Les Misérables (2012)

Starring: Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Eddie Redmayne, Helena Bonham Carter, Sacha Baron Cohen

Director: Tom Hooper

Genre: Musical, Drama, Romance

Rating: A-

Les Misérables follows the life of Jean Valjean (Jackman), a French convict who in 1815 has been released from prison on a parole - he has served a nineteen-year sentence for stealing a loaf of bread and is deemed a violent man.  Initially, Valjean does reoffend, but after an encounter with the Bishop of Digne (Colm Wilkinson) he takes it upon himself to start again and, breaking his parole he abandons his identity as Jean Valjean and starts new.  Prison guard, Javert (Crowe) finds out about Valjean's broken parole and vows to hunt the man down.  Eight years later, Valjean is a factory owner and the mayor of Montreuil-sur-Mer.  Working for him is the lovely Fantine (Hathaway), who is discovered to be sending money to her illegitimate daughter Cosette (initially Isabelle Allen, but later Seyfried), who lives with the Thénardiers (Baron Cohen and Bonham Carter).  Despite being hunted by Javert, Valjean takes it on himself to help Fatine and her daughter.

There are a few problems with Les Mis.  One is that it both moves too quickly and too slowly - it's a long movie and at times feels it, but things still move forward really fast.  There was nothing that I felt could have been taken out, everything had a point, while there were things that I could have seen being added, although still, long movie.  The second problem is that the singing isn't necessarily the best.  The film is essentially sung-through with almost no straight dialogue, but the actors are not exactly known for their singing.  Adding to this is the fact that the singing is done live, instead of in a studio, which leads to mixed results.  In the case of some of the actors - Helena Bonham Carter, Sacha Baron Cohen, etc - this has a neutral result, neither adding nor taking away from the actual play.  In the case of Russell Crowe, it kind of takes away from things as his voice isn't really suited for this kind of performance.  I know that Russell Crowe is a singer as well as an actor, but I don't think he's a stage performer and that's what's kind of required in this role.  It's sad because he totally fit the role of Javert, but his voice didn't.  I had similar issue with Hugh Jackman - no problem with his actual singing voice and thought that his physical acting was superb, but I don't think his singing really sold the emotion that he was trying to convey.

This critique, however, is in strong contrast to the absolutely amazing performances of Anne Hathaway and Samantha Barks.  Barks plays Éponine and she just absolutely amazed me in her performance - although she does have an advantage to some of the other actors in that while she is somewhat unknown in film, she's a stage actress and has played Éponine before.  Her performance of "On My Own" absolutely amazed me.  Anne Hathaway doesn't have such a background (although her mother did play the same role in the first U.S. Tour of Les Mis), and yet blew me away with her performance.  I wasn't too sure about it at first, but the more time she spent on screen the more I loved her, and the weakness and raw emotion that she displayed wowed me.  While I loved Barks' "On My Own" Hathaway's "I Dreamed a Dream" brought tears to my eyes.  It was superb.

The other thing that I really loved about this film was the sheer transformation of some of the actors.  In the opening shot, I didn't recognize Hugh Jackman at all.  While he does clean up, the man that he in those first scenes haunts the man that he is later on.  Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen were constantly changing to adapt to their surroundings, but in a comedic way (that was really needed in this film) that ensured you always knew who they were.  They brought their own personalities to the roles in a way that just perfectly fit.  Once again, however, top props has to go to Anne Hathaway, who just seemed to completely transform here.  She starts the film as this beautiful, rather out-of-place woman, and descends into this mess of a woman with this horrible hair (it looks better on Hathaway in real life, but in the film it's bad), blotchy face, and bloody teeth.  It's probably Hathaway's biggest transformation to date and just.. yeah.  I honestly believe that she deserves to win every award she is nominated for because of this role.

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

Starring: Danny Elfman, Chris Sarandon, Catherine O'Hara, William Hickey, Glenn Shadix, Ken Page

Director: Henry Selick

Genre: Animation, Family, Fantasy, Musical

Rating: A

It's almost Halloween, which means that it's officially the time to question whether The Nightmare Before Christmas qualifies as a Halloween or Christmas movie.  I personally like to think both.

Jack Skellington (Sarandon, singing voice by Elfman) is the Pumpkin King of Halloween town, but as of late his heart hasn't been in the scarring people business - he wants something more.  This something more is found after Jack discovers the portal to Christmas Town and decides that this year Halloween Town will do Christmas.  With the help of the town he prepares for Christmas, even going so far as to have Lock (Paul Reubens), Shock (O'Hara), and Barrel (Elfman), kidnap 'Sandy Claws' so that Jack can replace him - although unbenknownst to Jack, the trio deliver Sandy to town bogeyman Oogie Boogie (Page).  Watching it all with apprehension is rag-doll and love interest Sally (O'Hara), who is certain that Jack's Christmas is not going to be a success.

It's no surprise that the best part about this movie is the music.  The songs are simplistic, catchy, and well sung.  Honestly, in my opinion one of the best parts about most Tim Burton films is the Danny Elfman soundtrack, and Nightmare really shines as one of his best.  Some of the songs aren't as good, but most of the music is just iconic of the stylings of this film.  It's a perfect blending of the styles of Burton and Elfman - sadly, for actual director Henry Selick he's kind of left out of the limelight a bit here by the two bigger names.

The next thing that makes this movie great is the world that Burton and Selick have created.  It's beautifully crafted stop motion animation, meaning that everything about it has actually been crafted.  The attention to details and what not isn't just some computer program - I realize that there's more to computer animation than just the computer doing it, but it has a different feel to it.  Somehow, the knowledge that the creations in Nightmare are all actually crafted things makes it feel more real.  You might not be able to have as much going on in the background when you're using stop motion, but what happens in the foreground just has this extra little charm to it - and really, Nightmare doesn't lose all that much of the background either.  The fact that they had about 400 heads for Jack alone says something about the time and effort that went into this movie.

Rounding out the greatness is the fact that it's a movie that does, or at least can, appeal to people of all ages.  It's animated and intended to appeal to a younger audience, but it also works really well as a movie for adults.  I actually hated this movie as a kid because I found it to be too scary, but as I got older and it began to reemerge a bit I really got into it.  It's fun, it's cute, it's dark, but it's also light at times.  It's probably the best thing that's come out of Tim Burton, or at least pretty close.  Definitely the best thing Henry Selick's directed.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

Starring: Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick, Richard O'Brien, Patricia Quinn, Nell Campbell, Jonathan Adams, Peter Hinwood, Meat Loaf, Charles Gray

Director: Jim Sharman

Genre: Comedy, Musical

Rating: A+

If you somehow don't already know The Rocky Horror Picture Show my recommendation is to go and check it out now.  An update of the classic Frankenstein story, this one is one of the few to really take the idea and go in a completely different direction.  Here we have newly engaged, rather vanilla couple Brad (Bostwick) and Janet (Sarandon) are on their way to see Dr. Everett Scott (Adams) when their car breaks down, so they go to the nearest house looking for a phone (this is well before the advent of cell phones).  There they find the eccentric and mad Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Curry), a transvestite from Transsexual, Transylvania, and his attendees, namely Riff Raff (O'Brien), Magenta (Quinn), and Columbia (Campbell).  Dr. Frank is a scientist who has made a man, Rocky Horror (Hinwood), although there is talk of another man, Eddie (Loaf).  Overseeing and narrating the whole thing is the Criminologist (Grey).

The thing I like most about this movie is the fact that every time you watch it you notice some other little thing about it.  While a total B-flick at best - or, really a parody of B-flicks - it's also horribly intricate and has all these little details to it.  There's something new to notice every time you watch it.  It's about more than just transvestites, aliens, cross-dressing, and songs - that's all very much in the foreground, but there is more going on.

Actually, that's a lie.  That's not my favourite part about this film, although it's up there.  My favourite part is the music.  The movie in general is fun, if not really weird and at times a bit confusing, and that's largely because of the music.  The soundtrack is just fun and there isn't a single song in it that doesn't serve a great purpose.  The best part here is the fact that the eclecticness of some of the music really embraces the eclecticness of the overall film.  It's really all over the place, but in Rocky Horror it somehow works.  The fact that this is meant to be a parody just makes things better.  It covers both the B-flicks and in a way life in general.  Looking at it - a movie about a singing transvestite who creates a man while basically holding two strangers hostage before things all go to shit - you wouldn't expect it to say anything really profound, but the more you watch it the more you start to see this kind of commentary.  There's a reason it's the longest-running release film in history.  It's something you want to see in theatres on the big screen, and not just because of the audience participation.

High School Musical 3: Senior Year (2008)

Stars: Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Lucas Grabeel, Corbin Bleu, Monique Coleman, Olesya Rulin
Genre: Musical, Romance, Family
Rating: C+

The third and, thankfully, the final installation in the High School Musical series, High School Musical 3: Senior Year picks up as the Wildcats are preparing for their high school graduation and the spring musical.  Kelsi (Rulin) has signed up everyone for the show and Gabriella (Hudgens) convinces them to do it - because, of course, singing and dancing still isn't cool, even though this is the third film in the series about the same kids singing and dancing.  It's also revealed that four of the students (Kelsi, Sharpay (Tisdale), Ryan (Grabeel), and Troy (Efron)) are being considered for one scholarship to Juilliard.  Gabriella, meanwhile, has been accepted to Stanford and has an opportunity to go early, despite the fact that she's committed herself to the spring musical.

The overall story of this movie is somewhere in between High School Musical and High School Musical 2. Once again there is a complete revert to start in terms of character development, Sharpay, Ryan, and the Wildcat boys having learned nothing from their experiences in the first two films.  The whole "we have to convince everyone to participate in the musical because they think that singing and dancing is lame" plot is lamer than singing and dancing appears to be in this universe.  It's been done to death and just in the course of three movies.  Likewise, the Sharpay is an evil bitch plot has been done to death.  I'd be fine with it if at the end of each movie she didn't seem to grow as a person and realize that her actions are wrong.  This is also seen, to a lesser extent, with Ryan, although his turn face isn't nearly as complete.  I was, however, really satisfied with the way that the plot was resolved - although I was rather annoyed by Gabriella's behaviour.  To me, it was rather un-Gabriella like, although I will say that it was a nice change in pace; usually I'm annoyed by Troy's behaviour.

In terms of music and general production, High School Musical 3 is far better than it's predecessors, a clear sign of its inflated budget.  Of the three films this was the only one to be released in theatres, the other two having been TV movies.  The music isn't oh my God amazing, but it's catchy and even features a bit of a shout out to the earlier movies.  The singing is still good and the lyrics aren't too ridiculous.  The musical numbers are also a lot flashier.  They looked more like what you would expect from a Disney type movie.

Rock of Ages (2012)

Stars: Diego Boneta, Julianne Hough, Russell Brand, Paul Giamatti, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Mary J. Blige, Malin Åkerman, Alec Baldwin, Tom Cruise, Bryan Cranston
Director: Adam Shankman
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Musical
Rating: A

If you dislike musicals, cheesy romances, or 80s metal pop then Rock of Ages is not your cup of tea.  With that warning out, I have to say that Rock of Ages was absolutely awesome.  From the moment that Hough and a bus full of extras began singing “Sister Christian” I was hooked.  The music in this film is awesome – albeit a bit too dependent on “Don’t Stop Believing” for the post-Glee era – and will get you tapping your feet, nodding your head, and maybe even sing along as the film progresses.  The acting is also amazing, from the big names who are known for their acting to those who really aren’t – I suspect this is the only time I’ll ever be saying that a Russell Brand movie was epic and awesome.

Rock of Ages is a multidimensional movie; it presents itself first as being about a girl from Oklahoma, Sherrie Christian (Hough), trying to make it big and find love in Los Angeles.  On her first day in the city she meets barback and fellow singer Drew Boley (Boneta) and lands a job working with him at The Bourbon Room – a nightclub on the Sunset Strip known for being where some amazing albums were recorded.  There’s more to the film than just that though; Bourbon Room owner Dennis Dupree (Baldwin) owes taxes and is being threatened with the closure of his club, with a protest against it and the Strip in general being helmed by a group of religious, conservative mothers lead by Patricia Whitmore (Zeta-Jones), wife of Mayor Mike Whitman (Cranston).  Wrapping it all up is Stacee Jaxx (Cruise), rock legend and lead singer of the band Arsenal.  At the start of the film Arsenal is about to play their last gig ever, as Stacee is about to embark on a solo act – as encouraged by his manager Paul Gill (Giamatti) and questioned by Rolling Stones reporter Constance Sack (Åkerman).

I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again: the music in Rock of Ages is awesome.  For the most part the cast are all good singers, or at least had parts that related well to their vocal ranges.  When it comes to the songs of Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, and Whitesnake Tom Cruise really can sing.  Alec Baldwin can’t, and neither can Paul Giamatti, but their singing parts were considerably less than the other members of the cast, and as already mentioned what they had to sing really did fit their voices and roles.  My one problem with the music overall was the fact that I felt that the songs didn’t go on long enough.  A lot of them were felt like very, very shortened versions of the songs that we know and love, which was a bit of a disappointment.  To really make up for this a few of the songs are also done as medleys, which I think really worked.  These songs complement each other, and by doing them as medleys the film is able to interconnect and juxtapose the different plots.  You also have to say something about the way the music is done in general.  I made a comment in my review for High School Musical 2 about how they’re singing and dancing about how singing and dancing is lame.  In Rock of Ages they sing rock songs to protest against rock music – while doing choreography that involves pelvic thrusts and gyrating hips, in a church.  While it's rather lame in High School Musical 2 it's awesome in Rock of Ages.

The story is awesome as well; a lot of it is pretty tried and tested, from the young lovers, to the old, down-on-his-luck club owner, to the religious fanatic with a past.  If you can’t identify at least five other movies that tell the basically the same stories that Rock of Ages has you’re not really trying.  The way that the film puts these stories together, however, is fun and in parts original and a bit shocking.  This movie is also funny, with my favourite character being Stacee Jaxx’s alcohol serving, violence prone baboon, Hey Man.  That’s right, there’s an alcohol serving, violence prone baboon.  What more can you ask for in a movie?

High School Musical 2 (2007)

Stars: Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Lucas Grabeel, Corbin Bleu, Monique Coleman, Olesya Rulin
Genre: Musical, Romance, Family
Rating: C

High School Musical 2 picks up a bit after where its predecessor left off, at the end of the school year, as our favourite geeks and jocks begin to worry about summer jobs – and our ever villainous theatrical types prepare for their summer of leisure at the country club their parents own.  Sharpay Evans (Tisdale) now has her sights on Troy Bolton (Efron), and decides that in order to get him she should have him hired to work at her club.  Somehow, this transpires into all of the Wildcats being hired at the club, because evidently when you’re in a Disney high school you have to work with all of your friends.  Life’s just like that.  Because of Sharpay’s influence Troy is able to rise in the club and gain the attention of the University of Albuquerque’s basketball team, while his friends are forced to wait tables.  Oh, and Sharpay is also manipulating the scene so that Troy will sing at the club’s annual talent show with her and not girlfriend  Gabriella Montez (Hudgens).

Where to start…. The high point of this film would be in its music, which is for the most part a lot better than the music in High School Musical.  The singing itself is good in both, but in this one the lyrics aren’t nearly as cheesy.  Some of the dancing is, but that’s a whole ‘nother story.  I should note, that the comment on the music being better does not descend to anything sung by Ryan (Grabeel) and Sharpay, which was just all kinds of bad.  The story, is a completely different issue.  As clichéd as the plot was in High School Musical it was at least good.  In fact, it was very Shakespearian, clearly having been inspired in part by Romeo and Juliet.  This story is not as good.  Following the character development in the original movie, Sharpay does a complete heel turn and digresses back to her original character.  The same can be said of Troy’s basketball friends, who are right back at hating singing and dancing like they were in the original movie – they even sing a song about it.  Troy too is back to not wanting to sing and dance, despite having enjoyed doing so previously.  It kind of makes me wonder just what the purpose of High School Musical was – beyond setting up the cannon couple.  My one favourite part of this movie, however, was Ryan’s character development, as he goes from being his sister’s lacky to a genuinely nice guy.  Somehow, I suspect the change won’t stick for High School Musical 3.

High School Musical (2006)

Stars: Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Lucas Grabeel, Corbin Bleu, Monique Coleman, Olesya Rulin
Genre: Musical, Romance, Family
Rating: C+
 

This is a bad movie.  It is cheesy, over the top, juvenile, and really kind of lame.  The singing is good, but the actual music is rather ridiculous.  If you don’t enjoy lame, cheesy musicals, don’t see High School Musical.  That having been said, while High School Musical is lame and cheesy and overall bad, it’s also fun.  And good, but in a “why am I enjoying this” kind of way.  If you enjoy cheesy Disney musicals, then this is the movie for you.

Troy Bolton (Efron) and Gabriella Montez (Hudgens) have chemistry from the first moment that they sing together, at a New Years Eve party they both attend while on a vacation.  As circumstance would happen, Gabriella transfers to Troy’s school in the new year, and pretty quickly the pair begins to stir up trouble.  Troy is the captain of the school basketball team and as their biggest game of the season is coming up his team is counting on them to lead them to victory.  Gabriella is pretty much a genius, and the school’s scholastic decathlon team really hopes that she’ll join and lead them to victory.  Meanwhile, auditions for the school musical are occurring, and both Troy and Gabriella are interested in joining.  Attempts to thwart this desire come from all sides: the basketball team, lead by Chad Danforth (Bleu); the scholastic decathlon team, lead by Taylor McKessie (Coleman); and regular musical stars, Sharpay (Tisdale) and Ryan Evans (Grabeel).  The only person who seems to actually be on their side is pianist and show writer Kelsi Nielsen (Rulin).

Once again, this movie is silly and juvenile.  The singing is what I would expect from a Disney production, but the actual music is not – although, I do have to say, the songs are catchy, and after watching it I found myself singing the closing song, “We’re All in this Together.”  The plot is somewhat completely ludicrous, and utilizes the age-old trope of various cliques within a high school being set against each other.  The way that they all come together in the end, however, is rather heartwarming.  This isn’t a movie that you should really expect much from, or think too much about, but rather watch when you just want to be entertained.