dodger_sister (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
dodger_sister) wrote2013-01-03 08:02 pm
dodger_sister) wrote2013-01-03 08:02 pm
It Is The Music Of A People!
Firstly, let me share the saga of my attempts to see Les Miserables. My sister and I made plans with my sis-in-law to go on Christmas Day with her and my brother. But my brother refused because he was boycotting places that make people work on Christmas. He refused even after I said that I was excited to see it with him since we originally saw it on Broadway together and fell in love with it together and anyways, we never do anything as a family like this anymore. It seems his liberalism has gone nuclear.
So my sister and I went anyways and the theater was packed. We kept asking people to move down for us, because I can’t climb over people to get to a seat in the middle. No one would move for us. They kept saying the seats were saved or telling us to climb over, despite that I am obviously physically handicapped. We got a worker and she tried to get people to move down for us, but eventually we had to leave without seeing the movie. The employee was so apologetic, gave us our money back and two free passes for the movie. She also said if we came for the next showing, she would just let us in for free and we could save our passes. We couldn’t go back because we had to pick The Nephew up, but she was very nice about it all. Not so nice were the viewers in the theater who turned us away on Christmas Day.
So then we intended to go see it on Friday, before my sister left for her trip to NY. On Thursday, my sister started vomiting and was sick all day. Like, really sick. Like she couldn’t even hold down a sip of water. There was no way we were making it to the movie, despite that my sister spent all day on Friday saying she felt good enough to go and then shortly changing her mind. She came home from NY on Wednesday completely over the flu, but had lost her voice. We went to the movie anyways and during the previews, she started coughing and couldn’t stop. I thought she was going to have to get up and leave, after all of that trouble. Luckily she managed to calm it down about ten minutes into the movie.
So now, at last, I have seen the movie!
I can’t explain to you what this musical means to me. It is my favorite of all time. Les Miserables hits me in a way nothing else ever has. And the movie was amazing. I thought I might be thrown by the fact that they sing the songs differently, in subtle ways, because they are acting it on a more close-up level. Like instead of belting out a note I usually love, Jackman let his voice break on it in a quiet way, as his emotion was breaking itself. Despite it not being note for note the musical I know, I liked how they did that. It added so much emotion to it and I think it would have been weird otherwise, when you could see the emotion right up on their faces. I don’t know if I’m explaining it well, but it really added something.
And like Marius has never been my favorite - I don’t take well to the whole love sick thing - but in the movie I really felt for him. The scene where he is singing about the empty tables of his dead friends had me in tears. The emotion on his face and in his voice was so raw. Eponine was wonderful as well and her ‘On My Own’ rendition is the perfect example of how this movie worked. I even liked Russell Crowe in his part which I was very nervous about because most of the time when I see him acting, all I can see is ’Russell Crowe’, and also because Javert is one of my favorites. But his death scene broke my heart perfectly and I even got goosebumps during his first solo number. But when I really lost my shit was during Enjorlas’ last stand, when he raises the flag up. He is my favorite and I cried for his final rebellion. Also the whole ‘Do You Hear The People Sing’ number had me wanting to stand up and cheer. My favorite number in the whole musical and they delivered it with such a punch - I know I’ll be rewatching that scene on DVD over and over again.
The little girl they got to play young Cosette looked so much like those iconic images from the old posters too that it really struck me. And the kid playing Gavroche was so awesome and strong and wee at the same time - though I admit to thinking how we should dress The Nephew up as Gavroche next Halloween. I mean, he knows all the words to all Gavroche’s songs anyways. And I’d be remiss in not mentioning Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway’s performances, as they were wrought with emotions and beautifully sung - my sister says she cried every time Fantine had a song. Mostly I was grinning like a loon, sometimes even while crying, and I did have to fist pump the air a little after the last number because they hit it home so hard.
I fucking love this musical like it is my whole heart and I left the theater with a grin on my face, so take that as my short review right there.
So my sister and I went anyways and the theater was packed. We kept asking people to move down for us, because I can’t climb over people to get to a seat in the middle. No one would move for us. They kept saying the seats were saved or telling us to climb over, despite that I am obviously physically handicapped. We got a worker and she tried to get people to move down for us, but eventually we had to leave without seeing the movie. The employee was so apologetic, gave us our money back and two free passes for the movie. She also said if we came for the next showing, she would just let us in for free and we could save our passes. We couldn’t go back because we had to pick The Nephew up, but she was very nice about it all. Not so nice were the viewers in the theater who turned us away on Christmas Day.
So then we intended to go see it on Friday, before my sister left for her trip to NY. On Thursday, my sister started vomiting and was sick all day. Like, really sick. Like she couldn’t even hold down a sip of water. There was no way we were making it to the movie, despite that my sister spent all day on Friday saying she felt good enough to go and then shortly changing her mind. She came home from NY on Wednesday completely over the flu, but had lost her voice. We went to the movie anyways and during the previews, she started coughing and couldn’t stop. I thought she was going to have to get up and leave, after all of that trouble. Luckily she managed to calm it down about ten minutes into the movie.
So now, at last, I have seen the movie!
I can’t explain to you what this musical means to me. It is my favorite of all time. Les Miserables hits me in a way nothing else ever has. And the movie was amazing. I thought I might be thrown by the fact that they sing the songs differently, in subtle ways, because they are acting it on a more close-up level. Like instead of belting out a note I usually love, Jackman let his voice break on it in a quiet way, as his emotion was breaking itself. Despite it not being note for note the musical I know, I liked how they did that. It added so much emotion to it and I think it would have been weird otherwise, when you could see the emotion right up on their faces. I don’t know if I’m explaining it well, but it really added something.
And like Marius has never been my favorite - I don’t take well to the whole love sick thing - but in the movie I really felt for him. The scene where he is singing about the empty tables of his dead friends had me in tears. The emotion on his face and in his voice was so raw. Eponine was wonderful as well and her ‘On My Own’ rendition is the perfect example of how this movie worked. I even liked Russell Crowe in his part which I was very nervous about because most of the time when I see him acting, all I can see is ’Russell Crowe’, and also because Javert is one of my favorites. But his death scene broke my heart perfectly and I even got goosebumps during his first solo number. But when I really lost my shit was during Enjorlas’ last stand, when he raises the flag up. He is my favorite and I cried for his final rebellion. Also the whole ‘Do You Hear The People Sing’ number had me wanting to stand up and cheer. My favorite number in the whole musical and they delivered it with such a punch - I know I’ll be rewatching that scene on DVD over and over again.
The little girl they got to play young Cosette looked so much like those iconic images from the old posters too that it really struck me. And the kid playing Gavroche was so awesome and strong and wee at the same time - though I admit to thinking how we should dress The Nephew up as Gavroche next Halloween. I mean, he knows all the words to all Gavroche’s songs anyways. And I’d be remiss in not mentioning Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway’s performances, as they were wrought with emotions and beautifully sung - my sister says she cried every time Fantine had a song. Mostly I was grinning like a loon, sometimes even while crying, and I did have to fist pump the air a little after the last number because they hit it home so hard.
I fucking love this musical like it is my whole heart and I left the theater with a grin on my face, so take that as my short review right there.
no subject
Most of all, though, I wanna say, 'WTF is wrong with people?!' I mean, are they really that ignorant and not knowing or just simply stupid and selfish they can't allow you to see a movie? What a sad, sad world.
I'm sorry you had to go through such troubles to see this movie, but at least it was worth it. Imagine you didn't like it after all these obstacles.
no subject
It seems to me there was one that came out in maybe the 70s but then there was one in the 90s with Liam Neeson that was a little more true to the book itself.
and basically the only song I remember is On My Own, and even that only thanks to Dawson's Creek,
I remember that! Joey sang it in some talent show (I didn't even know she could sing until right then!) and that is when Dawson realized how she felt but then for some reason she walks away from him at the end of it. (omg, I should not have just admitted how much of that I remember! lol).
but the way you write about it, I think I wanna see it.
Yes, do! The story is amazing and inspiring. The music is a little more opera like than what you would expect from a typical musical, but the vocals are stunning and it is easy to follow what is happening. I just love it a lot! If nothing else, check out this new movie/musical when it is released on DVD.
Most of all, though, I wanna say, 'WTF is wrong with people?!'
IKR? Ugh. They were saving seats for people who hadn't even bought their tickets yet, which good luck to them because the movie had to have been sold out by that point. One lady did offer to move down for us but the guy at the end of the row refused to move because he was saving a seat. It really was not in keeping with the spirit of the holiday, you know.
Imagine you didn't like it after all these obstacles.
Oh man, I didn't even think of that! I would have been super pissed!
no subject
Yeah! And Pacey was doing something crazy there, I don't know what it was now. I loved that show, until about the 4th season when Joey and Pacey came back from their holiday. The plot went to hell then, I think. I honestly hated their 'sex troubles'.
Oh man, I didn't even think of that! I would have been super pissed!
That's the 'positive' thinking of mine, you know. I see something bad behind everything good it seems.
no subject
I was really into Joey/Pacey (never actualy cared for Dawson that much) but yeah, it got a little stupid after they came back from their boat trip. I had planned on watching until they graduated high school but then they had the episode where Andi graduated early and they all had that send off party for her and there was this photo taken at the very end of all of them together and they played this lovely song and I thought to myself, "This feels like an ending," and I never watched another episode.
Edited to say - except for Jensen's episodes of Dawson's Creek, which my sister made us all watch one night in a drunken stupor of fangirl silliness!