Les Miserables

Finally! I have been waiting years to see a film adaptation of my favourite musical. It would be difficult to make a bad film out of Les Miserables. The music is among the most beautiful you can ever hope to hear. I have happily watched a filmed version of the 25th Anniversary concert, staged at London's O2 Arena, sung with no props or actions. If you have a musical score that strong, how can you go wrong? Director Tom Hooper certainly does not go wrong with this film. His vision does full justice to the magnificent score. The performances by Hugh Jackman (Valjean), Russell Crowe (Javert), Anne Hathaway (Fantine) and Sacha Baron Cohen (Thenardier) are all excellent, each bringing depth and a real heft of emotion to the songs. I'm confident awards will be flowing their way over the next month.

Their performances were undoubtedly helped by the fact that the songs were all recorded live, rather than dubbed afterwards. This is a rare feat for a musical, if not a first. It must be a huge strain on the actors, but it paid off in spades. Live recoding means that the vocals may not be perfect, but the emotions are real and immediate, which adds significantly to the impact of the film.

I enjoyed Les Mis tremendously and I look forward to many repeat viewings. I have, after all, seen the stage version at least seven times and regularly play the soundtrack from start to finish. I never grow tired of it.