Les Miserables : A musical miracle

Correct pronunciation: Leh MisErAaH (with phlegm :P) B. 

A highly anticipated one this. I saw the poster and  melted on the spot. It seemed quite impossible that a movie starring Hugh Jackman ( X-men, The Prestige), Russel Crowe (Gladiator, A Beautiful Mind), Anne Hathaway(The Princess Diaries, The Devil wears Prada) and Helena Bonham Carter ( Alice in Wonderland, A King's Speech)  could be nothing less than sensational.. and I was right.

Set in the early 19th Century, amidst the chaos of the French Revolution, while Paris was swathed in poverty and disease, it tells the story of Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman), a convict. Having served 19 years for stealing a loaf of bread (yes, you heard right) he breaks parole and is on the run from Inspector Javert( Russell Crowe) , an officer who believed that civil and moral duties are one and the same. Valjean, under a different name, becomes a well respected and loved man who helps people to the best of his ability. Later, he gets tangled in the Revolutionary activities of that time, one whose leaders falls in love with his daughter, Cosette (Amanda Seyfried).

The movie speaks of bravery, patriotism and love, beautifully crafted and written.  

Having grown up with film adaptations of popular musicals ( Although they werent shot in my time, I'm talking about  movies like My Fair Lady, Mary Poppins, A Sound of Music and Annie ) I am no stranger to the characters randomly bursting into song in the middle of the movie. Little did I anticipate that every dialogue be in tune and rhyme, which made the audience including myself quite restless at each solo song number. The movie would have been received better if there were a few dialogues in it.
Quite impressive, however was the fact that they could incorporate two and half hrs' worth of songs ( 49 musical numbers to boot) and also the fact that they compressed one of the longest novels ever written ( 1500 pages by the illustrious Victor Hugo) into that time frame.  (Kudos to the people who wrote the stage musical)

The music gives you chills. Not only the many beautiful songs, my personal favorites being In my life , Castle on a cloud and Do you hear the people sing? but the score itself. It brought you into the essence of the time in which it was taken and pulls at your soul.
The acting was (as expected) magnificent. I m not one to get involved in a movie but this one dragged me into its storyline and I felt the misery of its characters. 

I loved Hugh Jackman here, not only is his acting top-class, but his singing also proves what a talented man he is. The story also proves that you shouldn't mess with Wolverine's life! 

Aaron Tviet as Eljolras

 I love how Helena Bonham Carter is always there to play the crazy woman, and play it to perfection. 

One part of the storyline which irritated me was the fact that the less good-looking of the two leaders( Eddie Redmayne as Marius) had two girls in love with him, while the epitome of Adonis-like facial features ( Aaron Tviet as Enjolras) died a valiant and bloody death (sigh) . Also the fact that Cosette merely had to exist to have Marius fall in love with her whereas Eponine ( played by Samantha Barks) took a bullet and died for him and still couldnt capture his affections. 

The ending would hav definitely brought many a tear to any Frenchman/woman in the audience, and it makes you feel a sense of patriotism and national identity like the people who are fighting for a better life.

Bottomline: Must watch for anyone who enjoys beautiful music and good acting. Also a must watch for anyone interested in French history and a good-looking cast ;). A small warning that the overuse of music may bore you a bit, but I feel that a small amount of boredom is a small price to pay for such raw and perfect quality. And all this for a loaf of bread!