Drowning in Feels

WARNING: THIS POST CONTAINS NUMEROUS SPOILERS ABOUT THE UTTER PERFECTION THAT IS LES MIZ. COME SHARE YOUR EXCITEMENT WITH ME. 

Yesterday, I was finally able to watch Les Misérables with my sister and brother-in-law. I've been dreaming of this day for ages - since I found out there was going to be a new movie adaptation, actually. I've been hearing amazing reviews about the casting and directing and  overall portrayal of 19th century revolutionary France... Though as much as I appreciated everyone's input, I could've done well without all the spoilers lurking around in Facebook and Twitter. (I mean, I know Fantine dies, but you didn't have to describe Anne Hathaway's sob-inducing hospital scene in excruciatingly SPECIFIC detail.)

So here are my thoughts, in no particular order of importance:

• Les Misérables is not a film without its flaws, but these were tied together in such a way that you don't really mind the choppy transitions or unfocused shooting. You just see the characters, feel their emotions and get carried away by the music.

• Personally, I loved the casting for this movie. Of course, some are better off as singers than actors and vice versa. Russel Crowe was a great Javert and really captured the ambivalence between pursuing the law of France or honoring the code of God. He may not have the voice of Josh Groban, but what he lacks in vocal range, he sure makes up  in heart-wrenching emotion. 

• Hugh Jackman... I thought I couldn't love anyone more than I did Wolverine, but Jean Valjean just blew him out of the park. His sheer complexity and constant battle with his conscience gets me every time. 

• Eddie Redmayne's voice. Enough said.

• Oh, and his freckles. One mustn't forget the freckles.

• Ah, Éponine. The fictional epitome of unrequited love. Though as much as I pity the poor girl, I still don't think she deserves the love she never even had in the first place. Marius has and will always see her as a friend; he never gave her a reason to hope for otherwise. If it's any consolation, I do like her character far more than I do Cosette. Éponine may have come across as a spoiled, manipulative brat in the beginning, but she redeemed herself by playing a great role in sparking the revolution. Furthermore, she did everything for Marius' happiness, even if she had to sign a warrant for her own heartbreak and eventually, death. Feel better, Éponine. At least you got to sing a song that would soon become the default karaoke number of all dejected girls out there. 

• Helena Bonham Carter + Sacha Baron Cohen =  perfect comdedic timing

• Les Miz really made me think about the feasibility of love at first sight. Sure, it may seem romantic and preempted by destiny, but I still prefer a relationship built upon years and years of hard work and sincerity - sometimes, cheesy lines and serenades on the balcony aren't going to cut it. 

• Though the film ostensibly revolves around a pair of star-crossed lovers, I think it's truly defined by the French bourgeois' journey towards a new era of justice and equality. Though they're aware they're facing a nearly sure chance of failure, they still choose to fight for a cause far greater than any of them could ever dream to be. That last reprise of "Do You Hear the People Sing?" by the whole cast? Just... perfect. 

Les Miz yo-yo'ed with my emotions, questioned my ideals and inspired me to write this insanely long blog post despite having a killer Science test tomorrow. If that doesn't make you watch - or want to watch it - then I don't know what will.