Coming Soon: Stage to Screen

Les Miserables
Due Date: 26th December 2012
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Russell Crowe, Helena Bonham Carter.

Eversince I was a teenager, this story has fascinated me. I remember going to see the musical on stage in Sydney with school and it has been something that has stuck with me for a very long time. When I saw it, Normie Rowe played the main character, Jean Valjean. I loved it so much that I saw it again with my mother and a school friend not long after.

Many years later, I have seen a few stage plays, Beauty and the Beast, Rocky Horror and Phantom of the Opera the only ones that I've committed to memory, but none have moved me the way Les Miserables did.

When the 1998 movie was released with Liam Neeson in the title role, I watched it eagerly, but while it was a great movie, it didn't have the power that the stage show does. I think the songs in this musical are incredibly powerful and make this story into an incredible piece of theatre.

This week, while my husband was away on business, I sat up late one night and watched the 25th Anniversary of Les Miserables on stage at The O2 in London. The power and passion of the performers moved me so much I ended up a sobbing mess on the lounge at one o'clock in the morning. This is a stage show that must be seen to be appreciated.

And now, the remake. This movie has so many things going for it that I'm almost as excited about this as I am for The Hobbitt.

An incredible cast has been assembled with the main part of Jean Valjean being played by our very own Hugh Jackman. Hugh has a wonderful stage prescence and I think he will bring a fantastic edginess to the character. I shall remain reserved about Russell Crowes casting as Inspector Javert. I know he has a band, but I'm not sure he has the right voice for someone as imposing as Javert.

I am however, incredibly excicted that they have used some of the cast of the current London production for this movie, including Samantha Barks, who plays Eponine and brings the most beautiful voice with her.

Of course, the most entertaining roles come in the forms of Madam and Monsieur Thenardier, the repulsive Innkeepers, who will be played by Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen. I can't wait to see these two together. Matt Lucas was responsible for the role of Monsieur Thenardier in the London production and I think Sacha has big shoes to fill!
Overall I think this movie will be a wonderful surprise and I plan to see it as soon as it opens. It truly is a moving story. I'm even considering getting tickets to a London performance, but not sure my kids will sit through nearly three hours of actors singing on stage. What is sure to be pure heaven for me, would be pure torture to a twelve year old boy!

MOVIE REVIEW: War Horse

War Horse (2011)
Starring: Jeremy Irvine, Emily Watson, Tom Hiddleston, David Thewlis
Director: Steven Spielberg

This was one of those movies that I had put off seeing for a while, but curiosity finally got the better of me and I ended up watching it last week.

From start to finish this is another Spielberg epic and one that many will love, and others will, no doubt, love to hate.

I didn't know anything about it other than it was the story of a horse and his owner who go to war together, or so I thought.

Joey, is a rare and beautiful horse, who is purchased by Ted Narracott (Peter Mullan), a poor farmer in pre World War 1 Devon. Ted needs a horse to pull a plough on his farm, but he see's something special in the horse and overpays, leaving them with little money to pay the overbearing landlord Lyons (David Thewlis) who also tries to bid on the horse.

Ted's son Albert (Jeremy Irvine) takes a particular shine to the horse and hand rears him for the farm. Joey and Albert form a special bond, but unfortunately, the country is plunged into war and desperate times see Alberts father selling the horse to the British Army so that they are able to keep the farm. Albert is distraught and vows to find Joey no matter where he goes.

War Horse is told mainly through the eyes of Joey and the people he meets along the way. While still in England, Albert tries to get Joey back before he gets sent off to war, but the horse gets assigned to Captain Nicholls (Tom Hiddleston), who promises Albert that he will look after him.



The next two hours are full of beautiful cinematography and amazing direction from Spielberg. However, I spent three quarters of this movie with a box of tissues, tears streaming down my face, and my nose blocked from intense boughts of sobbing. If you are an animal lover, this movie will destroy you. It was heartbreaking.

The one scene I nearly walked out on ended up being one of the most amazing scenes in the entire movie. It shows the Germans and the British coming together to save Joey on the battlefield and it is truly a touching moment.

I won't give away the ending as I believe this is a movie that should be watched, even if it's only the once.

I really did love this movie, no matter how much my heart ached and no matter how much I sobbed, but I will never watch it again for those reasons. Spielberg is a fantastic director and he really is one of the best in the business, but as my husband pointed out, he has a problem with making movies that you really love, but are so heartbreaking, that you'd never have them in your collection. Schindlers List is another prime example. I watched that movie once and due to it's harrowing nature, I will never watch it again.

The actors were fantastic, and Steven builds his cast out of relative unknowns and it works brilliantly as you tend to concentrate on the story rather than the actor.

War Horse is a stunning piece of film making and one that will stay with me for a long time to come.