Samantha Barks to Play Eponine in LES MIS Film- Page 7
Samantha Barks to Play Eponine in LES MIS Film
Samantha Barks to Play Eponine in LES MIS Film #150
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.
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/28/07
Samantha Barks to Play Eponine in LES MIS Film #151
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."
Samantha Barks to Play Eponine in LES MIS Film #152
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).
Samantha Barks to Play Eponine in LES MIS Film #153
Posted: 2/4/12 at 6:58pmI'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.
Samantha Barks to Play Eponine in LES MIS Film #154
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
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/2/07
Samantha Barks to Play Eponine in LES MIS Film #155
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.
:/
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
Samantha Barks to Play Eponine in LES MIS Film #156
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.
Samantha Barks to Play Eponine in LES MIS Film #157
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!
Broadway Star Joined: 6/2/05
Samantha Barks to Play Eponine in LES MIS Film #158
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
Samantha Barks to Play Eponine in LES MIS Film #159
Posted: 2/4/12 at 8:32pmI was there. And no.
Samantha Barks to Play Eponine in LES MIS Film #160
Posted: 2/4/12 at 10:02pmLea 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.
Broadway Star Joined: 6/2/05
Samantha Barks to Play Eponine in LES MIS Film #161
Posted: 2/4/12 at 10:31pm^ my thoughts exactly.
Samantha Barks to Play Eponine in LES MIS Film #162
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.
Samantha Barks to Play Eponine in LES MIS Film #163
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.
Samantha Barks to Play Eponine in LES MIS Film #164
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
Samantha Barks to Play Eponine in LES MIS Film #165
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
Samantha Barks to Play Eponine in LES MIS Film #166
Posted: 2/5/12 at 12:20pmI 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.
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/21/06
Samantha Barks to Play Eponine in LES MIS Film #167
Posted: 2/5/12 at 1:11pmSpork, 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.
Samantha Barks to Play Eponine in LES MIS Film #168
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.
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/8/05
Samantha Barks to Play Eponine in LES MIS Film #169
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
Videos
