By Sarah Culleton
This classic Broadway musical has been brought to life by the talented Tom Hooper. His cast includes Ann Hathaway, Hugh Jackman, Russell Crow, Sacha Baron Cohen,
Helena Bonham Carter, Amanda Seyfried, Eddie Redmayne,
Aaron Tveit and lots of other actors and actresses. Some of the famous songs in this film include ‘I dreamed a dream’, ‘on my own’ and ‘castle on a cloud’. The film is set in the early 19th century and is all about the French revolution and the people wanting no more slavery.
The movie begins in 1815 with slaves going on with their daily work but at the end of the day the lucky prisoner Jean
Valjean (prisoner 24601) is released on parole. He searches for work so he can survive but nobody shows him any kindness because of his past, until he is helped by a kind priest played by Colm Wilkinson.
The original Jean Valjean. He is caught after stealing from the monastery and is brought back but the priest demands he be released for he gave what he stole to him as a gift and he was innocent. From that point onwards Jean Valjean is determined to leave his slave life behind and start fresh. It moves forward a few years and shows Javert entering a little town unknowing that the prisoner‘24601’ who broke his parole was the highly respected mayor.
The mayor runs a business employing dozens of workers but one worker fantine stands out to him when he walks in on her and other workers fighting over a note about fantine’s daughter, Cosette. She is fired and she has to go through extremes to make sure she pays her debts. She gets ill and passes away but not before Jen Valjean promises to take care of her daughter. At that time Javert has found out he in the ex-convict who he has sworn to himself he would kill. He escapes from Javert and retrieves Cosette from the inn keeper who looked after Cosette.
They live their lives on the run. It goes forward 9 years, to the days of the young rebels when they demanded no more slavery. It shows a particular group of men one man Marius who is ashamed of his rich family’s name. Marius falls in love with Cosette and begs Éponine a loyal friend to help him find where she lives. Éponine reallises she has an old connection with Cosette but doesn’t want to lose her friend so she helps even though it kills her inside.
Cosette and Marius meet and fall in love instantly
but an incident accuse drives Cosette and her father from their home. Cosette leaves a note for her secret love at her house which is stolen by Éponine. Marius after being told Cosette had left is devastated.
He goes to battle with his friends. Innocent lives and soldiers are killed but when Cosette’s love is injured in battle a brave man drags him from the barricades to safety where he heals. He is reunited with his love. There is a sad ending with
the death of a loved character.
This is an excellent film which would be highly recommended to history lovers and musical fanatics.
This classic Broadway musical has been brought to life by the talented Tom Hooper. His cast includes Ann Hathaway, Hugh Jackman, Russell Crow, Sacha Baron Cohen,
Helena Bonham Carter, Amanda Seyfried, Eddie Redmayne,
Aaron Tveit and lots of other actors and actresses. Some of the famous songs in this film include ‘I dreamed a dream’, ‘on my own’ and ‘castle on a cloud’. The film is set in the early 19th century and is all about the French revolution and the people wanting no more slavery.
The movie begins in 1815 with slaves going on with their daily work but at the end of the day the lucky prisoner Jean
Valjean (prisoner 24601) is released on parole. He searches for work so he can survive but nobody shows him any kindness because of his past, until he is helped by a kind priest played by Colm Wilkinson.
The original Jean Valjean. He is caught after stealing from the monastery and is brought back but the priest demands he be released for he gave what he stole to him as a gift and he was innocent. From that point onwards Jean Valjean is determined to leave his slave life behind and start fresh. It moves forward a few years and shows Javert entering a little town unknowing that the prisoner‘24601’ who broke his parole was the highly respected mayor.
The mayor runs a business employing dozens of workers but one worker fantine stands out to him when he walks in on her and other workers fighting over a note about fantine’s daughter, Cosette. She is fired and she has to go through extremes to make sure she pays her debts. She gets ill and passes away but not before Jen Valjean promises to take care of her daughter. At that time Javert has found out he in the ex-convict who he has sworn to himself he would kill. He escapes from Javert and retrieves Cosette from the inn keeper who looked after Cosette.
They live their lives on the run. It goes forward 9 years, to the days of the young rebels when they demanded no more slavery. It shows a particular group of men one man Marius who is ashamed of his rich family’s name. Marius falls in love with Cosette and begs Éponine a loyal friend to help him find where she lives. Éponine reallises she has an old connection with Cosette but doesn’t want to lose her friend so she helps even though it kills her inside.
Cosette and Marius meet and fall in love instantly
but an incident accuse drives Cosette and her father from their home. Cosette leaves a note for her secret love at her house which is stolen by Éponine. Marius after being told Cosette had left is devastated.
He goes to battle with his friends. Innocent lives and soldiers are killed but when Cosette’s love is injured in battle a brave man drags him from the barricades to safety where he heals. He is reunited with his love. There is a sad ending with
the death of a loved character.
This is an excellent film which would be highly recommended to history lovers and musical fanatics.