Les Miserables film

I’m not that good with movie reviews as I tend to go all over the places instead of talking about the movie. I don’t write many reviews because of that. But this year, I promised myself to write book reviews based on the books that I will be reading. So let’s call this practice.

Last Friday, I watched Les Miserables. I don’t watch a lot of movies, a lot of movies don’t interest me. This particular one, I’ve seen an amateur play and it was beautiful, so I knew I had to watch the movie. I mean, just watch the trailer, how can you not be enticed?!

Before I continue with my so-called review, read Wikipedia if you want to know the synopsis. I might not mention much of the plot.

What I love about the story

If you don’t like musicals, this movie is not for you (but seriously, how silly of you not to even give this a try!) If you do like musicals, this is probably one of the best musicals out there.

Most movies have ups and downs, the climax and anti-climax which usually go from obvious highs to reasonable lows. Les Miserables has low lows and lower lows and the lowest lows.

Yes, this movie is depressing from the start until the very end. But at the same time, it is depressingly beautiful and depressingly moving.

Les Miserables is a story about forgiveness and grace. It is a story that shows the beauty – the undeserving beauty – of grace. And that is what I love about it. The message is so simple and yet it is ridiculously powerful.

It is a story about how one person’s action will affect the next and create a ripple effect that will last a lifetime. It is a story of one man, but it is not just the story of one man. (Does that sentence even make sense to you?)

Lessons we can learn from the film

To me, Les Miserables is a story about how:

  • We should not let our past define us,
  • We can break free from our past experiences, traits, habits, personality, and
  • We have to fight hard to change who we were to who we want to be.

I think we can all learn something about that. We don’t have to stay as we are just because we have been told that we cannot change ourselves.

When I was young, I was lazy. Now I am devouring every information I can, taking in everything like a sponge. When I was young, I didn’t know creativity is something you can learn. Now I seek to find more ways to be creative – and want every person to be able to do the same.

We gotta learn to change to be the better version of ourselves. Be like Jean Valjean, not Javert. Seek to change and to be better. Don’t just believe in whatever you’ve been told until it’s too late when you realise your mistakes.

The verdict

In a 5-star type of review, I would give Les Miserables 4.5 stars. I don’t give full 5 stars that easily, although you’d be dubious with my rating system if you know that I’d give 5 stars to Zoolander.

Many have given the Oscar nods to Anne Hathaway who played Fantine beautifully in this movie. I knew she could sing, but I didn’t know she could sing like that! “I Dreamed A Dream” is still stuck in my head one week after watching the movie. Although of course, the version I have in my head is not Oscar-worthy at all (singing isn’t my strong suit.)

Have you watched Les Miserables? What are your thoughts?