New Year, A New Goal and Les Miserables

I love blogging. I love writing. Most of all, I love hearing myself talk.
So many others I know and love and some others I just know are making a goal to write in their respective blogs at least once a week and I didn't want to feel left out.

New semester and last semester starts in 4 days, so I can't do my default of writing about school, so I'll write about last week! (And NEXT week I can write about school).

Last Friday Tracie's parents graciously offered to watch Moby for us, so we graciously took them up on the offer and went to go see Les Miserables with friends.

Here's what I knew about Les Miserables: Jean ValJean is wrongly accused or something and in prison for a really long time. He runs away and is chased by a really sadistic policeman. People sing, people die, and a little girl sings "Castle on a Cloud," a song I've come to loathe as so many of my mom's voice students would sing it. (not poorly, just frequently.) However, it also had "I dreamed a dream" and "On my own" two of the most beautiful songs ever. But that was it. I didn't know anything else about it, and also that what I thought I did know was wrong.

I wanted to see The Hobbit, but was outvoted. For those who haven't seen the movie (go see it) I'll refrain from spoilers besides it's really good and I loved it.

Most of the movie I thought was well done, the production was great, the songs varied between average and above average, but the performances by just about everyone were fantastic. Even though I felt it dragged on at times and I kept wondering "WHEN IS IT GOING TO END?" I was giving it a B most of the movie. However, I loved the ending so much it got bumped up to an A.

Individual performers both as actors and singers:

Hugh Jackman: Everybody loves Hugh Jackman, and with good reason. As stated, I know nothing about the musical or Victor Hugo's story, so I can't compare him to the Jean Valjean of fiction or other performances. But I thought he did well, probably the strongest male performer and singer in the cast.

Russell Crowe: His vocal range is limited the way a flute with one hole is limited. However, his acting was top notch as always, and in a movie I think I'd rather have a good actor than a good singer. Which is fortunate, because that's what I got.

Anne Hathaway: Again, I don't know what Fantine is supposed to act or sing like, but I think she did very well at both. Her singing was often broken but it was so full of emotion you forgave her. I would say she deserves a best actress or supporting actress nomination, except it's the first movie I've seen in theaters all year, so I don't have any performances to compare it to. Still, probably the best performance in the movie, or tied with the next one.

Samantha Barks: Played Eponine, I didn't like her character at first because her parents are the most awful French people ever (of course both played by English actors) but probably the best performer/performance of all and the best singer by far. I think the only one who has done Les Miserables before.

Eddie Redmayne: I love that there's a ginger named "Red Mane." I thought he was somewhat bland, he looked like a Mormon (not that there's anything wrong with that,) but overall unimpressive. Speaking of unimpressive...

Amanda Seyfried: I'm not the first to say nor will I be the last to say her singing was reminiscent of Snow White in the Disney classic, tinny and too much vibrato. Plus, no matter what she does all I can see is her saying "My boobs can tell when it's raining." Her character seemed more like an object or plot device than a person, though from what I've been told, that's more to do with the part of Cosette than the actress portraying her.

Sacha Baron Cohen: Borat can sing, (ish) and makes me slightly less terrified if he actually ever does play Freddie Mercury in a future biopic. Slightly.

Helena Bonham Carter: I forget that she's actually a very good actress when she's not being directed by Tim Burton (which she practically always is.) I don't think she did much singing, nor was she required to, like the rest of the cast (mostly) a stellar performance.

Overall, a great movie, brought me to near-tears several times, great songs and superb cinematography, direction and acting. A.