Saturday, June 12, 2010

Les Miserables, 1998 (Grade D+)

Director: Billie August
Awards? I wouldn't think so --none that I know of
Cast: Uma Thurman; Claire Danes; Liam Neeson; Geoffrey Rush; Hans Matheson; Peter Vaughn

sez says: We are watching the various versions that have been made of this famous book.. So far this is the weakest we've seen.  The 1830s and 1940s versions have much to recommend themselves over this version --the 1940s being the best so far. You might call this an abridged version--(lots is left out) and that might be forgiven, because you can't easily get the whole thing in to a 2 hour film. But it is not just abridged, it is modified with changes in action and sequence --it is so much so that so that you might have to call it an attempt to rewrite of the original story--and who thinks they can make it a better story that the original?  The changes seemed to be less for expediency that to make it flashy-film: Coaches overturning, bloody fist fights, love affairs, jumping across rooftops, and such.  Also the LOOK of the film (another pretty picture--and there are quite few of these-- seemed to trump story. SO there is plenty of time to look a soldiers in full dress marching-- because the parade is a spectacle--but not enough time to tell the back story of the police officer, who is a key figure in the story.   If you are looking or a good film version of the book--keep looking--there are better ones available (grade D+)

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