Things wot I've seen
Les Mis
I thought this was overall a pretty solid screen adaptation of the musical, if you don't mind everyone being emaciated and covered in shit. They got pretty much every song in there, only cutting to make a few of them shorter, rather than removing any in entirety. The downside is it means the movie is really fucking long, and got kind of boring at the end when I was just waiting for Valjean to die already.
The two sour notes for me were Russel Crowe, and, I'm sad to say, Hugh Jackman. Russel Crowe just sounded terrible. Unlike in the Oscar telecast, he's on pitch in the movie, I'm assuming thanks to subtle autotuning, but there is nothing about his voice that is pleasant to listen to. I'm used to the bass on the Broadway cast, and Crowe in contrast is lifeless. And because I think he was so anxious about the singing thing, he didn't seem to bother to...act at all. His Javert was just 100% boring. Eyes skip right over him. And his version of "Stars" can be added to "In My Life" for songs I will always fast forward through. (Ugh Marius. Ugh ugh Cosette.)
Hugh Jackman surprised me, cause I know he's a Broadway man. But every time he went high, his tone was really nasal and unpleasant (particularly in "Bring Him Home"--nails on chalkboard). I looked up the film on wikipedia and think I've figured out why: he's a baritone. And Valjean couldn't be more of a tenor part. Dear Hollywood, stop casting actors who can sing in parts that aren't their vocal part. (I'm looking at you, Madonna in Evita). "Can sing" isn't useful unless it's "can sing this part."
And...I'm really reluctant to say it...but I think Anne Hathaway deserves her Oscar? Her Fantine was really, really good. And she gave the one vocal performance I prefer to the Broadway cast recording, whose Fantine can only describe as "shouty" ("AND TELL COSETTE I LOVE HER AND I'LL SEE HER WHEN I WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKE!!!!!!!" is not really the right choice for a death scene, at least if there are no cheap seats to sell it to).
Over all, pretty good. If you liked Les Mis on stage, you'll probably like this. If you hated Les Mis, this isn't going to change your mind.
Jupiter Ascending
Imagine Star Wars (episode IV) with no Luke Skywalker, where Han Solo and Chewbacca are the same character and are super emo, and where Princess Leia has no agency. Now add the business-dynastic court politics and pseudo-mysticism of Dune, and the special effects George Lucas wished he had the technology to pull off for the prequels. That's Jupiter Ascending.
Jupiter really, genuinely, makes no actual choices in this film. Except to try to bang Channing Tatum, and I am all for that choice. As mithras said, literally everyone else in the film is more interesting than her. But despite the fact that my feminist heroine is a wimpy idiot, there was enough going on around her all the time for me to remain all hearteyes. This film reminded how hard I loved space opera as a teenager. Space opera is a genre I've neglected of late, partially cause I'm tired of the special boy story, so even with something as deeply flawed as this, I'll take it.
I'd also like to point out as an example to anyone who doesn't know what the male gaze is, the difference between what Jupiter wears and what Leia wears. Jupiter wears porn-for-girls: lots of awesome, sexy dresses you want to wear. Leia wears porn-for-boys: lots of sexy not much you want to bang. Leia wins a feminist fight in every other aspect of her portrayal over Jupiter, but Jupiter wins at clothes.
What a very pretty, very stupid movie. But very, very entertaining. I don't care that it has enormous problems. I enjoyed myself.
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I thought this was overall a pretty solid screen adaptation of the musical, if you don't mind everyone being emaciated and covered in shit. They got pretty much every song in there, only cutting to make a few of them shorter, rather than removing any in entirety. The downside is it means the movie is really fucking long, and got kind of boring at the end when I was just waiting for Valjean to die already.
The two sour notes for me were Russel Crowe, and, I'm sad to say, Hugh Jackman. Russel Crowe just sounded terrible. Unlike in the Oscar telecast, he's on pitch in the movie, I'm assuming thanks to subtle autotuning, but there is nothing about his voice that is pleasant to listen to. I'm used to the bass on the Broadway cast, and Crowe in contrast is lifeless. And because I think he was so anxious about the singing thing, he didn't seem to bother to...act at all. His Javert was just 100% boring. Eyes skip right over him. And his version of "Stars" can be added to "In My Life" for songs I will always fast forward through. (Ugh Marius. Ugh ugh Cosette.)
Hugh Jackman surprised me, cause I know he's a Broadway man. But every time he went high, his tone was really nasal and unpleasant (particularly in "Bring Him Home"--nails on chalkboard). I looked up the film on wikipedia and think I've figured out why: he's a baritone. And Valjean couldn't be more of a tenor part. Dear Hollywood, stop casting actors who can sing in parts that aren't their vocal part. (I'm looking at you, Madonna in Evita). "Can sing" isn't useful unless it's "can sing this part."
And...I'm really reluctant to say it...but I think Anne Hathaway deserves her Oscar? Her Fantine was really, really good. And she gave the one vocal performance I prefer to the Broadway cast recording, whose Fantine can only describe as "shouty" ("AND TELL COSETTE I LOVE HER AND I'LL SEE HER WHEN I WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKE!!!!!!!" is not really the right choice for a death scene, at least if there are no cheap seats to sell it to).
Over all, pretty good. If you liked Les Mis on stage, you'll probably like this. If you hated Les Mis, this isn't going to change your mind.
Jupiter Ascending
Imagine Star Wars (episode IV) with no Luke Skywalker, where Han Solo and Chewbacca are the same character and are super emo, and where Princess Leia has no agency. Now add the business-dynastic court politics and pseudo-mysticism of Dune, and the special effects George Lucas wished he had the technology to pull off for the prequels. That's Jupiter Ascending.
Jupiter really, genuinely, makes no actual choices in this film. Except to try to bang Channing Tatum, and I am all for that choice. As mithras said, literally everyone else in the film is more interesting than her. But despite the fact that my feminist heroine is a wimpy idiot, there was enough going on around her all the time for me to remain all hearteyes. This film reminded how hard I loved space opera as a teenager. Space opera is a genre I've neglected of late, partially cause I'm tired of the special boy story, so even with something as deeply flawed as this, I'll take it.
I'd also like to point out as an example to anyone who doesn't know what the male gaze is, the difference between what Jupiter wears and what Leia wears. Jupiter wears porn-for-girls: lots of awesome, sexy dresses you want to wear. Leia wears porn-for-boys: lots of sexy not much you want to bang. Leia wins a feminist fight in every other aspect of her portrayal over Jupiter, but Jupiter wins at clothes.
What a very pretty, very stupid movie. But very, very entertaining. I don't care that it has enormous problems. I enjoyed myself.
The Dreamwidth copy of this post has
comments. Comment there or here.