Les Misérables - 25th Anniversary in Concert (2010)

That was an excellent one.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

Seeing its never-ending popularity and its influence on the musical theatre, the 25th anniversary of Les Misérables had to be spectacular. Of course, it can always be argued that staging the show as a concert will never fully do it justice, but in my opinion, such a decision helps to appreciate the scale of what Les Mis has become. Seeing the crowds filling the O2 arena is also a part of the experience of watching the anniversary. The spectacle that was created is truly epic and I found with pleasure that this time (unlike with the 10th anniversary concert) the musical wasn't really abridged, as only a few parts were cut.The cast gathered for the celebration is quite uneven. Some performances are deeply moving while others are mediocre. Alfie Boe as Valjean does a great job underlining the solemnity of the character and his version of "Bring Him Home" is the best performance of the whole show. Lea Salonga as Fantine is as moving as can be expected from the musical legend that she is. Ramin Karimloo as Enjolras is super charismatic and absolutely believable as a leader of an uprising. Matt Lucas and Jenny Galloway as Thenardiers are hilarious. Norm Lewis as Javert may not be the best ever, but his performance is really solid nonetheless and he does a great job conveying the character's firm belief in the law. My biggest problem is the youngest cast members: Katie Hall, Samantha Barks, and Nick Jonas, whose performances lack the necessary spark. They are alright, but it isn't the quality one would expect to see on such a great occasion. Sadly, in Nick Jonas' case it is visible that he isn't really an actor and that he was probably cast because of his name rather than his skills.All in all, the show is a great spectacle that is a pleasure to watch. Some of the cast members may not be the best in the world, but their faults are less visible thanks to the rest of the actors doing a truly magnificent job. It also has to be mentioned that at the end there is a short surprise performance, which adds to the feeling of celebration of this great musical. This is a must-see for any Les Mis fan.

I have seen "Les Misérables" live on stage, the film, and several on stage recordings. It's impossible to see this particular film without comparing to other performances but I will comment on this film alone... The performance was quite magnificent. The cast overall was wonderful. I'll address Nick Jonas as Marius right away. His voice does not remotely compare to the professional theater performers, yet he does carry the songs well enough and he carries his scenes admirably enough. Side by side with Samantha Barks as Eponine, however, he pales in comparison to her amazing voice. So many excellent singers have brought such depth and strength to the character of Jean Valjean and Alfie Boe does an admirable job. His beautiful rendition of "Bring Him Home" really proves he has the chops to handle this role. As always Lea Salonga is fragile and strong as Fantine. Can anyone else play this role as well? Of all of the Javerts I have ever seen, none has ever been sung as masterfully as Norm Lewis; he is magnificent to watch. Ramin Karimloo as Enjolres is incredibly strong, again making Jonas pale in comparison. Karimloo is truly talented with a strong voice and perfect tone. The orchestra brought the entire performance together beautifully. Mesmerizing. I loved it.

I have been a musical theater fan ever since I had been a little kid. I was simply an outcast because of that in my school. Everyone was listening to "pop" music with "rap" and all that. I was more into musical theater.Everyone gasped as my teacher told us that we were watching Les Miserables 25th anniversary for our Literature and Music class, I was not surprised at all, though. I had subsequently asked my teacher to host a film viewing because Victor Hugo was indeed a wonderful writer, and Claude-Michel Schonberg is a brilliant composer.I have watched the 10th anniversary of Les Miserables featuring Colm Wilkinson as Valjean, Philip Quast as Javert, Ruthie Henshall as Fantine, and so on. I have also watched different adaptations of this musical. I have witnessed High School students put on this production, I have seen this production in different theater companies and yet, none have seemed to get me to applaud for them.This cast seemed promising with powerful voices all around such as Alfie Boe, Ramin Karimloo and Lea Salonga. On the other hand, a few members from cast seemed a little out of place such as Nick Jonas, it was a big surprise for me to see a pop singer on stage. I have watched the Jonas Brothers and their voices seemed airy even with all three of their voices combined! What more with one lone Jonas Brother? It was simply dreadful, his voice was so weak, that I noticed he had to lean towards the mic for him to actually be heard. But, then again, Monsieur Jonas did do his best, but it was quite an embarrassment for himself as he was not ready due to his tender age, and lack of power.His leading lady, Katie Hall (Cosette), did not seem appropriate for the role, in my opinion. Her voice was too shrill. Yes, yes, she had the looks, but what I always notice is the voice. Her high notes seemed forced and squeezed. She didn't have weak voice such as of Jonas, here, she had power, but her voice's resonance was terrible.Samantha Barks was good, she had a powerful voice, she hit the notes flawlessly in her rendition of the beautiful tear-jerking song "On My Own". It contained such great emotion that I had to run over to my bag to grab a tissue to wipe a few stray tears. Alfie Boe, goodness, can there ever be a better Valjean? He contained everything that I was looking for in Valjean, he had some sort of aura in him that made me pity his persona while he sang. Ramin Karimloo was perfect for the role, as he presented a fearless Enjolras, he had a slight crack on his last line : "Until the earth is free!" but it definitely helped in shaping his character, he showed a hint of pain in that line, as we all know,the student revolutionaries are indeed going to die. Madame and Monsieur Thenardier were hilarious, that's what you call effective acting.During the 10th anniversary, I saw Lea Salonga as Eponine, she was good, yes, but she did better when she played Fantine. Her low notes are round, while her high notes in her famous aria, "I dreamed a dream", were angelic.It was my first time seeing Norm Lewis on stage, he was by-far, the best Javert I had ever seen. He simply fit the role by a loophole, a wonderful baritone, he was. Grantaire was OK. He did well, but he wasn't that memorable.The lighting was very good, the costumes were very effective, impeccable timing, beautiful acting, but then again, it was lacking.Compared to the 10th anniversary and the crappy High School Productions I watched, this performance gave new justice to the musical with new state-of-the-art technology and lighting, new costumes, a new cast and a majestic ensemble.It was worth watching, yes, I am now looking forward to watching Les Miserables 2012, at least I have a basis already that I can use in submitting a review for that rendition.

I have avoided Les Mis over the years, under the impression that it held nothing which would appeal to me. I noticed that this 25th anniversary concert presentation was being broadcast live from the O2 to our local cinema and, knowing that my wife was a big fan, I booked tickets. I got into trouble for various reasons: a) why are you wasting money on that, b) you know I like the show, not a concert performance, c) I get a headache at the cinema.... boy, these women can give you a hard time, can't they? I was blown away. With the exception of Nick Jonas' thin, weedy, nasal Marius, I thought all the performers were first rate. But I have to single out Samantha Barks' heart-breaking Eponine, Matt Lucas' assured, hilarious, and wholly unexpected Thenardier, and Alfie Boe's astonishing Valjean. The ovation at the end of Bring Him Home has been cut down for the DVD: it went on so long during the live performance that he finally had to break character to smile and acknowledge it. I am pleased to say that I have now seen him on stage as Valjean, and it is every bit as hair-raising live in the show.This is a remarkable record of a remarkable event.