Looking Forward - Les Miserables (2012)

I have a special relationship with Les Miserables which was introduced to me by an old boss years ago in an attempt to me more cultured or something. I remember listening to the soundtrack before seeing the stage show and hanging on every single word that was sang. When I eventually saw a live performance I cried my eyes out like a baby and it's continued to evoke that same emotion in me ever since.

Hearing that it was coming to the big screen then, excited me and filled me with dread at the same time. I've seen the 1998 Drama with Liam Neeson and Geoffrey Rush but because it was non musical I managed to disconnect myself enough to enjoy it for what it was. Working Title Films and Universal Pictures however  are doing what I never thought would be possible by attempting to lift the musical from the theatre stage and sprinkle it with cinematic magic.  

Can it work? I really hope so!

I wasn't that surprised when Hugh Jackman was cast as Jean Valjean as I was aware of his musical background but having watched him play angry (as Wolverine) and romantic action man (in Australia) I'm undecided that he can pull of the emotional range associated with Valjean. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that Jackman is a bad actor and I'm sure that many people could prove me wrong on what I am writing here but Les Miserables is Valjean's story and it's a roller coaster of a story to portray. 

More surprising for me was the news that Russell Crowe would be taking on the role of Javert. He's certainly got star power that's for sure and with films like Gladiator and Robin Hood under his belt it's clear his talents speak for themselves as far as period drama goes but what about vocals, is he really capable? Javert songs are big, full of conflict and precise. Like many Les Mis fans (I'm sure) I scoured the internet  for snippets of Crowe's singing ability and what I found varied from growly country star to something more polished , it all left me still on the fence. It has been reported that he's had at least 6 months classical training in preparation though so maybe he'll astound (in a good way of cause).

Anne Hathaway and Amanda Seyfried are set to play Fantine and her illegitimate daughter Cosette. Can Hathaway pull off the part of a broken down woman with little option and promise? I certainly hope so because of all the cast, I'm rooting for her the most. Why? Quite simply (and selfishly) I love her. She has a serene , niave quality that makes her believable and if the trailer is anything to go by (more on that later) boy can that girl sing. Seyfried I don't know much about apart Mama Mia of course but Cosette is both beautiful and passionate; qualities, it's fair to say, that are shared with the girl stepping into her shoes.It will be interesting to see if she can put the emotion needed into two of the biggest relationships in Les Mis; Cosette's love Marius (played by theatre stage veteran Eddie Redmayne) and of course her connection to Valjean. 

The last character/casting combination I am going to mention in detail (otherwise I really will be here all day) is Samantha Barks as Eponine, the unfortunate offspring of the Thenardiers who falls in love with Marius. It is reported that Barks beat several people to the role including Glee's Lea Michele and pop starlet Taylor Swift but then she did put in a blinding performance at the 25th Anniversary concert so I'm sure that gave her     

kudos over the others who were considered. I for one am glad she won out, she has been the cause of  some of those emotional tears I described earlier.

The comedic reprise that Les Miserables the musical so needs comes from The Thernardiers who are played by Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen and 12 year old Daniel Huttlestone brings life to cheeky street urchin Gavroche. You can see a full list of cast members here.

So what about the trailer? My first glimpse of what to really expect from the new film due to be released in Decemeber of this year..

I was a little taken aback to be fair. Firstly, for a story that more or less centres around Valjean he hardly features but then I have to keep reminding myself that this is a cinematic trailer for something that is highly anticipated by a concrete fan base but does have a lot of stars in and has to appeal to the mass market. It is a fantastic teaser though, it certainly looks the part and Hathaway's rendition of 'I dream a dream' ... goose bumps!

photo credits:  http://www.lesmiserablesfilm.com/

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Cinema Review - The Dictator (2012)

I have always had a love/hate relationship with the work of Sacha Baron Cohen. I thought Ali G Indahouse was nonsense stretched out far too long to take it from TV to film and think over the years have probably tried (and failed) to watch it all the way through lots of times. In his next big project Borat, I thought he was a witty, satirical genius and lapped up every awkward minute. I don't know if I had grown up and was learning to have a sense of humour or whether it was just a better film but something must of switched again because Bruno made me cringe so badly that I was left confused as to whether I found it funny or not. His own characters are so highly  exagerated that sometimes they seem a little hard to take but funnily enough, at least for me, Sacha has dead on comic timing when playing a supporting role such as Jean Girard in Talladega Nights or Aldolfo Pirelli in Tim Burton's Sweeney Todd.

I digress of course, this isn't a post about what I do or don't like about this comedy actor's (very successful) career but of course I had all of the above in my mind when weeks ago I first saw the trailer for his new film The Dictator. The trailer was enough to peak my intrigue though and I may have even let out a giggle so first impressions were good enough for me to buy my ticket and see what this latest character was all about.

Admiral General Hafez Aladeen is childish and a little niave. He also has quite the ego brought on by the power of ruling the fictional region of Wadiya for forty years. His small mindedness makes him anti western and and he is completely consumed with his world of ruling and forced oppression on Wadiya's people. Sacha brings him to complete life of course, drawing on every single stereotype he can think which results in a somewhat jeuvenille character rather than one that is rounded. That on its own isn't necessarily a bad thing as Aladeen's childish persona is established early on but the jokes seem sloppy and are constantly repeated as if to force the audience to laugh because they didn't the first time. A quick look at the 'major' reviews about specifically those on The Dictator's official website tells me that I am in the minority with my opinions but still it all comes across as a bit lazy. 

Slapstick is funny. Making fun of something we don't fully understand is funny. Even the odd pooh and masturbation gag is funny. However, taking one of the most current political and cultural references that causes division and some confusion publicly and hitting it repeatedly with the stereotype brush really, really isn't. 

I will add here though a quick mention about the costumes which were a high point with their completely over the top madness. I was unsure whether I was watching a caricature of power mad ruler or a rock star but that's the point surely? Flamboyance should be glitzy and crazy and it was there at least to look at with sequins, prints and fancy dress military chic. A great example of when something is so wrong that it is so so right!

So what of the plot? Is there any more redemption to be found there? 

Put simply, the movie follows Aladeen as he is taken away from his empire and forced to live in the western world while watching his life (now being lived by a body double) unfold in front of him through news reports. Of course, he wants back in and plans to get there through any means possible with only one thing on his mind, to keep the people of Wadiya opressed and needy. 

Sacha has teamed up again with director Larry Charles who he worked with on both Borat and Bruno but has moved away from the mockumentary feel of the those, instead making as straighter a film as this really can be. On the whole this works with elements of Charles's Curb Your Enthusiasm work showing though and in parts that shock 'did that just happen' reflex rears up more than once.

The film does follow the simplest of plots which feels a tad disconnected at times but again, that's probably in order to cram as many gags in as possible.What it does achieve though is a bringing together of misfits when Aladeen meets alternative activist (who is brought to life byAnna Faris), who ultimately teaches him about her world and helps him eventually to see things a little differently. This addition to the story softens the character of Aladeen and even provokes sympathy and warmth in a kind of coming of age sort of way, this also helps to balance out the in your face aspects that seem to grind through the rest of the film.

All in all then, I seem to be still on the fence as far this form of comedy goes but I haven't given up hope yet. There was enough moments in the film not to discount it all together but I am also certain there will many out there who will absolutely love it, let me know what you think?!

photo credits: http://www.allmoviephoto.com

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