Les Miserables Preview

(Perhaps I should start with a disclaimer: Les Miserables is not only my most favorite musical EVER, but also my favorite novel. I'm quite obsessed with it, actually, but I cannot stand things I love being thrown into the mud. Whether or not that's happening here, perhaps awaits to be seen.)

This preview is a bunch of shots from the movie with Anne Hathaway singing "I Dreamed a Dream" over it. I've never heard this song sung with such little passion... or talent. But the movie itself, from THIS, seems like it might be well done... despite the singing. (Although... that horrible Phantom of the Opera movie's trailer made Phantom look well done too....) To me, it sounds like someone is singing it who doesn't know how to sing, and knows they don't know how to sing: almost as if someone was standing there saying, "No. That's not working. Sing that part again, and don't put any emotion into it. Barely sing at all, practically whisper; try that."

I'm not sure giving us what we're most curious about (Anne Hathaway's singing,) in the first trailer is a good strategy for getting people to see the movie... especially when her singing impresses no one and proves no doubter wrong.

That's what the horrible Phantom movie did right in the trailer. They hid the horrible singing of their stars for as long as possible.

I know a few people will be great in this. I'm sure Helena Bonham Carter will be fantastic; I'm seriously not worried about Hugh Jackman who saved that horrible Oklahoma! he was in.This Young Cosset is adorable, and I was already hardly impressed by the Eponine who's reviving her role from the awful 25th Anniversary edition, so the casting of Eponine only partly alarms me. I'm curious about Russel Crowe's Javert. None of these songs are easily faked, (a rather axiomatic fact, especially after viewing the teaser,) so I'm curious to see how Russel Crowe handles the rather demanding vocal role. I guess we'll just have to see if Hugh Jackman will be called upon again to save another great musical gone wonky.

The problem with this and with Hollywood lately, (Pride and Prejudice, I'm looking at you,) is that in order to accumulate an other-wise uninterested audience, they horrify the original fan-base. If they filled this movie Les Miz with a bunch of no-name actors who could sing, Les Miz fans would go see it, and love it. But they want people who like Anne Hathaway to come see it, and in doing so they're alienating all the musical's fans, (or many of them.) Hollywood needs to knock this off.

Anyway, at least this Les Miz won't have Nick Jonas in it.