Les Miserables

*spoilers*

The cinema was packed, everyone was talking and opening loud packets of food or throwing popcorn when the lights went down and the film began. Silence fell over the room.

A giant stadium like landscape if filled with prisoners singing in water whilst pulling a ship. The atmosphere is incredible as you're forced to think about the scale of what these people are doing.
I'll admit, I didn't recognise Hugh Jackman for the first scene and a bit because the make up was so good.
Jean Valjean is pulled aside by Javier and told to pull a giant flag over to him (the only reason I could see for this was so it could be mirrored later...) and told he's got parole. Yay!
Jackmans performance is incredible as the beaten down man with nothing left anymore. His singing, however, oh dear. I was expecting more from him considering the background in musical theatre but I just didn't find him absolutely mouth-open-gaping-at-the-screen good, but maybe that's just me. Russel Crowe on the other hand, could hold a tune. His performance as Javert was brilliant and I found I noticed more about his character than I had with previous performances of Les Mis.
Anne Hathaway as Fantine was a great casting. Her first appearance of a helpless woman in need pulled me in to their reality and held me there. Her singing was good although I sometimes thought she could improve.
Amanda Syfried and Eddie Redmayne's love story was portrayed heartbreaking in the short air time they had. Redmayne's song 'Empty Chair At Empty Tables' hit hard and had the audience weeping at the impact.
The two inkeepers played by Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen were definately one of the highlights of the movie for me. Their performance together was hillarious, I was hesitant about the casting of the latter but I take back all my doubts, he brought life and added comedy to the tense emotions of the film.

I have no idea how much of the film used CGI to fill in on locations but I really don't wish to find out as the sheer scale of some of the scenes was immense and awe-inspiring. The two scene's which stick in my mind for this are the opening scene (as described above) and the last scene. The last scene ends the film perfectly with a portrait of a paradise after death for all the characters.

The cinematography, however, left something to be desired. I felt director Tom Hooper used shots with a tilted camera too often with no effect but to induce a sort of sea sickness in the audience.

Overall, I feel the film could have used improvements in the singing area but the standard achieved by professional actors instead of singers was, generally, up to the job. The acting of every character was believable and an emotional rollercoaster for most.

I loved the film and left with a grin on my face, excitedly recounting the best parts to everyone who would listen.