The reason people seem to be having this repsonse is that there's a certain disconnect (in my opinion, an essential one for film) between the performance and the song.
"I Dreamed A Dream" is a grandiose song, even among Les Miserable's score. It's as much an aria as it is a song- a vocal and dramatic showcase for the actress, in which she stops the show literally to sing of her feelings and situation. Here in the movie, it has been reinterpreted, as having her "singing to herself, simply alone" as she would on stage, the way HPB suggested, would seem insincere, stagey, due to the fact that nothing happens- it is an aria, not a show-moving, plot-advancing moment.
The simple question is, does the song work as a song in a movie musical, and not as an aria? Compare and contrast to other big solos in the show, in which typically the plot moves and large decisions are made, i.e. "Stars," "Who Am I?" "Bring Him Home."
Updated On: 5/13/12 at 02:54 PM