Samantha Barks to Play Eponine in LES MIS Film- Page 5

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 2/1/12 at 1:45pm

ray: I was hoping for a situation like in Sweeney Todd where Johanna had a softer, thinner voice but still had a strong upper register and could hit those high notes. Amanda may surprise me, and I hope that she does, but what I heard in Mamma Mia! did not make me optimistic. But, as you know, I hold my sopranos to high standards.

SporkGoddess, I do know you hold your sopranos to high standards, it's part of your charm Especially since I know your opinion/comments are highly informed.
However, you bring up the example of SWEENEY TODD and Johanna. I absolutely hated the "actress" who played Johanna in the film, I thought there was absolutely nothing to her except for the fact she could sing the songs. She had no depth to her whether she was acting or singing, she couldn't deliver lines, her face was completely empty of expression, and she didn't have that "it" quality that you just need to make film acting work (especially in this type of project). Seyfried, on the other hand, was captivating in MAMMA MIA, she was so fresh, relaxed, and sexy (without being trashy at any point), plus her big eyes have a presence of their own. My point is that for a film to work you need someone like Amanda Seyfried, not someone like the girl who plays Johanna in SWEENEY TODD. Seyfried might not have been able to sing Johanna in SWEENEY, but she sure could have sold me on her scenes.

[Dave19]

Posted: 2/1/12 at 2:07pm

So.....Amanda Seyfried is a great actress and a very mediocre singer.

The girl in Sweeney Todd is a great singer and a very mediocre actress.

Does one thing have to exclude the other?
I know many girls that have both.

Updated On: 2/1/12 at 02:07 PM

[allofmylife]

Posted: 2/1/12 at 2:28pm

"Are you saying all those people saw Mamma Mia because of Amanda....?"

No, but all those people went to see a movie which had Amanda plastered across the poster. You can't deny the free-association publicity, especially not from an industry that often begins a commercial with "From the producers of...."

[Gothampc]

Posted: 2/1/12 at 2:39pm

Will Samantha Barks sign at the stagedoor?

[best12bars]

Posted: 2/1/12 at 2:48pm

"The girl in Sweeney Todd is a great singer and a very mediocre actress.

Does one thing have to exclude the other?
I know many girls that have both."

First of all the girl in Sweeney Todd wasn't a "great singer." She had a nice voice and looked the part physically. That was it. She wasn't memorable at all, even if she wasn't bad, either.

ray and I seem to think alike here. It's the same thing with Samantha Barks. She has a good voice. She's not a great singer, though, nor is she an established name. Is having a good voice and being the right "type" enough for her to beat out hundreds of hopefuls in the part in a major film?

I think Michael Bennett hit on something where he basically said with all the negotiations falling apart with Wood first and then Swift, and the very late-in-the-game casting of Barks, they're essentially out of time to either woo or test other potential film actresses. They need someone who is up on the part and doesn't require tons of rehearsal or "shaping" by the director and voice coaches.

For that reason, I do think Barks is a "SAFE" choice (sorry Jordy). But from what I see, they have found someone totally reliable but also completely ordinary. If there is "star quality" or any "special quality" to be seen or heard, I can't find it in any of the clips on YouTube. She'll have to do something completely different on screen to get to that level. Hopefully, she will. But if it's just a repeat of her previous performances, it's not going to be memorable enough.

Updated On: 2/1/12 at 02:48 PM

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 2/1/12 at 3:22pm

Thanks, I appreciate your saying that my comments are informed. :)

That's a good point, I just think that there must have been some actress out there with good acting skills and a good voice. Maybe not, though. I do think that Amanda will sell it acting-wise, and I hope that she makes Cosette a more interesting character than she's written. I just felt better about Amanda's casting when I thought Taylor would be Eponine because they'd be vocally equal (actually, Amanda would probably have been much better).

[Dave19]

Posted: 2/1/12 at 3:25pm

"First of all the girl in Sweeney Todd wasn't a "great singer." She had a nice voice and looked the part physically. That was it. She wasn't memorable at all, even if she wasn't bad, either."

Ok, I agree. So basically that's not acceptable for a part like that in a feature film.

"Is having a good voice and being the right "type" enough for her to beat out hundreds of hopefuls in the part in a major film?"

I don't think so. It has to be a combination of 3 things. 1. The right type, 2. The acting skills, 3. The singing skills.

Samantha Barks has those 3 things. Amanda Seyfried only has one of them. The acting.

I love her portrayal of Eponine especially in this clip, the 2nd song, from about 3:25

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHt4vE6Xsxc




Updated On: 2/1/12 at 03:25 PM

[best12bars]

Posted: 2/1/12 at 3:50pm

I love her portrayal of Eponine especially in this clip, the 2nd song, from about 3:25

It's definitely her best moments in the concert video ... which is what gives me hope. I still don't like her rendition of "On My Own" one bit beyond "okay." But if Tom Hooper can bring her to the level and focus of the passage you pointed to (and hopefully beyond it), she might be good and not just serviceable. He's really got his work cut out for him.

Man, I don't like that Cosette AT ALL. Thanks for reminding me. Yuck. She should be playing Cinderella at a Disney park, and I'm grateful they didn't go that way with the film.

[ggersten]

Posted: 2/1/12 at 4:05pm

Seyfried does have two assets that perhaps brought people to see Mamma Mia - and the trailers showed her off in swim suits a lot. Husbands and boyfriends were more than willing to go see Mamma Mia with their signficant others because of Seyfried. I think she's the physical type that Marius would fall in love with at first sight. Too bad that Cosette is normally well draped...

As for Barks - she looks good and sings okay. But for the film, she'll get lots of chances to get the songs right. And they can edit together bits of song. So concert and live clips really don't show what can end up on film. Didn't Jennifer Hudson film And I Am Telling You for over a day?

[best12bars]

Posted: 2/1/12 at 4:12pm

You bring up a very valid point about Hudson. They actually recorded the song, then filmed it on the very last production shoot (not sure how many days, but they very likely would have needed more than one, even for technical reasons since there's a lot going on in that number with the camera setup and lighting changes). Then they actually re-recorded her vocal after filming to match the intensity and arc of emotion she got during the shoot.

If Tom Hooper can work with Barks in the same manner that Bill Condon directed Hudson, she could be very good. It will also depend on how directable she is. Yes, they can do multiple takes (if they can afford to, since that adds to a movie budget very quickly). One bigger issue is the "live" singing, which means she needs to both sound good AND nail the acting (a little bit more of a challenge for Barks, so it seems). So we'll see.

But, as the saying goes for movie acting, all you need is one good take.

EDIT: I'm actually hoping with all of them, not just her specifically, that if they nail a good film take but the vocals aren't quite there, they go back and "loop" the singing in a booth, just like they would with dialogue. I would think it's inevitable that a million things could happen, especially during battle scenes. Sometimes, they loop dialogue just because someone's shoes are clacking away in the background ruining the sound. That sort of thing.

Updated On: 2/1/12 at 04:12 PM

[picturetaker9211]

Posted: 2/1/12 at 4:31pm

I don't know if this will change opinions or not, but here's a song that Amanda sang in for Dear John...

I never saw Mamma Mia (don't care for the story line or music really), but hopefully Amanda will exceed expectations.
Little House

[best12bars]

Posted: 2/1/12 at 4:37pm

I'm already won over by her casting, but this does show she has a nice high range. I'm looking forward to her singing of this "French" material. I think her specific voice will give it colors we haven't heard before, and in a refreshing way.

Thanks for posting it.

[JP2]

Posted: 2/1/12 at 4:58pm

Seyfried sounds just lovely in that song. Thanks for posting.

[jo]

Posted: 2/1/12 at 5:18pm

Hugh Jackman can open a film other than XMEN --

http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=main&id=realsteel.htm

REAL STEEL has grossed close to $ 300 million worldwide. It is also the top rental/best selling DVD on its first week of release.

Interestingly, he has the most diverse fanbase - the fanboys, the tween-boys ( REAL STEEL's appeal and XMEN - his 30 second cameo in FIRST CLASS has been voted as best cameo for 2011), the theatre fans, the female fanbase, and maybe some of the more mature male audiences. But I don't think that was the only reason why they chose him for the Valjean role so swiftly ( no pun intended). He is the only member of that cast who has a proven track record in movies and musical theatre! He has the acting chops, the singing ability, the physicality to show Valjean's strength, and a big screen presence.

I think he and Amanda will have strong chemistry as adoptive father and daughter - and I am hoping that any new material/music will be to highlight their changing relationship (in the Neeson movie, Cosette was somewhat resentful that her father has been overly protective) as Cosette is drawn to Marius, after years of protective care from her adoptive father.

[jo]

Posted: 2/1/12 at 5:31pm

May I share Jackman's thoughts on how to approach film work versus theatre, based on a recent interview --

>>>
Q: Is there a difference in your approach to theater and film work?


A: Not really. As an actor, you have many tools—your body, your voice, your emotions, your mentality. If you’re performing in front of twenty-five hundred people, you need to get to the person in the back. There’s a mental process to that. On film, you’re going to make everything quieter. Your eyes are very important because they communicate your thought process. In fact, in film, what you don’t say is more important than what you do say. That’s not so much the case onstage. I’m forever grateful that I did theater first. I think it’s much easier to distill the technique from theater than to say, “Oh, let’s just add water to film.” There are definitely muscles that you need on the stage that you don’t develop in film.

Having said that, if you haven’t done your work as an actor and you don’t know what’s going on internally for the character you’re playing onstage, particularly if it’s a musical, and there’s no real thought behind the song, no one will feel anything.<<<

[Colle]

Posted: 2/1/12 at 5:42pm

Overall, I liked Samantha as Eponine in the concert. Hopefully, she will be even stronger.

[Owen22]

Posted: 2/1/12 at 6:17pm

Sam's singing "Defying Gravity" was her low point on the show. But she obviously studied and has grown vocally because she sings the hell out of "On My Own" in the O2 concert and I'm sure her "Defying Gravity" would be extremely better now. So please do not judge her on that clip from "I'll Do Anything".

Personally, I wanted Lea Michelle for the role. But I want Lea for most any role out there. I would have accepted Swift if only for the synergy, a young hot female pop singer in a role she really fit well (maybe not vocally but I would have trusted the film makers). Plus, it would have brought in people who may not have necessarily gone to see a 'Les Miz" movie, and the bigger the box office for "Les Miz" the greater chances of other Broadway musicals being adapted to film.

But if we had to go with an unknown, she seems to me to be a great choice.

[Ourtime992]

Posted: 2/1/12 at 6:27pm

Wow, maybe I haaven't seen enough great Eponines in my day, but Samantha Barks absolutely rocked my socks off in the concert. I am excited to see her play the role again.

[jpbran]

Posted: 2/1/12 at 6:38pm

"Hugh Jackman can open a film other than XMEN..." But that was a CGI-heavy film whose effects reminded people of the zillion-dollar grossing "Transformers" dreck. And it was about boxing robots. Boxing robots. Not singing & dying 19th century French folk.

As to the "bankability" of Seyfried, all but one of her movies post-"Mia" have underperformed at the box office.

Those being said, I'm looking forward to both of them (hopefully) impressing in their roles, but I'm under no impression this is even close to a foregone success, $$-wise.

[jo]

Posted: 2/1/12 at 7:15pm

>"Hugh Jackman can open a film other than XMEN..." But that was a CGI-heavy film whose effects reminded people of the zillion-dollar grossing "Transformers" dreck. And it was about boxing robots. Boxing robots.<<<

Did you even see it? Its main theme is redemption - of a father who neglected a son he knew nothing about and found a way to share a future together, albeit at a slightly futuristic time.

A theme which somewhat coincides with the life of Valjean ( that of personal redemption) albeit in a very different way -- such as against a backdrop of

>singing & dying 19th century French folk.<<<

If he can sing to a Broadhurst-full of theatre folks and sing successfully ( critics and paying audience in awe!), I don't see why he cannot also have the same impact in a movie musical.

So, who do you think will bring people to the cinemas for LES MISERABLES, other than admiration for the musical itself? The movie has assembled a very good cast and I think there is no use dissing them at this point-- watch for their performances when the film is released and judge as to how they have or have not contributed to the beauty of the film!


Btw, Hollywood pundit Jeffrey Wells ( Hollywood Elsewhere) has already made some predictions of the Oscar race for 2012 films --
http://hollywood-elsewhere.com/2012/01/likeliest_2012.php

Les Miserables is included among the possibilities.

And if you scroll down to read his response to a query, he also avers that there are 3 movies in the list that are expected to "make serious money" and Les Miserables is among them.












Updated On: 2/1/12 at 07:15 PM

[adam.peterson44]

Posted: 2/1/12 at 8:38pm

I find myself wondering how they plan to handle accents. The actors playing the leads have natural accents including Australian, British, and American. Since the characters are all from France, they could ask everyone to try to do a similar French accent, but that is not the standard approach to stories set in non-English-speaking foreign countries but acted in English. It might be distracting if the accents are different, which sort of suggests that the characters are from different regions. (It sort of implies that they are speaking their native language and we are hearing what their words mean in English, but if their accents in English are different, it could suggest that the character accents in French are different, if that makes sense.)

They could also standardize them to a similar English-speaking accent, to make it seem like the characters are all from France with similar accents in French, and choose either Australian, British, or American and ask the actors with different native ones to try to match the chosen one, or maybe just let the actors go with pronunciations close to their native ones, but with some vowels sounds tweaked on all of them to bring them closer to each other but not land them fully in any of the three regions where the actors are from.

Any guesses as to what they might do or precedent in similar cases where the actors have different native accents but there is no obvious English-speaking accent that should apply since the characters would be speaking a different language altogether?

Curious to hear people's thoughts about it.

[Fan2]

Posted: 2/1/12 at 8:43pm

Hollywood wide-release movie, American accents.

[Mrs Mangel]

Posted: 2/2/12 at 4:23am

I just have this fantasy that they end up casting a bunch of past stage Fantines as the factory workers to taunt Anne Hathaway- Randy Graff, Ruthie Henshall, Debra Byrne- with LuPone being the most aggresive...it could work...

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 2/2/12 at 9:13am

"Addy end of the day shezzuh one who begannit!"

Yes, I would love Patti LuPone as the Factory Girl. Love it. And all the past Fantines idea.

[best12bars]

Posted: 2/2/12 at 10:07am

The problem with any cameo is that it instantly pulls you out of the story. They should be used very sparingly, and two (already) is plenty. While it's fun to see a familiar face, even for a select fan-based audience, I really don't need to "multitask" with "name that Fantine" while I watch the factory-worker scene. I don't need to interact with this movie and push buttons as to my favorite solo line, and I don't need to vote for a winner of the French Revolution or any of its prior/smaller battles.

Hopefully this story will work well enough without having to resort to gimmickry to keep its audience engaged.

Then again, maybe not.

As for the accent question? A light British accent, naturally, because it's a filmed period piece and Americans have come to expect it---whether the characters are from New Jersey or Taiwan.

EDIT: Except for the Thenardiers, who will have typical, broad, East End Cockney accents as if they grew up in Whitechapel.

Updated On: 2/3/12 at 10:07 AM