For one of the big box-office and awards hopes of the Christmas season, "Les Miserables" has been keeping its cards close to its chest, with only a single teaser trailer, and some scattered TV spots and featurettes, showing a glimpse of "The King's Speech" director Tom Hooper's cinematic take on the long running musical adaptation of the Victor Hugo novel. It's not entirely surprising, given that the film only wrapped in July, and the filmmakers are chasing a punishing post-production schedule.
But with six weeks to go to release, a full trailer for the film, which stars Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Sacha Baron Cohen, Helena Bonham-Carter, Eddie Redmayne, Aaron Tveit and Samantha Barks, has finally arrived, and you can check it out below. There's a lot more footage than we've seen before, with most of the principal cast getting to demonstrate their pipes, and Hooper's bold record-the-vocals on set approach seems to be paying off; there's real power and emotion behind the singing here, even from Crowe, who was the main question mark in our eyes.
What we're not quite sold on yet is the visual approach; we appreciate Hooper doing something different with the movie musical, with handheld cameras and the like, but we can't help but wish he's use a normal fucking set of lenses for once. Also still something of a doubt for us are Bonham-Carter and Baron Cohen, who seem to have wandered in from Tim Burton's "Sweeney Todd" without altering their wardrobe or performance styles. Still, the production value is impressive, and it seems to have the potential to be enormously stirring stuff.
What do you think? Is it ready to sweep the awards season? Or is the next Joel Schumacher's "Phantom Of The Opera"? Let us know in the comments section and in the meantime, check ou this awesome Japanese poster for "Les Miserables" below [via Vlicious]
"Les Miserables" opens on December 25th. [Embed via Rope of Silicon]
The massacre and the destruction of a french classic ! Hathaway shot this movie for one reason; She wants her f****** Oscar!
Uh oh I am getting a bit nervous. Why aren't they teasing us with Hugh singing. Please don't let it suck.
why doesn`t this video stream? anyone?
Looks like an interesting approach, and amazed all the stars are singing themselves. Not that big on musicals though i was surprised at how much I enjoyed Burton's Todd. Good spot on those two btw, made me laugh.
Hm, video's been deleted.