Les Misérables Arrives in Theaters December 25th with International Superstars

Liz López

Rating A

Les Misérables, Victor Hugo’s epic tale, is the world’s longest-running musical and arrives on the big screen as interpreted by Academy Award^®-winning director Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech). Boublil and Schönberg’s Les Misérables is adapted by screenwriters William Nicholson, Alain Boublil, Claude-Michel Schönberg and Herbert Kretzmer, with music by Claude-Michel Schönberg and lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer. The musical epic is related in such a manner that a viewer who has not seen the musical before is able to understand it and at the same time; feel as if they just viewed a theatrical performance instead of only a film adaptation. I am very impressed with the feeling I had while leaving the theater, as it is similar to the times I have left other great musical performances at Bass Concert Hall in Austin.

I loved watching well known actors who are generally well known for their film work, but in Les Misérables, their vocal abilities are highlighted as they sing each one of their lines in the script. Among the cast that displays both vocal and acting abilities are Hugh Jackman, Oscar^® winner Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Eddie Redmayne, Aaron Tveit, Samantha Barks, Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen. I did not imagine some of these actors have such vocal ability and they certainly have gained more respect from me, despite some of their choice in film characters and stories in the past, specifically Cohen. I really did enjoy Carter and Cohen’s performance that lends a bit of humor to the tale that is very sad in some scenes.

Jackman, Crowe and Hathaway all do an excellent job of interpreting their characters, but a couple of times Jackman and Hathaway sing some of the songs with indescribable passion that even at this moment can lead to watery eyes while recalling the scenes. Among some of the songs that more than 60 million people in 42 countries and in 21 languages around the globe have heard in the musical’s 27^th year are I Dreamed a Dream, Bring Him Home, One Day More and On My Own. It is still breaking box-office records everywhere and now I certainly understand why after viewing the film adaptation.

Set against the backdrop of 19^th-century France, Les Misérables tells an enthralling story of broken dreams and unrequited love, passion, sacrifice and redemption—a timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit. Jackman plays ex-prisoner Jean Valjean, hunted for decades by the ruthless policeman Javert (Crowe) after he breaks parole. When Valjean agrees to care for factory worker Fantine’s (Hathaway) young daughter, Cosette, their lives change forever.

In December 2012, the world’s longest-running musical Les Misérables, has international superstars and is reborn as the cinematic musical to be experienced when it opens in theaters on December 25th. After viewing the film, I now want to be among the millions of people worldwide who have seen the theatrical version and will soon look among the theaters in Texas for the next available tour. In the meantime, view it in theaters. It is not to be missed.

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Parental Guidance Opens Christmas Day

Liz Lopez

Rating B-

Families will be looking for films to watch around the holidays and one to be considered is the comedy penned by Lisa Addario and Joe Syracuse, Parental Guidance. It provides a bit of humor to the differing ways to care and discipline children, but some of the scenes and lines may be considered rude by some viewers, thus the PG rating in case children are in the mix to attend the film. I have no doubt some viewers may laugh out loud if they identify with some of the children’s antics, or cringe in the theater seats, depending on what the child (or adult in some cases) has done. The director, Andy Fickman (You Again, Race to Witch Mountain, The Game Plan) has plenty of experience working with PG scripts and brings this latest endeavor to life with the great cast featuring veteran actors and young ones that the viewer may find endearing.

Peter Chernin is a producer, along with Billy Crystal, who also stars as Artie Decker. His wife Diane (Bette Midler) even has a different attitude, in some ways, about parenting, so she jumps at the job to take on caretaker duties for the three children they hardly get to see, as their daughter, Alice Simmons (Marisa Tomei) and son – in – law Phil (Tom Everett Scott) live out of town with Harper (Bailee Madison), Turner (Joshua Rush) and Barker (Kyle Harrison Breitkopf). The casting for Midler and Crystal is good and he certainly does a good job of interpreting a sports announcer who is out of his league taking care of a child with special needs or otherwise. Some of the script may come across as goofy to some people, especially Crystal’s antics, but parents and grandparents may be more understanding of where the writers and directors are going with this production.

I am very pleased to have Gedde Watanabe perform his comedic style as the owner of a restaurant, Mr. Cheng. He is one actor I have not forgotten from his performance as Long Duk Dong in Sixteen Candles (1984) and am glad he is added to the comedic cast. Sports fans may enjoy the baseball angle, as Decker’s career as an announcer, but while off with the family, he has no hesitation auditioning for another sports job. Fans of Tony Hawk and Steve Levy get to view the two personalities portray themselves in a short scene. I enjoyed the cinematography of Hawk’s skill with the skateboard.

Overall, this is entertaining and appropriate for the holiday season viewers, but not likely to be one to be considered for awards in early 2013.  Parental Guidance will be in theaters December 25, 2012.

Happy Holidays!

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