Samantha Barks to Play Eponine in LES MIS Film- Page 7

[best12bars]

Posted: 2/4/12 at 11:49am

I can tell you where she fails for me right up front and I have to stop watching (I'm talking about On My Own) ...

She needs to wipe that giant "When You Wish Upon a Star" smile off her face. It's horrible. Eponine is a child of the streets. An urchin. A pauper. Let the words and her eyes tell us how hopeful she is, belying everything that exists around her.

That big chewy smile says to me she just left a Disney Princess training camp.

Big fail.

EDIT: Just went back and watched the rest of On My Own, although why, I don't know (maybe to see it through and hope for an improvement). It didn't help. Her acting is horrible, and she shouts the song. She has no idea what she's singing about.

Updated On: 2/4/12 at 11:49 AM

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 2/4/12 at 2:52pm

I was listening to Swift's song, "Story of Us" and I think some of the lyrics in this song might've happened to her again when she went to London:

"Oh, a simple complication, Miscommunications lead to fall-out."

[masterwolfie]

Posted: 2/4/12 at 3:07pm

@best12bars: I'm not sure which came first, but I think Samantha Barks' facial expressions are a lot better in the 25th anniversary concert. Either way, the beginning of the song is kind of bittersweet, so smiling there is okay (imo).

[sueb1863]

Posted: 2/4/12 at 6:58pm

I'm pretty sure Tom Hooper will, shall we say, wipe the Disney Princess smile off her face. I'm sure he knows exactly what he wants in that song and he isn't going to let her grin her way through it.

[kec]

Posted: 2/4/12 at 6:59pm

MasterWolfie, the Royal Variety came after the O2 concert. As for her smile, since she is singing about the man she loves the smile makes sense to me.

Edited to correct the spelling on Master Wolfie's name... sorry about that!

Updated On: 2/4/12 at 06:59 PM

[JP2]

Posted: 2/4/12 at 7:03pm

I respect your opinion, best12bars, but I don't feel that any of your complaints with Barks are sound.

:/

[jo]

Posted: 2/4/12 at 7:36pm

>>>MasterWolfe, the Royal Variety came after the O2 concert. As for her smile, since she is singing about the man she loves the smile makes sense to me<<<

Quite a contrast to Les Salonga's iconic version, though. Her expression mirrored hurt, hopelessness, and misery.

[My Oh My]

Posted: 2/4/12 at 7:51pm

Salonga was good and got the first half right. I still think, although not necessarily wrong or bad, the second half comes off too pissed off for my taste and that has the same function as making it too weepy--it kills the chaos of mixed feelings going on during that portion. Of course, I'm referring to her 10th ann. concert performance and I should point out that one performance is only one and not representative of her Eponine, which was much more varied and effective in several audios I have of her.

I don't like to engage in the so and so vs. so and so debates seen on YouTube but to this day, nobody has topped Sutton Foster's incredibly nuanced, effective, honest take...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SWW0mCrocQ

Speaking of silly Youtube debates, yes, I can be found arguing with a silly troll right under that video and I regret ever having given them the time of day, but some people just make me so mad!!! It's one thing to not prefer someone in a role, but to troll a video for almost 2 years (no kidding) flagging every positive comment and creating troll accounts to talk trash is grating when it goes on for so long. I fail to see any semblance of "TERRIBLE!" in Sutton's performance. Ugh, at any rate.

I agree about the smiling being far more effective when there's some despair mixed into it. Sutton does that so well, it hurts. Wah!

Updated On: 2/4/12 at 07:51 PM

[HBP]

Posted: 2/4/12 at 8:27pm

Say what you will, but I truly think Lea Michele could have been great. I don't watch Glee, but you can't deny she has a good voice and, judging by these two clips from the Hollywood Bowl, she could have acted it pretty well, too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qsrMckI97E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5a5xc9woZo

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 2/4/12 at 8:32pm

I was there. And no.

[michellek45]

Posted: 2/4/12 at 10:02pm

Lea Michele is a good singer, yes, but I think she's too polished for this part. I will say I really like her "A Little Fall of Rain" for the sole reason that she actually sounds like she's dying. I don't understand why Eponines (or at least most of the ones I've seen/heard) don't sing that song like they have a gaping wound in their chest.

[HBP]

Posted: 2/4/12 at 10:31pm

^ my thoughts exactly.

[Taryn]

Posted: 2/5/12 at 2:43am

I respect your opinion, best12bars, but I don't feel that any of your complaints with Barks are sound.

Well, I do. I see the exact same sort of generic quality to her. And I'm not particularly blown away by her voice, either. I think she sounds like she's yelling a lot.

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 2/5/12 at 6:48am

Calm down dear.

When Samantha Barks filmed both the 02 concert and the Royal Variety Concert, they were exactly what it says on the tin a 'concert', where acting is very much second place.

[Dave19]

Posted: 2/5/12 at 8:35am

Exactly.

Imagine we would have heard Amanda Seyfried singing the Cosette songs in concert . Now THAT is something to worry about.

We should be glad that Samantha Barks is able to deliver the role this well, even though it's just in a concert.
Film is very different. She had a very elaborate audition process, so we don't know anything about her acting skills and what she delivered on film during those auditions.





Updated On: 2/5/12 at 08:35 AM

[Dave19]

Posted: 2/5/12 at 8:36am

Exactly.

Imagine we would have heard Amanda Seyfried singing the Cosette songs in concert . Now THAT is something to worry about.

We should be glad that Samantha Barks is able to deliver the role this well, even though it's just in a concert.
Film is very different. She had a very elaborate audition process, so we don't know anything about her acting skills and what she delivered on film during those auditions.

Updated On: 2/5/12 at 08:36 AM

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 2/5/12 at 12:20pm

I think that Lea Michele overacts on television. I can barely watch her sing during Glee, so I can't even imagine how painful her overwrought facial expressions would be during Les Mis.

[Wildcard]

Posted: 2/5/12 at 1:11pm

Spork, I'd have to agree. I liked Lea in Spring Awakening but on Glee, I can't bear to look at her sing. She's still singing to the back row even though she has a close-up on tv.

[theminutepast]

Posted: 2/5/12 at 8:10pm

I'm not sure it's fair to base a judgement of Lea Michele's acting abilities on Glee. The whole show is fluffy and over-the-top. So it makes sense to me that Lea Michele would overact on that show.

I wasn't at the Hollywood Bowl concert, but I've seen the videos of her performance. I liked her as Eponine. I thought she was better than average, and better than Samantha Barks' concert Eponine.

[MrMidwest]

Posted: 5/29/12 at 7:15pm

A few different vids of Sam doing On My Own:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzR7IakemEk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPgyBDBKvOE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThL0cvzwnsU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAugBdMMdM0