"My only real complaints are that it doesn't tell you what the story's actually about, and it really makes it look like Anne Hathaway has a large part in the movie. If you didn't know the story you'd think she was the main character. Fantine's important but she physically isn't in the story all that long."
One of the most beloved novels of all time, which has been filmed countless times (silents, talkies, television, in period, loosely out of period, and most recently with Liam Neeson, Claire Danes, Uma Thurman and Geoffrey Rush), and which has been an international stage mega-hit for decades, the movie of the musical having received a great deal of buildup in the press (the kind of press noticed by anyone likely to notice a teaser trailer, including fans of musical theater and the novel (who already know the story!) and fans of its stars). Logic dictates that the teaser trailer did not need to instruct its target audience about the narrative content with specificity (and would most likely bore its target audience if it did); in addition, the song and visuals say a great deal about period and tone.
It's a beautiful teaser trailer. Hathaway's rendition is exactly what it should be. It make little impact when we initially hear it in voiceover and a strong connection and identification when we hear it simultaneous with seeing her on-screen; which is exactly what makes this a movie, and, by all appearances, one which promises intimacy and depth. The visuals are striking and show Hooper's gifts for moving a classic (so evident in his British television work, which has raised literature translations in the UK small screen to new heights). Jackman and Crowe look very much the parts; making me revise my earlier concern that they should have reversed roles.
Updated On: 5/30/12 at 09:19 AM
