Best Picture Nominees — 'Les Miserables'


My look at Best Picture nominees continues today with one of the most famous musicals of all time!


Les Miserables
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Samantha Barks, Russell Crowe, Amanda Seyfried, and Eddie Redmayne
Nominated For: Best Picture, Best Actor (Jackman), Best Supporting Actress (Hathaway), Best Original Song, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, Best Makeup, and Best Sound Editing
Synopsis: This is the kind of film the Academy Awards were made for, a sweeping musical with incredible production design and production numbers. Directed by Tom Hooper ("The King's Speech), heading into the holidays "Les Miserables" was a trendy pick. Then a funny thing happened — the film  became available for mass audiences. While it's a quality production, it just wasn't everything the trailers indicated it might be. There are some beautiful performances and some moving musical numbers, but there was something off about the production as a whole. It was good, not great. And great is what is needed to rise above the fray in a year full of as many quality productions as this year. So while it's chances of a Best Picture have faded — especially since it didn't earn a Best Editing nomination or a directing nomination for Hooper — other categories are strong. The best bet for an award for "Les Miserables" remains Hathaway for Best Supporting Actress, something that seems to be close to a lock. Hathaway — making the most of her showpiece musical scene — was easily the best part of the film. While Jackman does a decent job in the lead role, his competition is much stronger. Daniel Day Lewis is out front for "Lincoln," and Bradley Cooper — who was magnificent in "Silver Linings Playbook" — would be the most obvious choice for an upset. Elsewhere in the technical categories, the film has a chance of taking some of the awards for production design, makeup, costumes or original song. It was an ambitious project that turned out a strong finished product, but in the crowded field this year good isn't good enough.
Rating: PG-13 for suggestive and sexual material, violence and thematic elements.
Verdict: Three stars out of four.

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