Merry ChristMiz!

When I first found out that a movie version of my favorite musical would be made, I was a bit apprehensive about it.  I was worried that they would butcher it and I would hate it.  But then they released the trailers, and announced that all of the singing for Les Miserables was done as the cameras were rolling (instead of being recorded in a studio and lip-synced on camera), and I was eager to see the movie.  So here we are, Christmas Day / Opening Day, and I made sure to see the film.  The showing that I aimed for sold out while I was in line, so I took the next time, and it seemed to have sold out, too, because the theater was packed.  I was armed with my tissues!  Here we go!  I took a deep breath, and...wow.

• The opening scene of the prisoners/slaves pulling the ship into the dock was more than I ever imagined it to be when I saw this on stage.  Their ships were that big?!  No wonder Jean Valjean was described with the strength that he had!  
• Hugh Jackman.  My goodness gracious.  His portrayal of 24601 had me crying already when the bishop saved him....and I cried in almost every scene in which he was sang.  AMAZING.  When he hit the last note in "Bring Him Home" and held it there, I wept for his triumph.
• Also:  Anne Hathaway.  I never doubted that she could sing this thing, because I've heard the quality of her voice in little things, like at the Oscars.  She hit this out of the park and into outer space!  The emotion she exuded made me love the character of Fantine more than I ever did before.
• Amanda Seyfried, with her beautifully lilting soprano voice was quite a lovely Cosette.
• Russell Crowe does not have a Broadway-style voice.  His voice is more pop/rock, so I would have preferred someone else in this role, but he held his own.
• While we're on the word "own", let me just say that Samantha Barks remained true to my favorite character of Eponine, which makes sense as she sang the part for the theatre version's 25th Anniversary Concert.  Loved her "On My Own" and everything else she did.
• I like this Eddie Redmayne guy.  He's cute.  Also, he had a great story about telling Tom Hooper a long time ago that he could ride a horse for "Elizabeth I", and when put to the test, he fell off.  It took Mr. Hooper many years to hire him again, and when he did, he placed Redmayne on a horse, probably as an act of retaliation.  I like Redmayne's voice, too.
• Ah, the Thenardiers.  Sasha Baron Cohen is hilarious as usual, and he and Helena Bonham Carter are a much-needed comic relief for the story.  I do wish that they could have done a little bit more with them stealing stuff at the wedding reception, though.  I love how, in the stage productions, she has silverware and stuff falling out of her dress.
• Aaron Tviet also has a very nice voice as the ever-earnest Enjolras.
• The new song, "Suddenly" is a nice addition to the score, and I'm glad that they shortened "Turning", because that song always seemed too long for me when sung on stage.
• Colm Wilkinson!  YES!!!  I'm so very happy that he got to play in this movie.  His voice is pretty much what made me love Les Miz in the first place, as I have listened to him over and over and over again on the CD.  
• Oh, wow, Frances Ruffelle was in this, too?  I wish I could have recognized her, the original Broadway Eponine.
• Ugh, the exit music is blech.  It was hard for me to sit through, but I stayed out of respect for the film. 
• What is up with that huge elephant statue?
• Because I'm a purist, I know how a lot of the diehard Les Miz fans feel about this cast, and the singing.  But I think it should be given a chance despite the Hollywood treatment.  The acting is top notch, the sets and cinematography are amazing, and it's still a great story.
• Bring tissues!  I cried buckets, partly because it's my favorite musical and they were doing it justice, and partly because of all of the raw emotion.  INCREDIBLE.

I need to watch something lighthearted now.  Oh, look!  "The Princess Bride" is on the Sundance Channel right now!  "Anybody want a peanut?"