I was crazy because *everyone* acts that way when they meet him. After that, I calmed down and could have civilized discussions with him. I met his parents, Deb and her parents (I'm crushed about their separation. 😔), and of course, his kids. They were a very close family. Here's what I can tell you: he's very down to earth. He adores his children. He's incredibly kind and generous. And your other commenter above was exactly correct that he pays strict attention to the person with whom he's speaking and makes you feel that you are the most important person at that moment. It's a gift. I'll never forget him. ❤️
I saw this on stage about twenty years ago and the music is much better on stage but it's easier to follow the plot in the movie. The story is basically about Valjean, Cosette, and the Paris Uprising of 1832. It's pronounced like "Lay Miz-er-ob" and is typically translated in English as The Wretched Poor or The Miserable Ones. I LOVE that you watched this! My favorite song is EASILY One Day More ❤❤
All you need to say is "Les Miz" (Lay Mizz) and everyone knows. This show has been a worldwide sensation since the mid 1980s. I read the full original novel by Victor Hugo, which was written around 1860. It is a humongous book at 1,100 pages. Hugo also wrote the novel 'Notre-Dame de Paris' better known as 'The Hunchback of Notre-Dame' (which is NOTHING like the Disney animated musical, if you saw that. It is a LOT darker!). The novel has long passages of history, philosophy, and poetry in the text, and it can be a little tedious to get through. However, it is also relatively easy to find a version that is abidged (cutting out a lot of that stuff). You should find either 'Les Miserables - 10th Anniversary Concert' which has many cast members from original productions around the world or 'Les Miserabkles - 25th Anniversary Concert'. Both are superb, although I am partial to the 10th Anniversary. To try to give any background to what is in the story (which used actual historical events as a background to the story and characters) would be too hard for a comments section. I will say this, all of the actors sang live on set, with only a piano to accompany them, to capture the raw emotions of the moments. They later added in the orchestra, under the singers. Anne Hathaway won Best Supporting Actress Oscar, and Hugh Jackman was nominated for Best Actor. My favorite songs are "Bring Him Home", "Stars", "On My Own", and "Empty Chairs At Empty Tables" Ella Enchanted is good...I'd love to see you react to The Princess Diaries 1 & 2 as far as Anne Hathaway movies.
The stage is a lot better. However, I fully appreciate the approach to this movie. It married the stage and the book together, and gave us the world Hugo wrote. And the technical aspect of singing have changed how we do musicals now. While I like the stage version better, I want to see the talents here on stage in their same roles because they killed it; Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Eddie Redmayne, Amanda Seyfried, Helena Bonham Carter, and Sasha Cohen. Samantha Barks obviously but she played Eponine on stage before this.
Hathaway also grew up backstage on the touring production of Les Mis in which her mother played. She knows this musical inside and out and it inspired her own journey into a career in theatre
I didn’t like it. Vocally it was fine but I hated the camera work. ZOOM the hell out. This is. historical fiction show the scenery not that close up. It was cringe.
Storywise, the little kid (Gavroche) when Eponine was dying (The girl with the brown hair) was watching his older sister die, which is why they showed him.
True, in the novel, Gavroche and Eponine are brother and sister. They kind of go away from that in the musical, although in the Master of the House scene in the movie there's a brief shot of a baby that is implied to be Gavroche.
If you want to experience a little of the theatre production you should try to watch the 25th anniversary Les Mis concert at the O2 in London - the vocal performances are incredible (although Nick Jonas as Marius is way weaker than Eddie in this movie) - but Samantha Barks performance as Eponine in that got her the role in this movie! I think you would appreciate it!!!!! I would love to see you react to that
No watch the 10th anniversary concert. Colin Wilkinson is too good. And Ruthie Henshall’s Fantine is amazing. But specially each other version will have Javert properly sung and appreciated over Russell Crowe’s sing speak.
@@nF_Rhythm I do love me some Ramin! He's one of my favorite Phantoms. But I have to agree that the 10th Anniversary is the way to go. Watching Colm Wilkinson will change you.
Javert (Russel Crowe) is one of my favorite characters in this piece. The idea of someone so rigid that he cannot accept mercy over duty is interesting to me.
this movie is both the reason I love musicals as much as I do, AND it's part of why my ethics are how they are. I was 9 when I saw it, and I'm pretty sure it radicalized me lol. I'm so glad to see someone react to it
Fun fact: the vocals were recorded live on set during filming. The director wanted to keep as the performers in the emotions of the scenes as much as possible. Makes me cry every time I hear the music
I think both the movie and stage performances have their benefits. The movie really allows you to hear and feel the emotions really strongly. The stage performance gives you beautiful performances and a feeling of the scale with the music washing over you. I fell in love with this musical (when the guy who played the preist here) was Valjean. My dad once asked why I liked this story so much because he found it depressing. I love redemption stories. This is the ultimate redemption story. I feel for Javert (Russell Crowe's character). He is trapped by a rigid morality that he can't break free from. It would have been drilled into him by society and his upbringing into becoming a cop. The whole system reenforces it as you say with Valjean's issues with his "papers ". Once thief you have proven your moral depravity. Almost like they don't leave any room for redemption. With that viewpoint, Javert's dogged pursuit of Valjean is an honerable action. We know who Valjean is, but Javert is so blinded by his fanatic faith. He can't see the truth until the end. Valjean letting him live and then giving his address to allow him to bring him to justice. That was the last peice to strip him of all he believed. He's so rigid he can't live in that world of moral ambiguity. I think he needed the rules to live. I think his suicide was an honorable act. He chose to die rather than choosing to stick to his guns and burn Valjean's world to the ground. He gave Valjean his freedom. It's a redemption of sorts for Javert. I think a lot of people miss that.
To share the heartbreak. I once read a comment mentioning, the ending is basically everyone in 'paradise' where they got what they hoped for and people rose up to support the barricades 😢
The movie is great, but the stage show is phenomenal. One Day More is my all time favorite from any show. All the different voices harmonizing and overlapping into one huge climax...perfection!
I absolutely love this musical. I saw it in theaters when it came out and then read the book it’s based on. Such a gripping story of class, the justice system at that time in France, and war. Also yes please watch Ella Enchanted. It’s a much lighter story and a lot of fun!
I read Les Miserables as a ten year old and I have been in love forever. The 10th anniversary concert is what I would recommend. They did a good job with this film but trust me… look at the stage versions. Les Miserables is pronounced “lay Mizer arb” bro. You aren’t even ready for the epicness of the stage show though. The priest who helps in the beginning is actually the man who played the original Jean Val Jean (Hugh’s Character) on stage. You think Hugh is good you aren’t ready for that. I adore that singer. You didn’t get to hear his awesomeness. He is Amazing. I think the theme is about evolution and growth as people and as a community/country. My fave song? All of them! I refuse to pick. Maybe if I have to pick… One Day More
My favorite songs are definitely Do You Hear the People Sing and the whole finale. Like, "to love another person is to see the face of God" 😭 I know Les Mis isn't about religion (or at least it's not the main message) but some of its lyrics resonate with how I practice religion. It's also not a happy musical but I feel it's very hopeful. Especially given its context: when the novel was written criminals were seen as irredeemable, even after serving their time. Val Jean doesn't get a "happy" ending, but he gets an ending that shows he's a good, caring person
My favorite song is “ On My Own” we did Les Miserables in high school choir and when I tell you every girl was fighting for that solo! ( me included lmao) it’s definitely one of the most popular song in the musical!
The title means *literally* miserable people so that's what the movie is about. Misery and bad things happening to good people. Such a great and deep movie, even better soundtrack 😢
The man who plays the bishop (Colm Wilkinson) originated Jean Valjean on Broadway and the West End. Casting him was very much an Easter egg for mega-fans, and Hugh Jackman has said that in the scene where the bishop gives him the candlesticks it felt like a "passing the torch" moment. Wilkinson is widely considered the best Valjean ever. I recommend watching the 10th Anniversary concert... most of the OGs from London and New York and Colm singing the lead role.
I know you said you love Helena Bonham, you should definitely react to Sweeney Todd the Barber, it’s a musical staring Johnny Depo and her. They are really good friends, especially since they stared in Alice and Wonderland
I love the Thenardiers as characters because they are some of the most horrible people but because they’re treated as comedic villains in the musical they’re always a breath of fresh air. Especially Madame thenardier
I don't think Javere is a villain at all. He followed the law without exception, and that was his downfall. He didn't make the law; he simply enforced it. I think his character is a lot more complex than you may think. We learnt that he grew up in poverty; it wouldn't have been easy for him to achieve the highly respected position he has. He will have had to fight to be seen as equal and, above all, have an unbending sense of justice and respect for the law. This is why he can not understand how a criminal could be a good man.
You asked about favorite songs. My favorites are One Day More and Do You Hear The People Sing. Those are songs that hit hard and are an entire mood by themselves.
The original London Broadway performance recordings will always be my favorite version of the songs but I personally thought they did a pretty decent job with this movie, I'm so glad you checked it out!!
I’ve had the chance to see both film and play, and honestly, each are fabulous for very different reasons. They really stand alone. There is no “which one is better”. The film’s unique strength is how it allows us a more intimate story telling experience - we get a close up view of the despairing situations of each character and the raw live performances of the actors. The play’s unique strength is telling this story from start to finish with this massive cast. To hear all those voices together live? It’s powerful. Personal favorite song is One Day More, because it does include pretty much everyone. Highly recommend looking up their Oscar performance of it. It’s fantastic & feels like the play. A close second is Empty Chairs at Emory Tables. Eddie Redmayne’s performance is incredible - to be able to since like that *while* crying is SO HARD TO DO.
Everytime I watch this movie, when it gets to end of Valjean's soliloquy I also start to cry a little bit. And it's super sentimental to me because I'm reminded that when I was in high school my marching band played this show. So the music is bone familiar to me.
No, it’s not a happy movie. It’s literally called The Miserable. It’s about class, how the poor people rise against the rich in France and how the people fight, struggle, hustle and suffer in their everyday life. Fantine sold her hair and teeth to pay for her daughter. I cry every time I watch the musical (this movie is Ok!).
Bishop Myriel was using the Church silver to fight for Jean Valjean's soul......to turn him around and point him in the right direction. It was heartwarming to see the two reunited at the moment of Valjean's death.
I watched this movie and feel in love with it. It helped me understand the books so much better having tried to read it several times and having to stop because of not understanding it. Since then ive rwad the book. Watched the play and seen tv shows. Ive also seen it at theater my favourite version is watching it in the theater then this version. The songs add so much emotions to this. I agree Mrs Helen Bonham Carter is incredible
The whole scene with the barricade people misinterpret it as the French Revolution. It is actually the June Rebellion of 1832, to which Victor Hugo was a witness. They really interrupted General Lamarque’s funeral. Like the story, the battle barely lasted a day as it did not attain enough support.
Mr. Flicks... I can't believe I am just now finding this reaction of yours to one of the greatest stories ever told... French People HATE this story because they have heard about it daily since birth. LOL... Great job condensing 3+hours to 40 min. Epione the brunette... perhaps the most beautiful face ever... for sure the most beautiful perfect voice of your lifetime... if you really are a singer. Lea Salonga was the only main character from the stage production to be chosen to play in the movie. The history of this musical, from the 600 page+ novel by Victor Hugo to the hundreds of productions for stage screen and like my first time hearing it on the radio in the 1970's as a child. the story behind the story behing the movie behind each song can wormhole you for years let alone days... the coolest part besides Lea in this movie was that as a vocalist myself I found out that the orchestra was played live during the production and filmiing... the conductor had to keep pace with the singers not the singers voice over on the orchestra. that is why the timeing and spacing are so perfect and so emotional. Thank you for the reaction ... enjoy your new life of culture in a world some think only the rich can ever see...
One of my favourite films. Anne Hathaway, Hugh Jackman, Helena Binham Carter, Sacha Baron-Cohen and so many more. Brilliant songs. Emotionally captivating. They sold their hair and teeth for money in those days. You don't need subtitles even though it's a film about the French Revolution. 8 years passed between Jean Valjean being released from prison and being mayor of the town. Eponine, is the brown haired little girl brought up beside Cosette before Hugh Jackman's character took her away. The name is pronounced like miserable without the last vowels. Lay Miserab. My favourite songs are On My Own, 24601, Bring Him Home, Empty Chairs At Empty Tables, and I Dreamed A Dream. All of the songs are great and they tie in together as well which is awesome. Another song is When Tomorrow Comes. EPIC! Your reaction is priceless. ❤
You should watch the Les Miserables 10th Anniversary concert. It’s the songs only performed on stage. Lots of clips on TH-cam. It’s considered the dream cast.
Yes, Ella Enchanted is a fun movie, I'd love to see your reaction to it!! Lay Miserahbleh is how the title is pronounced. It's French for "the miserable ones," which is why this musical is so sad. I loved your reaction, though. It was very heartfelt and real. I've had to think more about my life and death lately, so this movie hit a little different tonight. It's a good thing that I, too, am a woman of God because I'm afraid I might meet Him this year.
I know a lot of the singing isnt the greatest, but these are actors by and large, not professional singers (with obvious exceptions) but man, at least it's real. I do NOT miss the auto-tune 😅
On one of my couple viewings of this movie - i also cried like a baby during the ending scene. All this time i thought that it was messed up hormones because i was sick that day, but no.... seeing your reaction only proved that crying here is human thing and not because of being sick! And "Do you hear the people singing" is absolutely my favorite song here. Still comes to my mind from time to time even if i hadn't seen the movie in years!
Les Misérables was meant to be seen live…the movie missed the mark for us theatre people. It’s not bad by any means but seeing it in person is a game changer. Some of the best music ever written.
One of my favourite musicals ever, it's a lot to unpack on the first viewing with all the different storylines, but you did great! There isn't really a bad song in the whole thing, I personally like Bring Him Home, and Javert's song Stars. I think the deal with the hair and the teeth pulling is she was so poor and people made money selling it for wigs and dentures and such back then. Loved the reaction sir!
So many great songs for all different reasons. The emotion in Empty Chairs at Empty Tables. And the whole grandeur of One More Day. But I think my favourite is Do You Hear The People Sing?
I did "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" for a choir project once and started crying midway through but kept going and I got full points for it. I love that song so much it's beautifully done and acted and the emotion is very easy to feel through the screen
Oooooh! I was hoping you'd have watched this one! *bounces* This movie makes me ugly cry from when Anne Hathaway sings I dreamed a dream onwards! I've seen it on stage and I honestly like the movie better. The cast absolutely killed it. I get very very very angry when critics, musical actors and people give this movie crap because of the live singing. For me that's what makes it. I don't care how much they go off pitch, or wobble, or quiver, and they do sometimes, you can feel the raw emotion just pulsing out of them. I do love your point about kindness destroying people who aren't kind from the inside, that is no word of a lie. So, favorite song is I Dreamed a Dream, I used to really hate that song till Anne did it, it absolutely wrecked me the first time i saw Anne performing it. My favorite moment is when Varjean has little Cosette riding in the carriage and sings that sweet song about her, and when he gives her the doll. I'm all about dolls and I can really appreciate what that meant to her. Thanks for another awesome video.
I love this musical! I was lucky enough to see it live 5 times in NY and then saw the movie on opening day & loved the movie too. I’m a sucker for the original work so if I had to choose which I liked better it would be the live production but this is a great film adaptation in my opinion. I’m not sure when but I hear the movie will be released in theaters for a limited viewing. If you like this I would recommend watching one of the live anniversary concerts
Great reaction. Definitely watch Phillip Quast performing Stars from Les Miserables. He set the bar high and is my favorite Javert. I also love the songs “Empty Chairs At Empty Tables” and “On My Own”.
as a singer, i think youd appreciate phillip quast's performance as javert (russell crowe's character). he has such an arresting quality to his voice, its like every line carries weight
I have loved every version of this I have ever seen, from stage musical (live), movie musical (this one), and a non music movie version with Liam Neeson, Uma Thurman and Geoffrey Rush. You felt sad and miserable watching because the name actually tells you what to expect…. Misery. This soundtrack is one of my all time favourites from musicals which also includes RENT, Chicago, Evita, Phantom, and Jesus Christ Superstar. I highly recommend the 1992 Australian concert version of JCS for a future reaction
Sometimes this movie gets a lot of hate from hardcore show fans (I love the stage show too) but even though it has its flaws, I still love this movie, so it's awesome to see a positive review of the movie (I'm only like ten minutes in to your reaction so I don't know if that changes but...) because sometimes it's nice to just appreciate what a movie does well.
Favorite song. On My Own. I bawl every time. If you ever get the chance ,just watch that one song by its original singer, Lea Solange. She is Broadway royalty and a disney princess twice(singing voice of Jasmine and Mulan). Loved the reaction,as always. And,yes! Ella Enchanted❤
Honestly. I rather like javere. I didn't upon my first 3 watches but the more I listen to the music I can understand where he stems from. He's a man who was born into poverty, pulled himself up by his boot straps without stealing or interfering with the law. He had stars on his side allowing him to climb through ranks where he could become an officer so he's of the mindset that if he, gutter trash can ascend then anybody can. Problem is he's a black and white thinker. Once a thief always a thief type mentality and seeing as most don't live past 30 we haven't much time to prove ourselves otherwise so him going off statistics alone makes sense why he would pursue a criminal to his end. Get goosebumps when he ends it. He's come to a revelation but it's one he litterly can not live with because by accepting people are capable of change he's also excepting the burden of locking up how many potentially innocent people..
This was the first Broadway show I saw when I was 9. I've seen it 3x since and it's always very emotional for me. The movie was good, though it didn't have quite the same feel. Ever since my father passed away who was a huge fan of this play and would sing Bring Him Home all the time, it has a very special place in my heart.
Oh my gosh the play is so much better. This movie was good, but woo the music and singing in the play is breathtaking. The 10th anniversary is my favorite version. ❤
It says something about the nature of both media and reality that I completely expected the "man of god" to be a piece of shit. :\ So nicely surprised that he was a solid dude actually acting on the principles he preaches, the principles that so many "good Christians" forget as soon as it might inconvenience them: charity, kindness, patience, and love.
The movie is better in my opinion but both are great. What’s cool about the movie is they didn’t pre record and lip sync like they do for most movie musicals. They actually sang live for this one
I could never be sick of u. You have become one of my favorite reactors.
This comment is amazing 👏🏽 Thank you 🤍
No he's too trashy for classy things..
Historical context for anyone who wants it. The main part of this show takes place during the Bourbon restoration. After Napoleon was finally defeated, the Monarchy was restored. The barricade stuff that you see is what is sometimes called the June Rebellion, and it happened a lot like it shows. Parisian youths rallied and barricaded a small section of the city, thinking the people would rise up around them. They didn't, and the rebels were decimated overnight, with about 3,000 rebels against 60, 000 National Guard and Army. Apparently, Victor Hugo - the original author for the book this all was based on - got caught up in one of the barricaded sections and had to hide during the fighting. Sorry, just a history nerd who loves musicals!
I did always wonder why this relatively minor and unknown failed rebellion was the one they chose but that would explain it!
@@felixhenson9926It did take Hugo 30 years between the June Rebellion and writing Les Misèrables
@@Ballin4Vengeance trauma be real
@@IraKates Nah. Hugo was famous for procrastinating, it’s not entirely beyond him to just take 30 years to finish a book because he kept jumping of to other projects.
@@Ballin4Vengeance "Hugo was famous for procrastinating, it’s not entirely beyond him to just take 30 years to finish a book because he kept jumping off to other projects."
And this is why he's one of my favorite authors, not only because I adore his work but because as a writer myself, his process is so damn relatable. We've all been there like, "I should dust off that project I've been working on for forever and--ooh, wait, a shiny new idea! I must develop it right away!"
Javier (Crowe’s character) was not a villain, but a true Antagonist. He wasn’t out to destroy Valjean for the heck of it, but because he was dedicated to upholding the law at all costs. This would put him at odds with compassion and mercy.
Sorry, I know this isn't a big deal, I just found it funny you said Javier (a Spanish name) instead of Javert
I met Mr Jackman 20ish years ago when he starred in "The Boy from Oz" on Broadway. No matter how the show had gone, he ALWAYS exited through the stage door (never ducked out another door to avoid people), greeting fans who were waiting, signing autographs and taking photos. And he had this gift for being able to focus on the one person right in front of him, no matter what else was happening. So even if it was only for 5-10 seconds, for that 5-10 seconds, you had his complete, undivided attention.
His performance in that show was PHENOMENAL!! And I loved his audience interaction at parts. Out of all the shows I've seen - that was the single best performance, bar none! The play itself would be mediocre at best - but with Jackman it was just amazing!
Brian, 2.5 mins into the movie: “I have not been happy yet.”
Me: And you aint gonna be.
I love this movie/musical a lot & replayed the soundtrack endlessly for a while. One of my favorite quotes ever is from that last heartbreaking scene - “To love another person is to see the face of God." I think that’s something that anyone with any sense of spirituality, not necessarily religion, can understand & hopefully feel deeply at some point in their life.
The ending scene will never not make me break down sobbing. This movie is full of tragedy and as someone who gets way too attached to characters this is really rough to watch
Nice to know I'm not the only one.
It’s heartbreaking but the overall message of hope is so beautiful 😭 I will always adore this story
I know I always get really attached to Inspector Javert and then he goes and throws himself in the damn whirlpool.
Not sure if anyone has said yet, but the man playing the Bishop (Colm Wilkinson) originated the role of Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman’s character) on both the West End and Broadway…it’s a lovely little tie between the stage and show versions
Edit to add another fun fact: Gavroche (the little blonde boy with more guts than most adults) is the little brother of Eponine (the girl who didn’t get the guy) and is therefore the son of Helena Bonham Carter’s character
Colm was also a Phantom of the Opera… fantastically talented
I saw him in Phantom in Toronto twice andnhe was amazing. Always wished I had seen him in this though.
He has the best version of Bringing home by far out of all the Valjeans I've seen
Colm came in and showed everyone how it's done!
I absolutely came here to say all of this. lol! Valjean and Phantom- = amazing talent.
My ex was a runner on this movie. He told me that Hugh bought the whole crew a lottery ticket on the day they wrapped 🥰
That’s fire 🔥
Bro the fact he’s still doing that on Deadpool & Wolverine
"Russell Crowe is just jumping into things at this point" - when you hear that knowing what's coming later...
Sorry for the late reaction
BUT IT TOOK ME A SECOND TO REALISE....
That's foul.....😂
I love this musical. Eddie Redmayne's "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" when he gets to the climax, I cry every single time. I love the way they chose to film this, the rawness of it.. it is incredible. I don't mind Russel anymore, but they could have cast better. "You Family Dollar Ron Weasley" hahahaha HAVING SAID THAT, yes - the anniversary concerts are worth a watch.
If you have ever heard the original Marius, Michael Ball, perform this number... you'd be shredded. He is my forever Marius!
@@SS-rk2me Yes of course! He isn't my favorite, but I do like Michael Ball a lot. :)
Russell Crowe can sing. He's been the frontmam of a band since the 90s. They've released several albums. He's actually got a good folky rock voice. Check out The Photograph Kills or You Treat Me Like Chocolate. He needed some teaching on how to sing this kind of song. I feel so bad for him because he gets sh*t on for no reason.
@@JessRansdellSmith I know he can sing. I still don't think he sings well enough to stand against the other voices. Not as a title character.
Not sure if you're aware but they sang this live while filming rather than dubbing it over in studio. They had a small ear piece in and had a piano play along with them while singing. Brings out the emotion.
I NEVER KNEW THIS
This was a terrible mistake. They should have prerecorded it. Only Samantha Barks, a West End veteran, kills it live, but the rest sound pretty rough.
I disagree, I actually think the freedom the actors were given really stifles the emotion. Compare this version of Valjean's Soliloquy to others, there's so much less passion and energy.
@@legendaccount3247 I'm not going to argue with you, art is subjective. However, there are technically right and wrong ways of performing music. However, I encourage you to watch the Sideways video. He explains what went wrong with this film much better than I could.
@@GrainneMhaol I don't think you're responding to the right person. I agree with you, lol!
Eddie Redmayne's Empty Chairs at Empty Tables is my favorite too. So much emotion. I cry every time. I also really like Russell Crowe's number "Stars." I know a lot of people gave him a ton of crap for his vocal performance but I think it was fine. Not everyone in real life is a great singer. He hit the notes and brought the character to life and it felt real to me. But regardless of the vocal performance, I think the melody and lyrics are really poetic.
YES TO ELLA ENCHANTED REACTION! Anne does so good singing Queen! It’s also one of my fave comfort movies
Bet ! Will do 🙏🏼
Oh yes please
“I have not been happy yet”
Well buckle up! 😂
Les Miserables literally translates from french to "the Miserable". And the novel has so much nuance.
Everyone fighting for a respectable cause meets their end. Fontine was trying to save money for her child, the men of the barricade fight for new and better world. Eponine joins the barricade because she wants to stay by Marius, in a way you can say she's fighting for love.
Jean Valjean is fighting for his soul. Even Javert is fighting for a respectable though misguided cause. Javert was literally born in a jail and fought to prove himself despite his upbringing. Even developing an overactive sense of law. Best way to describe Javert is as chaotic good. He was born among the lowest rung and wants to escape it by keeping order, even to a fault. Valjean stole, granted his sister's child was sick and dying and they needed food but Javert's sense of law makes him blind to that. And it isn't till he realizes just how selfless Valjean is and that he's been wrong about him the whole time that he started to truly doubt and question himself. He starts to feel his perception of the world shift and feels like he's lost control of himself, and gains back control the only way he feels he can. Javert isn't a villain, just an antagonist but he's the perfect foil to Valjean. Valjean broke the law to help others, Javert used the law to hurt others.
In the end only four people remain. Two couples. Marius and Cosette and the Thenardier's.
The Thenardier's only cause in life is to line their pockets. Victor Hugo referred to them as the undeserving poor. And in the end the true tragedy is that they succeed. They rose through society with their ill-gotten fortune.
I'd also recommend you watch Sweeney Todd. Johnny Depp and Alan Rickman are in it. The innkeeper couple is in it too, Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen.
This is a lovely summary, also seconding Sweeny Todd lol
I would think Javert might be closer to Lawful Neutral until near the very end.
Just when I think this comment can’t get any better, you recommend Sweeney Todd. 🙏🏻✌🏻🌸
@@meganclaridge2235 Yes but hopefully a stage or concert recording
Yes, I know Mr. Jackman. I was a nanny some years ago and my young charge was best friends with HJ's daughter.
The first time I met him, I shook from head to toe, covered my giggling mouth with both shaking hands and could barely choke out "it's nice to meet you, Mr. Jackman."
He made heart-melting eye contact and calmly said, "Please, call me Hugh."
I couldn't figure why he didn't look at me like a lunatic, which is certainly how I was behaving. I continued having this reaction until I realized that HJ didn't act like I was crazy because *everyone* acts that way when they meet him. After that, I calmed down and could have civilized discussions with him.
I met his parents, Deb and her parents (I'm crushed about their separation. 😔), and of course, his kids. They were a very close family.
Here's what I can tell you: he's very down to earth. He adores his children. He's incredibly kind and generous. And your other commenter above was exactly correct that he pays strict attention to the person with whom he's speaking and makes you feel that you are the most important person at that moment. It's a gift. I'll never forget him. ❤️
I saw this on stage about twenty years ago and the music is much better on stage but it's easier to follow the plot in the movie. The story is basically about Valjean, Cosette, and the Paris Uprising of 1832. It's pronounced like "Lay Miz-er-ob" and is typically translated in English as The Wretched Poor or The Miserable Ones. I LOVE that you watched this! My favorite song is EASILY One Day More ❤❤
All you need to say is "Les Miz" (Lay Mizz) and everyone knows. This show has been a worldwide sensation since the mid 1980s.
I read the full original novel by Victor Hugo, which was written around 1860. It is a humongous book at 1,100 pages. Hugo also wrote the novel 'Notre-Dame de Paris' better known as 'The Hunchback of Notre-Dame' (which is NOTHING like the Disney animated musical, if you saw that. It is a LOT darker!). The novel has long passages of history, philosophy, and poetry in the text, and it can be a little tedious to get through. However, it is also relatively easy to find a version that is abidged (cutting out a lot of that stuff).
You should find either 'Les Miserables - 10th Anniversary Concert' which has many cast members from original productions around the world or 'Les Miserabkles - 25th Anniversary Concert'. Both are superb, although I am partial to the 10th Anniversary.
To try to give any background to what is in the story (which used actual historical events as a background to the story and characters) would be too hard for a comments section.
I will say this, all of the actors sang live on set, with only a piano to accompany them, to capture the raw emotions of the moments. They later added in the orchestra, under the singers.
Anne Hathaway won Best Supporting Actress Oscar, and Hugh Jackman was nominated for Best Actor.
My favorite songs are "Bring Him Home", "Stars", "On My Own", and "Empty Chairs At Empty Tables"
Ella Enchanted is good...I'd love to see you react to The Princess Diaries 1 & 2 as far as Anne Hathaway movies.
The stage is a lot better. However, I fully appreciate the approach to this movie. It married the stage and the book together, and gave us the world Hugo wrote. And the technical aspect of singing have changed how we do musicals now.
While I like the stage version better, I want to see the talents here on stage in their same roles because they killed it; Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Eddie Redmayne, Amanda Seyfried, Helena Bonham Carter, and Sasha Cohen. Samantha Barks obviously but she played Eponine on stage before this.
Anne Hathaway won an Oscar for her incredible performance. ❤️
Hathaway also grew up backstage on the touring production of Les Mis in which her mother played. She knows this musical inside and out and it inspired her own journey into a career in theatre
I didn’t like it. Vocally it was fine but I hated the camera work. ZOOM the hell out. This is. historical fiction show the scenery not that close up. It was cringe.
So overrated.
@@RC-nb1eq and the 2nd time that she saw the show was when her mother got to go on and perform as Fantine (the role that she played in the film)
Well deserved
Storywise, the little kid (Gavroche) when Eponine was dying (The girl with the brown hair) was watching his older sister die, which is why they showed him.
True, in the novel, Gavroche and Eponine are brother and sister. They kind of go away from that in the musical, although in the Master of the House scene in the movie there's a brief shot of a baby that is implied to be Gavroche.
If you want to experience a little of the theatre production you should try to watch the 25th anniversary Les Mis concert at the O2 in London - the vocal performances are incredible (although Nick Jonas as Marius is way weaker than Eddie in this movie) - but Samantha Barks performance as Eponine in that got her the role in this movie! I think you would appreciate it!!!!! I would love to see you react to that
No watch the 10th anniversary concert. Colin Wilkinson is too good. And Ruthie Henshall’s Fantine is amazing. But specially each other version will have Javert properly sung and appreciated over Russell Crowe’s sing speak.
Thiiiiiiiiissssss!!! Alfie Boe as JVJ, Norm Lewis as Javert, Ramin Karimloo as Enjolras, and Matt Lucas as Thenardier are all brilliant as well!!
@@nF_Rhythm I do love me some Ramin! He's one of my favorite Phantoms.
But I have to agree that the 10th Anniversary is the way to go. Watching Colm Wilkinson will change you.
For me movie tops all the theater versions and anniversary concerts!
Javert (Russel Crowe) is one of my favorite characters in this piece. The idea of someone so rigid that he cannot accept mercy over duty is interesting to me.
Empty Chairs at Empty Tables always chokes me up. Eddie Redmayne, along with everyone else, absolutely killed it.
this movie is both the reason I love musicals as much as I do, AND it's part of why my ethics are how they are. I was 9 when I saw it, and I'm pretty sure it radicalized me lol. I'm so glad to see someone react to it
Fun fact: the vocals were recorded live on set during filming. The director wanted to keep as the performers in the emotions of the scenes as much as possible. Makes me cry every time I hear the music
Anne Hathaway is forever iconic thanks to Princess Diaries, but goddam did she eat this role up too
She ate every single one of her roles for sure. Oceans 8 was really good and the one she does with rebel Wilson too
Honestly I think this is one of the few musicals that the movie and the stage production are equal. They did a fantastic job adapting this from stage.
I think both the movie and stage performances have their benefits. The movie really allows you to hear and feel the emotions really strongly. The stage performance gives you beautiful performances and a feeling of the scale with the music washing over you.
I fell in love with this musical (when the guy who played the preist here) was Valjean. My dad once asked why I liked this story so much because he found it depressing. I love redemption stories. This is the ultimate redemption story.
I feel for Javert (Russell Crowe's character). He is trapped by a rigid morality that he can't break free from. It would have been drilled into him by society and his upbringing into becoming a cop. The whole system reenforces it as you say with Valjean's issues with his "papers ". Once thief you have proven your moral depravity. Almost like they don't leave any room for redemption. With that viewpoint, Javert's dogged pursuit of Valjean is an honerable action. We know who Valjean is, but Javert is so blinded by his fanatic faith. He can't see the truth until the end. Valjean letting him live and then giving his address to allow him to bring him to justice. That was the last peice to strip him of all he believed. He's so rigid he can't live in that world of moral ambiguity. I think he needed the rules to live. I think his suicide was an honorable act. He chose to die rather than choosing to stick to his guns and burn Valjean's world to the ground. He gave Valjean his freedom. It's a redemption of sorts for Javert. I think a lot of people miss that.
Les Miserables is one of my favorite musicals/movies
To share the heartbreak. I once read a comment mentioning, the ending is basically everyone in 'paradise' where they got what they hoped for and people rose up to support the barricades 😢
Everyone...but javert is no where to be found......so he went...down..
(Or I'm blind)
@@LittlewitchDaliah Correct, in the musical, Javert isn't a part of the final chorus.
The movie is great, but the stage show is phenomenal. One Day More is my all time favorite from any show. All the different voices harmonizing and overlapping into one huge climax...perfection!
"I have not been happy yet" you're literally watching The Miserable 😭😭😂😂😂
I absolutely love this musical. I saw it in theaters when it came out and then read the book it’s based on. Such a gripping story of class, the justice system at that time in France, and war.
Also yes please watch Ella Enchanted. It’s a much lighter story and a lot of fun!
I read Les Miserables as a ten year old and I have been in love forever.
The 10th anniversary concert is what I would recommend.
They did a good job with this film but trust me… look at the stage versions.
Les Miserables is pronounced “lay Mizer arb” bro.
You aren’t even ready for the epicness of the stage show though.
The priest who helps in the beginning is actually the man who played the original Jean Val Jean (Hugh’s Character) on stage. You think Hugh is good you aren’t ready for that.
I adore that singer. You didn’t get to hear his awesomeness. He is Amazing.
I think the theme is about evolution and growth as people and as a community/country.
My fave song? All of them! I refuse to pick.
Maybe if I have to pick… One Day More
The 25th anniversary was my favorite
@@alexhart2081I prefer the 10th by a little but the 25th was epic
I did too about 11 yoa. Affected me deeply.
@@scarletibis3158I know right? A brilliant book.
@@Angelicwings1 the 10th was really good
My favorite songs are definitely Do You Hear the People Sing and the whole finale. Like, "to love another person is to see the face of God" 😭 I know Les Mis isn't about religion (or at least it's not the main message) but some of its lyrics resonate with how I practice religion. It's also not a happy musical but I feel it's very hopeful. Especially given its context: when the novel was written criminals were seen as irredeemable, even after serving their time. Val Jean doesn't get a "happy" ending, but he gets an ending that shows he's a good, caring person
My favorite song is “ On My Own” we did Les Miserables in high school choir and when I tell you every girl was fighting for that solo! ( me included lmao) it’s definitely one of the most popular song in the musical!
The title means *literally* miserable people so that's what the movie is about. Misery and bad things happening to good people. Such a great and deep movie, even better soundtrack 😢
The man who plays the bishop (Colm Wilkinson) originated Jean Valjean on Broadway and the West End. Casting him was very much an Easter egg for mega-fans, and Hugh Jackman has said that in the scene where the bishop gives him the candlesticks it felt like a "passing the torch" moment. Wilkinson is widely considered the best Valjean ever. I recommend watching the 10th Anniversary concert... most of the OGs from London and New York and Colm singing the lead role.
I know you said you love Helena Bonham, you should definitely react to Sweeney Todd the Barber, it’s a musical staring Johnny Depo and her. They are really good friends, especially since they stared in Alice and Wonderland
i am OBSESSED with this movie
I love the Thenardiers as characters because they are some of the most horrible people but because they’re treated as comedic villains in the musical they’re always a breath of fresh air. Especially Madame thenardier
I don't think Javere is a villain at all. He followed the law without exception, and that was his downfall. He didn't make the law; he simply enforced it. I think his character is a lot more complex than you may think. We learnt that he grew up in poverty; it wouldn't have been easy for him to achieve the highly respected position he has. He will have had to fight to be seen as equal and, above all, have an unbending sense of justice and respect for the law. This is why he can not understand how a criminal could be a good man.
You asked about favorite songs. My favorites are One Day More and Do You Hear The People Sing. Those are songs that hit hard and are an entire mood by themselves.
fun fact: everyone sang live in this movie
The original London Broadway performance recordings will always be my favorite version of the songs but I personally thought they did a pretty decent job with this movie, I'm so glad you checked it out!!
I’ve had the chance to see both film and play, and honestly, each are fabulous for very different reasons. They really stand alone. There is no “which one is better”.
The film’s unique strength is how it allows us a more intimate story telling experience - we get a close up view of the despairing situations of each character and the raw live performances of the actors.
The play’s unique strength is telling this story from start to finish with this massive cast. To hear all those voices together live? It’s powerful.
Personal favorite song is One Day More, because it does include pretty much everyone. Highly recommend looking up their Oscar performance of it. It’s fantastic & feels like the play.
A close second is Empty Chairs at Emory Tables. Eddie Redmayne’s performance is incredible - to be able to since like that *while* crying is SO HARD TO DO.
Everytime I watch this movie, when it gets to end of Valjean's soliloquy I also start to cry a little bit. And it's super sentimental to me because I'm reminded that when I was in high school my marching band played this show. So the music is bone familiar to me.
No, it’s not a happy movie. It’s literally called The Miserable. It’s about class, how the poor people rise against the rich in France and how the people fight, struggle, hustle and suffer in their everyday life.
Fantine sold her hair and teeth to pay for her daughter.
I cry every time I watch the musical (this movie is Ok!).
Bishop Myriel was using the Church silver to fight for Jean Valjean's soul......to turn him around and point him in the right direction. It was heartwarming to see the two reunited at the moment of Valjean's death.
I watched this movie and feel in love with it. It helped me understand the books so much better having tried to read it several times and having to stop because of not understanding it. Since then ive rwad the book. Watched the play and seen tv shows. Ive also seen it at theater my favourite version is watching it in the theater then this version.
The songs add so much emotions to this.
I agree Mrs Helen Bonham Carter is incredible
The play is phenomenal. So many amazing songs. I have a soft spot for several songs. And btw, Hugh is lovely in person.
The film is great but there's nothing like being in the theatre in front of the whole cast experiencing them all singing live.
The whole scene with the barricade people misinterpret it as the French Revolution. It is actually the June Rebellion of 1832, to which Victor Hugo was a witness. They really interrupted General Lamarque’s funeral. Like the story, the battle barely lasted a day as it did not attain enough support.
My favorite song is On My Own...Eponine was such a wonderful person cursed with a tragic life 💔
They are all singing live in this move to better capture the emotion, one of my favs ❤
Mr. Flicks... I can't believe I am just now finding this reaction of yours to one of the greatest stories ever told... French People HATE this story because they have heard about it daily since birth. LOL... Great job condensing 3+hours to 40 min. Epione the brunette... perhaps the most beautiful face ever... for sure the most beautiful perfect voice of your lifetime... if you really are a singer. Lea Salonga was the only main character from the stage production to be chosen to play in the movie. The history of this musical, from the 600 page+ novel by Victor Hugo to the hundreds of productions for stage screen and like my first time hearing it on the radio in the 1970's as a child. the story behind the story behing the movie behind each song can wormhole you for years let alone days... the coolest part besides Lea in this movie was that as a vocalist myself I found out that the orchestra was played live during the production and filmiing... the conductor had to keep pace with the singers not the singers voice over on the orchestra. that is why the timeing and spacing are so perfect and so emotional. Thank you for the reaction ... enjoy your new life of culture in a world some think only the rich can ever see...
One of my favourite films. Anne Hathaway, Hugh Jackman, Helena Binham Carter, Sacha Baron-Cohen and so many more. Brilliant songs. Emotionally captivating.
They sold their hair and teeth for money in those days.
You don't need subtitles even though it's a film about the French Revolution.
8 years passed between Jean Valjean being released from prison and being mayor of the town.
Eponine, is the brown haired little girl brought up beside Cosette before Hugh Jackman's character took her away.
The name is pronounced like miserable without the last vowels. Lay Miserab.
My favourite songs are On My Own, 24601, Bring Him Home, Empty Chairs At Empty Tables, and I Dreamed A Dream. All of the songs are great and they tie in together as well which is awesome.
Another song is When Tomorrow Comes. EPIC!
Your reaction is priceless. ❤
You should watch the Les Miserables 10th Anniversary concert. It’s the songs only performed on stage. Lots of clips on TH-cam. It’s considered the dream cast.
Yes, Ella Enchanted is a fun movie, I'd love to see your reaction to it!! Lay Miserahbleh is how the title is pronounced. It's French for "the miserable ones," which is why this musical is so sad. I loved your reaction, though. It was very heartfelt and real. I've had to think more about my life and death lately, so this movie hit a little different tonight. It's a good thing that I, too, am a woman of God because I'm afraid I might meet Him this year.
I know a lot of the singing isnt the greatest, but these are actors by and large, not professional singers (with obvious exceptions) but man, at least it's real. I do NOT miss the auto-tune 😅
On one of my couple viewings of this movie - i also cried like a baby during the ending scene. All this time i thought that it was messed up hormones because i was sick that day, but no.... seeing your reaction only proved that crying here is human thing and not because of being sick!
And "Do you hear the people singing" is absolutely my favorite song here. Still comes to my mind from time to time even if i hadn't seen the movie in years!
My favorite song is I dreamed a dream. Susan Boyle sang it on BGT.
My favorite song is Eponine singing "On My Own." I have other favorites, but this is the one I always come back to.
First time watching your videos. I came for Les Mis. I stayed because you called Eponine PERSEPHONY 😂😂😂
Love this musical cant wait to see your reaction
Les Misérables was meant to be seen live…the movie missed the mark for us theatre people. It’s not bad by any means but seeing it in person is a game changer. Some of the best music ever written.
One of my favourite musicals ever, it's a lot to unpack on the first viewing with all the different storylines, but you did great! There isn't really a bad song in the whole thing, I personally like Bring Him Home, and Javert's song Stars. I think the deal with the hair and the teeth pulling is she was so poor and people made money selling it for wigs and dentures and such back then. Loved the reaction sir!
My favorite song is when Eponine sings On My Own, you should look up Lea Solonga who played Eponine on the stage. Her version is absolutely amazing
So many great songs for all different reasons. The emotion in Empty Chairs at Empty Tables. And the whole grandeur of One More Day. But I think my favourite is Do You Hear The People Sing?
Yoooo.....this movie, I was obsessed with it for a while, the theatrical singing- man..I love the idea of singing when you could just be speaking♥♥♥♥
I did "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" for a choir project once and started crying midway through but kept going and I got full points for it. I love that song so much it's beautifully done and acted and the emotion is very easy to feel through the screen
Thankyou I've been waiting for you to do this
Oooooh! I was hoping you'd have watched this one! *bounces* This movie makes me ugly cry from when Anne Hathaway sings I dreamed a dream onwards! I've seen it on stage and I honestly like the movie better. The cast absolutely killed it. I get very very very angry when critics, musical actors and people give this movie crap because of the live singing. For me that's what makes it. I don't care how much they go off pitch, or wobble, or quiver, and they do sometimes, you can feel the raw emotion just pulsing out of them. I do love your point about kindness destroying people who aren't kind from the inside, that is no word of a lie. So, favorite song is I Dreamed a Dream, I used to really hate that song till Anne did it, it absolutely wrecked me the first time i saw Anne performing it. My favorite moment is when Varjean has little Cosette riding in the carriage and sings that sweet song about her, and when he gives her the doll. I'm all about dolls and I can really appreciate what that meant to her. Thanks for another awesome video.
Totally agree with you!
I played Javert on stage. The movie did things we wish you could have on stage
yeeees been waiting for this so excited gonna go get a snack and enjoy lol
A huge YES for Ella Enchanted!!!
This movie makes an extremely sad story impossibly sad. The priest that gives him the silver, the actor was the original Jean Val Jean in the play.
I know u already did a reaction to The Greatest Showman but Hugh Jackman sings his ass off in both movies
This was the musical who made me wanna do this. Now I´m in the business but will never be my lovely Eponine.^^
I love this musical! I was lucky enough to see it live 5 times in NY and then saw the movie on opening day & loved the movie too. I’m a sucker for the original work so if I had to choose which I liked better it would be the live production but this is a great film adaptation in my opinion. I’m not sure when but I hear the movie will be released in theaters for a limited viewing. If you like this I would recommend watching one of the live anniversary concerts
Great reaction. Definitely watch Phillip Quast performing Stars from Les Miserables. He set the bar high and is my favorite Javert. I also love the songs “Empty Chairs At Empty Tables” and “On My Own”.
Philip is a wonderful Aussie and while we are so proud of Hugh and Russ, for me Phillip is a national treasure!!
as a singer, i think youd appreciate phillip quast's performance as javert (russell crowe's character). he has such an arresting quality to his voice, its like every line carries weight
A wonderful Australian he is, love Philip Quast. Actually our Aussie boys Hugh and Russ weren’t too bad in this movie either ❤
The cool thing about the bishop early in the movie is that it is Colm Wilkinson the original Jean Valjean on Broadway.
I have loved every version of this I have ever seen, from stage musical (live), movie musical (this one), and a non music movie version with Liam Neeson, Uma Thurman and Geoffrey Rush. You felt sad and miserable watching because the name actually tells you what to expect…. Misery. This soundtrack is one of my all time favourites from musicals which also includes RENT, Chicago, Evita, Phantom, and Jesus Christ Superstar. I highly recommend the 1992 Australian concert version of JCS for a future reaction
Sometimes this movie gets a lot of hate from hardcore show fans (I love the stage show too) but even though it has its flaws, I still love this movie, so it's awesome to see a positive review of the movie (I'm only like ten minutes in to your reaction so I don't know if that changes but...) because sometimes it's nice to just appreciate what a movie does well.
Favorite song. On My Own. I bawl every time. If you ever get the chance ,just watch that one song by its original singer, Lea Solange. She is Broadway royalty and a disney princess twice(singing voice of Jasmine and Mulan). Loved the reaction,as always. And,yes! Ella Enchanted❤
6:18 FAMILY. DOLLAR. RON. WEASLEY. 💀💀💀
You feel me 🤣
The guy playing playing "The Bishop" was the original (or one of the original) Jean Valjean.
Honestly. I rather like javere. I didn't upon my first 3 watches but the more I listen to the music I can understand where he stems from. He's a man who was born into poverty, pulled himself up by his boot straps without stealing or interfering with the law. He had stars on his side allowing him to climb through ranks where he could become an officer so he's of the mindset that if he, gutter trash can ascend then anybody can. Problem is he's a black and white thinker. Once a thief always a thief type mentality and seeing as most don't live past 30 we haven't much time to prove ourselves otherwise so him going off statistics alone makes sense why he would pursue a criminal to his end. Get goosebumps when he ends it. He's come to a revelation but it's one he litterly can not live with because by accepting people are capable of change he's also excepting the burden of locking up how many potentially innocent people..
Fontine had her hair cut to sell it to make money to send to Cosette
This was the first Broadway show I saw when I was 9. I've seen it 3x since and it's always very emotional for me. The movie was good, though it didn't have quite the same feel. Ever since my father passed away who was a huge fan of this play and would sing Bring Him Home all the time, it has a very special place in my heart.
Oh my gosh the play is so much better. This movie was good, but woo the music and singing in the play is breathtaking. The 10th anniversary is my favorite version. ❤
"...they'd better not die..." Me: Oh no...
It says something about the nature of both media and reality that I completely expected the "man of god" to be a piece of shit. :\ So nicely surprised that he was a solid dude actually acting on the principles he preaches, the principles that so many "good Christians" forget as soon as it might inconvenience them: charity, kindness, patience, and love.
I would love to see your Ella Enchanted reaction. Very fun movie.
I enjoyed your singing as well! It was fun seeing your reactions to this musical as a musical artist. Thank you for sharing.
The reason that Fantine cut her hair is because she sold to use the money for Cosette. You weren’t too off that her hair was valuable.
This was the first musical my son did in high school. It always holds a special place in my heart. The movie is amazing.
The movie is better in my opinion but both are great. What’s cool about the movie is they didn’t pre record and lip sync like they do for most movie musicals. They actually sang live for this one