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MANILA, Philippines – Is it a hit or a “Mis”?
Here is a singable exploration of the album whose full title is “Les Misérables, the Musical Phenomenon: Highlights from the Motion Picture Soundtrack.”
I. Ah, the much-hyped 2012 musical movie
Landing in local theaters just this January
Oh, such hoopla for Tom Hooper’s picture
Getting “Les Mis” fans all so giddy
II. ’Tis quite the cinematic curiosity
Its camera work in-your-face, all right
So distracting that host Seth MacFarlane
Will likely ape it on Oscar night
III. But director Hooper did not stop there
He made all his actors sing live on the set
Some of them aren’t even vocal experts
Good or bad, the tack sure is hard to forget
IV. Yet as the liner notes of this record reveals
It’s not just Hooper who made that bold decision:
Producer Cameron Mackintosh, too, yearned for a live “Les Mis”
Citing “The Commitments” as cinematic inspiration
V. Many have seen and buzzed about the flick
That its distributor should be truly in the black
Now how about this chorus-less interlude
To briefly explore the film’s soundtrack?
VI. First, I must note, only “Highlights” are included
In this one disc, instead of West End’s original two
Purists might rant that what used to be 49 tracks
Is now down to 19 plus a tune that’s brand new
VII. The CD’s total time is almost 66 minutes
Whereas the source movie is a good 2.5 hours
Of course the absence of the film’s many images
Helps to make this album manageably sparse
VIII. From the opening “Look Down” to the closing “Epilogue”
The playlist is, yes, by turns thunderous and tender
And because this is sans visuals, we get to listen to
Anne Dudley and Stephen Metcalfe’s orchestrations better
IX. As expected, the most prominent of the singing actors
Is Hugh Jackman as lead character Jean Valjean
It’s practically inarguable that he did a fine job
As the escaped convict branded as “24601”
X. The Australian who’s also known as Wolverine
Is even afforded a flattering distinction
Sharing scenes and songs with the original Jean Valjean:
London and Broadway cast member Colm Wilkinson
XI. From the get-go we hear Jackman and another fellow,
Via “Look Down” and “The Confrontation,” mano-a-mano
And, as has been asserted far and wide now,
The humbled man in this face-off is Russell Crowe
XII. Crowe may have sonic chops, from being in a rock band
But here the otherwise great actor sounds hard to bear
His singing does not well convey the fearsomeness of
Valjean’s nemesis, the notorious Inspector Javert
XIII. Another vocal duel of sorts: Eddie Redmayne as lovestruck Marius
Against a fellow revolutionary student played by Aaron Tveit
As evidenced by “ABC Café/Red and Black”
It’s Aaron, despite his smaller role, who turns out more okay
XIV. Rivals as well here are Amanda Seyfried and Samantha Barks
Who portray childhood girls now all grown
Seyfried sure can softly sing, but it’s the more-honed Barks
Who sounds lilting, as Eponine crying ’bout being “On My Own”
XV. My apologies if I keep harping on “Les Mis’s” pairs
But here’s one more: for the rowdy-cheery “Master of the House”
There’s “Sweeney Todd’s” Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter,
Though it’s the former Borat who’s the more listenable louse
XVI. As mentioned above, Hugh Jackman shines in this tale of love
He even gets gifted with the all-new solo track “Suddenly”
It’s a sonorous ballad that strikes a poignant chord
To those of us who take to heart the role of doting daddy
XVII. All that said, there’s no denying the draw of Anne Hathaway
Her take on “I Dreamed a Dream” may be lesser than a Lea Salonga
Yet, amid gentle harp and strings, with her sobbing and singing
You’d wish she was on our eyes and ears for much longer
XVIII. Perhaps I should add: “The Final Battle” is this disc’s lone instrumental
And that at least two of the catchier tunes of the theatrical “Les Miz” —
The Valjean solo “Who Am I?” and the ensemble rouser “Lovely Ladies” —
Are absent here and, by longtime fans, could be sorely missed
XIX. All told, this “Highlights” soundtrack is a nifty companion
To this 7th ever “Misérables” film’s eventual DVD
For those who care not for “One Day More” or “Bring Him Home”
Well, this will still not ever be your cup of tea
XX. Whether “Les Miz” is familiar or new to us
Here’s hoping that, young or old, off we’ll go
And check out or re-read the source material of all this:
The classic of a novel by French author Victor Hugo.
– Rappler.com
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