tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8930190065426288711.post7738971809013416131..comments2024-03-04T16:50:15.828-08:00Comments on Hungry Tiger Talk: Cosette in OzDavid Maxinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12672089188117065118noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8930190065426288711.post-7171202953309860422013-01-20T00:42:07.596-08:002013-01-20T00:42:07.596-08:00I really think most people should be able to answe...I really think most people should be able to answer your questions based on the movie, but these weren't exactly close friends I was talking about (my friends tend to be the type who would have already known the story). So I'm not exactly going to quiz them, on their understanding. <br /><br />I agree with your points, and as I said I thought the movie had several weaknesses.<br /><br />I just didn't think the lyrics were that hard to understand, and I'm pretty sure if I didn't already know the answers to your questions, I would have picked up most of them... Certainly the movie explains Javert's inflexibility and inability to reconcile the law with justice when he sees how Valjean comports himself, and that the general was the only voice in government who supported the students and that his death means that they need to take matters into their own hands having lost the hope of political change. I agree that they might have a hard time explaining the student's goals beyond "we're mad as heck and not going to take it anymore!" :D<br /><br />But then I was at least familiar with the story going in, even if I got it from other sources... and yes I've watched the 10th anniversary concert since and it does make things more clear. Ozalinehttp://outofthefridge.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8930190065426288711.post-47503762256853960822013-01-19T15:19:40.597-08:002013-01-19T15:19:40.597-08:00I knew very little to nothing about "Les Mise...I knew very little to nothing about "Les Miserables" and even though I have forgotten most of the songs/words from the filmusical, I did still enjoy it (except for maybe Sacha watsisname) - though I didn't notice (or don't remember) all the huffing and puffing and heaving, as you say. But I would have like to have seen the movie title at the BEGINNING of the film instead of the end, which I don't like becoming more common than before.<br /><br />Some friends of my parents saw this movie and walked out within the first hour because they don't like musicals!<br /><br />I'm surprised at how different the illustrations look to the characters/moments, which I shouldn't be, it always happens.Samhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00397876293747859812noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8930190065426288711.post-17789521401500613712013-01-18T13:30:11.119-08:002013-01-18T13:30:11.119-08:00@ Rachael - I don't doubt your friends were mo...@ Rachael - I don't doubt your friends were moved - but I'd be surprised that anyone could tell you what was going on in more than vague terms.<br /><br />What exactly is the student rebellion about? Why did they start it at a funeral? Why Does Fantine have to pay the Thenardiers to keep Cosette but they won't let her go without receiving cash? Why exactly does Javert kill himself? Why are the prostitutes even in the film and why are they trying to bring a prettier girl into their fold (why do they desire competition?) <br /><br />People may well watch the film and get a basic story - one can get that from watching a music video - but if a newbie's plotline boils down to: Some guy was arrested for stealing bread and then a bad jailor-guy keeps trying to put him back in jail. There's some poor girl who gets fired and she has a kid and the convict-guy decides to look after the kid and then after ten years or so they live near some kids who start this riot and eventually the jailor jumps into a river, and then the main convict-guy dies while everybody sings that theme song of the street-gang boys.<br /><br />More than a handful of youthful viewers have been posting crap about the film being about the French revolution. How closely did they watch this movie and yet feel qualified to express an opinion?<br /><br />Glad you liked it - and I got some enjoyment from it it, too. I just wanted to balance the hype with a little cold water :)David Maxinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12672089188117065118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8930190065426288711.post-87237547456814498192013-01-18T08:54:39.949-08:002013-01-18T08:54:39.949-08:00Thanks for that David, I was not aware of that boo...Thanks for that David, I was not aware of that book. No one I know of in the family has that, or at least I've never heard of it.<br />Brian FarnsworthUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09253651940149813466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8930190065426288711.post-37145432510789749982013-01-18T04:45:09.706-08:002013-01-18T04:45:09.706-08:00Do you own Neil's copy David? Either way that&...Do you own Neil's copy David? Either way that's a pretty cool book thanks for sharing. <br /><br />Anyway I avoided the film for a few weeks after reading your review my Mom wanted to watch it on Christmas but we went to Hobbit instead since I didn't want the movie to be my first exposure to this show since I've never seen it staged, and I didn't want my experience marred by a version where I could not hear what was being sung. But earlier this week I finally did see it.<br /><br />I mostly know the story of the book from the 1998 film, but I was not lost at all in the movie musical.<br /><br />I found that some of the chorus lines were hard to make out, but I understood all the lines in solo numbers with little to no difficulty.<br /><br />Just from the young people I've talked to I found that even the totally uninitiated seemed to understand the story, and were crying at the appropriate moments.<br /><br />Perhaps when they are talking about a new technique with live recording they meant the use of wireless headsets to give them Piano music to harmonize with; but it's definitely a very Hollywood thing to claim your the first when you're only the first high profile example. <br /><br />Anyway I don't think the live singing added much; I mean like any modern film a given scene is going to be a collection of composited shots each filmed independently. So it's not like you're getting a complete and full rendition of the song, it's still pieced together... I think on some of the longer shots it did help their performance a bit to be singing the song for real, but ultimately I think you're right that it probably did more harm than good.<br /><br />I also felt the cinematography was really off in a few places too... there were some close up shots where the camera was wavering around noticeably on what should have been a steady shot, and I don't think shakey cam should have been used in the battle at the end, it doesn't work in period pieces at all (I'm not even a fan of it in scifi).<br /><br />As someone uninitiated with this particular play, I didn't feel lost at all, and I enjoyed it... but it does have major flaws.<br /><br />--RachaelOzalinehttp://outofthefridge.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.com