Several new HQ clips - Who Am I, On My Own, Look Down...- Page 3

[followspot]

Posted: 11/30/12 at 11:54pm

Updated On: 12/1/12 at 11:54 PM

[EponineThenardier]

Posted: 12/1/12 at 3:06am

LOVE On My Own. It looks beautiful.

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 12/1/12 at 3:26am

Amanda sounds exactly as I feared...horrible. Thin sopranos are like nails on a chalkboard, it's just such an ugly sound and that vibrato is just...no.

[Dave19]

Posted: 12/1/12 at 6:55am

I love the clips of "At the end of the day" and "On my own".

Anne and Samantha have a natural way of combining the singing with the acting, wich gives me goosebumps, it looks and feels real.

Now, that is exactly what is really, really wrong with Russel Crowe's performance. That feels jarring, very uncomfortable and I actually feel a bit ashamed watching it. There is no connection whatsoever between the "singing" and the acting. It sounds amateurish to say the least. His performance reminds me of Pierce Brosnan's performance in Mamma Mia. Also, he is constantly ahead of the timing of the music, very annoying. The difference in quality of being able to convey emotions through singing on screen in this film is huge.

While Anne and Samantha really take me on a journey with every word, movement, intonation and note, Hugh Jackman has good moments, but also bad moments.
In the clip "Javert releases prisoner" there are some unnatural, weird moments. For example the word "bread" is way too exaggerated. Which makes the rest of the sentence immediately unbelievable. You think, oh, now he's acting, oh, now he's trying to sing again. That is an example of a failed moment. Another moment that does not work is "It means I'm free". Totally unbelievable because of the separation between the acting and the singing. The next sentence "slave of the law" is very good. That's exactly how it should be. "my name is Jean Valjean" is also well done. So with Hugh it's about 50/50 at the moment for me.

Same goes for the "Who am I" clip. Some good moments, some really unbelievable moments.

It might have to do with Hughs unnatural way of singing. It seems like he is putting on this "vibrato trick", which immediately disconnetcs the emotion. The moments he is letting this go, are immediately better sung and acted.

It seems like many actors in this film do not have the natural ability of acting through song, and that there was some kind of atmosphere on set to tone down the singing, because they thought that "well sung" equals "live theatre like". Wrong. Hugh's wrong moments in the film are extremely theatrical.

My point is, that if something is sung really well, emotionally connected, by someone who masters the craft of singing extremely well and act through it, only then a performance will work well in a musical film.

For example, this clip from 1:55

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qi_yL8_Y2QE

This actor has a very natural way of conveying the emotions, and it feels much more real.

Or imagine a Javert like this on film. This is what I call great acting.
These people DO master the craft, just like Anne and Samantha and it's clear how well this kind of singing works on film. Don't you think that every single person on earth would be more swept off it's feet by a performer like this than they are by Russel Crowe?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFr6nk4ry4Y








Updated On: 12/1/12 at 06:55 AM

[peachesr82]

Posted: 12/1/12 at 8:04am

I'm no super fan of this musical so I don't have that devotion to the show that others here clearly have and I'm not going sit and examine every inflection of every line. I have to say, I seem to be one of the few who isn't offended by Russell Crowe. Yes, better people have sung the role, but I see where they were coming from casting someone who's got that gritty, bulldog determination to contrast with Jackman. I can't honestly think of a another middle aged major movie star who could have stepped into the role. Perhaps I'll change my mind after seeing the movie but he doesn't bother me.
Amanda, worries me more but again, I get the idea of having more of a delicate little voice, I see what they're aiming for, but not sure whether she pulls it off.
Anne is just superb, everything I've seen of her in this is just fantastic, something bout watching her really hits me emotionally. Samantha looks solid and Eddie seems to just light up. It's all good to me.
They're clearly avoiding releasing to much, particularly any of the bigger songs, I'd like to see some of the students and Thenardiers though.

[Owen22]

Posted: 12/1/12 at 10:20am

Oh my God, are you people REALLY dissecting how single WORDS are being sung in this? God save us from theatre queens.

I actually didn't think Russell sounded so awful, though I'd been prepared for the worst.

[StageManager2]

Posted: 12/1/12 at 10:20am

Seyfried sounds terrible, like a chipmunk on helium; Redmayne is good but that lighting does him no favors. Depending on the light/angle, he can look either hideous or handsome. In "My Week with Marilyn," he was adorable, but here he looks like a ventriloquist's dummy. And that CGI butterfly is so cheesy!

Furthermore, my God, the close-ups! It's too much! I felt like the merchant at the beginning of Aladdin: "Too close! A little bit too close!" As someone stated in another forum, "It's like holding a handheld in the face of every actor of some amateur production of Les Miserables." I don't know how I'll be able to stand all that for 2.5 hours.

[broadway guy]

Posted: 12/1/12 at 10:44am

heart full of love:eddie sounds geeat! amanda is to shaky.her singing is to pitchy and the vibrato is killing it for me.

who am i: perfect

end of the day: Love the foreman.Anne is heartbreaking,she is so winning her oscar.the factory ladies are...okay..I wish they sounded mmore full and rich.

On my own:sam nails it.

Prologue: crowe sounds great.

Im not understanding the hate for crowe.I think his voice sounds reallly strong.Amanda is the weakest out of all of them.

I CANT HERE THE DAMM ORCHESTRA!!!!!!it almost sounds like they are singing acapella,the music is so quiet i hope it doesnt sound like that in the theatre.

I have no problem with closeups.

[mamaleh]

Posted: 12/1/12 at 11:13am

Quast is great in that clip. His intensity and power fit the venue: playing to the far reaches of the balcony. But to do so in a movie would be off-putting, to say the least. Film is necessarily toned down because it's so in-your-face. I trust that Hooper has made the right cinematic decisions.

[mamaleh]

Posted: 12/1/12 at 11:17am

That would be great, but one has to have cable, phone, etc. service through Optimum to qualify for free tickets on Tuesdays. If you don't live in its service area, you can't partake.

[muchadoabout_me2]

Posted: 12/1/12 at 11:36am

Is anyone else confused by how in the trailer, there's the "Who was that girl" exchange between Marius and Eponine, and yet there's still the "I do not even know your name" lyric in A Heart Full of Love?

[Kad]

Posted: 12/1/12 at 11:47am

Oh boy, I can't wait to read the paragraphs and paragraphs of nitpicky, inane analysis that will appear when the film actually comes out.

[StageManager2]

Posted: 12/1/12 at 11:55am

Is anyone else confused by how in the trailer, there's the "Who was that girl" exchange between Marius and Eponine, and yet there's still the "I do not even know your name" lyric in A Heart Full of Love?

I think that was just for the trailer. Oftentimes trailers contain deleted scenes or altered dialog that are not found in the final product. For example, the My Week with Marilyn trailer has this bit:

Marilyn: Shall I be her?
Colin: Who?
Marilyn: Marilyn!

But in the actual film Marilyn just asks "Shall I be her?" and then proceeds to switch on the Marilyn persona for the adoring crowds, with no response from Colin.

Another example I can think of is in the Chicago trailer Velma warns Roxie to "Keep your paws off my lawyer!" but the actual line in the film is "Keep your paws off my underwear!" It was clearly dubbed "lawyer" for the trailer to emphasize that they're both fighting for the same attorney. So it's probably the same thing with the Les Miz trailer -- Eponine says something else but for the trailer they dub her saying "Cosette" to establish that Marius doesn't know her.

Updated On: 12/1/12 at 11:55 AM

[Dave19]

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

@owen22

Ehm, yes.

We are discussing the way words/sentences are sung.
That's the whole point of a movie musical.

Getting emotions across through singing.

And we are not allowed to discuss it because of what?

Why do you like the "disconnected from emotion" strange notes of Jackman so much?



Updated On: 12/1/12 at 01:45 PM

[Dave19]

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

"Film is necessarily toned down" is not an excuse.

That's the big misconception here.
Jackman is more theatrical than a lot of great stage Valjeans.
Only in the wrong moments.

[Kad]

Posted: 12/1/12 at 2:09pm

You've seen the film, then?

[ABB2357]

Posted: 12/1/12 at 2:29pm

I've seen the completed film and had the same sound issues that Michellek45 mentioned. The mixing/design are horrible. All the battle scenes are ear-piercingly loud, but the orchestra is soft throughout and never overpowering.

I saw it in a perfectly calibrated theater for an awards screening, so it was definitely no fault of the venue. Also, her comments about the vocals just being thrown on top of the orchestra are dead on.

[Wildcard]

Posted: 12/1/12 at 3:38pm

Do yourself (and us all) a favor Dave19... DON'T see this movie. 90% of your posts on any topic have been negative. You are unable to distinguish between film and stage performances. If you see the film, you might get an aneurysm.

[BroomstickBoy]

Posted: 12/1/12 at 4:09pm

I didn't know Hugh-perpetually-embarrassed-Grant was the role model for this Marius portrayal.

I may be biased, because I can't stand either Marius or Cosette. Both are grating, annoying, whiny characters...who get good songs for some reason.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 12/1/12 at 4:13pm

I think Amanda sounds and looks great. Judging purely from these clips, I'm less keen about the amount of singing towards the camera (something I hate), though honestly, I'm not sure how else some of these songs could be done.

[NYC4Life]

Posted: 12/1/12 at 4:20pm

I went to a screening of the film and loved it. I don't see any way it could have been done better. all the actors were strong and the singing was raw and connected emotionally. Russell Crowe and Amanda Seyfried are getting so much backlash on these boards that no matter how rich their performances are people are going to complain. Crowe has a steady an consistent passion throughout that makes one feel uneasy. It was perfect for Javert. Seyfried has such a glow and truthfulness that she made Cosette believable as someone that is the center of all these characters lives. She is why this story happens and you don't wonder why.

Hugh Jackman is the heart and soul. I hope he gets a nomination and wins the oscar. He has the Golden Globe in the bag.

Hathaway = Oscar.


I do feel sorry for people who have made up their mind that any of these actors are wrong or not playing their part well. Odds are you won't be able to focus on how wonderful all the pieces of this film are. If you want to hear it like your favorite broadway singers. Go to youtube, amazon (for the two concerts, or many cast recordings) or wait for it to come back to broadway or through your home town. This is a very unique and fresh moment for movie musicals. Brovo Tom Hooper. Anne Hathaway, Eddie Redmayne, Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe and Amanda Seyfried.

[Dave19]

Posted: 12/1/12 at 4:45pm

Wildcard, do you have any idea what you are talking about?

Is Samantha Barks giving a "stage performance" just because she played the part on stage? No.

I am talking about mastering the craft of singing and combining it with the acting.

People like Philip Quast, Anne Hathaway, Samantha Barks do this.

People like Russel Crowe do not do this.

People like Hugh Jackman do this at times, and fails miserably at other times.

It has nothing to do with stage/screen. Of course a screen is more intimate, but mastering the art is the first thing actors need, the second thing is to bring that to the screen, listen to the director and keep it real. If the first sentence feels real and the second does not, something is wrong.

And that's what is happening in "Javert releases prisoner" and "Who am I".

I just watched all the clips again and I think I have the answer.
The most important thing in a film like this is that the singing comes very naturally for the actor, like an extension of speech.
Hugh Jackman can sing reasonably well, but it does not come naturally for him. When he starts to sing he uses a trick, a vibrato, a technique that feels a bit fake. That is why I feel his acting and his singing are too disconnected at times. Especially when he goes into that "mode".







Updated On: 12/1/12 at 04:45 PM

[boggess]

Posted: 12/1/12 at 5:57pm

I hated Russell Crowe's voice the first time I heard the clip, but I went back and listened to it again and it's growing on me. Anne Hathaway is already bringing tears to my eyes. And Eddie Redmayne sounds awesome. Like others, I do hope the orchestra is louder in the actual film. It sounds very uneven as-is.

[Kad]

Posted: 12/1/12 at 6:04pm

I'm glad you can analyze the performances based on about 5 minutes of clips. Can't wait to read the dissertation you'll write once you see the full length film.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 12/1/12 at 6:11pm

What, you don't appreciate the insight into Hugh Jackman's psyche?