Les Misérables DVD 2012 The Musical Phenomenon / Directed by Tom Hooper / Starring: Hugh Jackman, Russel Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Helena Bonham Carter

UPC 5050582946949

REGION 2,4,5 PAL DVD

MADE IN GERMANY

AUDIO: English 5.1, English 2.0 Audio Description Track

SUBTITLES: English SDH, Icelandic

Total Runtime: 151 minutes

English Summary:

Les Misérables is a 2012 epic historical period musical film directed by Tom Hooper and scripted by William Nicholson, Alain Boublil, who wrote the original French lyrics, Claude-Michel Schönberg, who wrote the music, and Herbert Kretzmer, who wrote the English lyrics, based on the 1862 French novel of the same name by Victor Hugo, which also inspired a 1980 musical by Boublil and Schönberg. The film is a British and American venture distributed by Universal Pictures. The film stars an ensemble cast led by Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Eddie Redmayne, Amanda Seyfried, Helena Bonham Carter, and Sacha Baron Cohen.

In 1815, French prisoner Jean Valjean is released on parole from the Bagne of Toulon after serving nineteen years for stealing a loaf of bread for his sister’s daughter and trying to escape multiple times. On the outside, Valjean's anger rises as his paroled status prevents him from getting work or accommodation. He is offered shelter by the kindly Bishop of Digne, but Valjean steals his silverware. Captured by police and taken to the Bishop, Valjean is shocked when the Bishop answers he offered him the silver, telling him to use it to do something worthwhile with his life. Moved by the Bishop's words, Valjean decides to break his parole and start a new life.

Eight years later in 1823, Valjean is now a respected factory owner and mayor of Montreuil, Pas-de-Calais. He is shocked when Javert, formerly a Toulon prison guard, arrives as his new chief of police. Javert suspects Valjean's real identity when he rescues an injured worker trapped under a heavy cart. One of Valjean's workers, Fantine, is dismissed by the factory foreman upon learning she has an illegitimate daughter Cosette, whom she left to live with the greedy innkeepers, the Thénardiers, and to whom she sends all her earnings. To support her daughter, Fantine sells her hair, her teeth, becomes a prostitute and is arrested by Javert when she attacks an abusive customer. Valjean, learning who she is, rescues her and takes her to the hospital.

Cast:

• Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean, a Frenchman released from Toulon prison after 19 years of imprisonment for stealing bread and failed attempts at escaping from the prison.^[13] Around June 2011, Jackman met with producer Cameron Mackintosh to audition in New York.^[14] To prepare for the role, Jackman lost 15 pounds (6.8 kg) and later regained 30 pounds (14 kg) to mirror his character's success.^[14] He avoided drinking coffee, warmed up at least 15 minutes every day, kept Ricola lozenges, drank as much as seven litres of water per day, sat in steam three times a day, took cold baths and used a wet washcloth over his face while flying, citing the musical's original co-director Trevor Nunn for his training.^[15] He worked extensively with vocal coach Joan Lader, and managed to extend his vocal range, which he originally categorised a high baritone, up to tenor.^[16]
• Russell Crowe as Javert, a police inspector dedicating his life to imprisoning Valjean once again.^[13] Before being cast as Javert, Crowe was initially dissatisfied with the character. On his way to Europe for a friend's wedding, Crowe came to London and met with producer Cameron Mackintosh. On meeting with Tom Hooper, he told the director about his concerns about playing Javert, and after meeting with him, Crowe was "determined to be involved in the project and play Javert. I think it had something to do with Tom's passion for what he was about to undertake, and he clearly understood the problems and he clearly understood the challenge."^[17] On visiting Victor Hugo's home in Paris, Crowe said, "[The house's curator] told me about [19th century detective Eugene Francois] Vidocq, a man who had been both a prisoner and a policeman, the man credited with inventing undercover police work when he established the Brigade de Surete."^[14]
• Anne Hathaway as Fantine, the mother of Cosette and a struggling factory worker, who resorts to prostitution.^[18][19][20] When Hathaway was cast, she stated, "There was resistance because I was between their ideal ages for the parts—maybe not mature enough for Fantine but past the point where I could believably play Cosette."^[14]
• Amanda Seyfried as Cosette, the illegitimate daughter of Fantine, who is kept by the Thénardiers until Valjean buys her from them. On developing Cosette, Seyfried said, "In the little time that I had to explain Cosette and give the audience a reason [to see her as] a symbol of love and strength and light in this tragedy, I needed to be able to convey things you may not have connected with in the show."^[21] A vocal coach was enlisted to help her with the songs.^[22] Isabelle Allen plays Cosette as a child.^[23] On working with her fellow actors, Allen said, "They gave us lots of tips and mostly [made] sure we were all OK. They were really nice."^[24]
• Eddie Redmayne as Marius Pontmercy, a student revolutionary who is friends with the Thenardiers' daughter, Éponine, but falls in love with Cosette.^[25][26][27] He found director Hooper's vision "incredibly helpful". On collaborating with Hooper, Redmayne said, "He was incredibly collaborative. Certainly during the rehearsal process, we sat with Tom and the Victor Hugo book adding things."^[28] It was Redmayne who suggested to Hooper that his character's song, "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables", should begin a cappella in order to better express Marius' guilt and pain.
• Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen as the Thénardiers, a pair of swindling innkeepers.^[29][30][31] Hooper previously collaborated with Bonham Carter in The King's Speech, in which she portrayed Queen Elizabeth, King George VI's wife.^[32] Baron Cohen and Bonham Carter previously co-starred in the film adaptation of the musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. When Baron Cohen accepted the role of Thénardier, he had to abandon Django Unchained.^[33]
• Samantha Barks as Éponine, the Thénardiers' daughter.^[34] Having previously played the role at the 25th Anniversary concert and in the West End production, Barks said "there was similarities in playing the role—they're the same character—but Eponine in the novel and Eponine in the musical are two kind of different girls, so to me it was the thrill of merging those two together, to get something that still had that heart and soul that we all connect to in the musical, but also the awkward, self-loathing teenager that we see in the novel, trying to merge those two together." She found Jackman "fascinating to learn from, and I feel like that's the way it should be done".^[35]
• Aaron Tveit as Enjolras, the leader of Les Amis de l'ABC. Hoping to play Marius, Tveit submitted an audition tape in which he sang "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" and "In My Life". He had never performed any role in the musical. He also said of Enjolras that "once I got more and more familiar with the material and when I read the novel, I was like, 'Wow this is a really, really great role,' and I felt very much better suited for it." Tveit said the shooting of the film was "almost as grueling as a marathon".^[36]
• Daniel Huttlestone as Gavroche, the wise and heroic street boy, who displays a fresh, lucid and ironical look over the French society. He had performed the same role at the Queen's Theatre in London, where he stayed with the show for 1 year, before being cast for reprising it in the present film. His performance was praised both by public and critics, some of whom see him as a real scene-stealer.

Colm Wilkinson and Frances Ruffelle, two of the original cast members involved in the West End and Broadway productions of the English version (as Jean Valjean and Éponine, respectively), make appearances. Wilkinson plays the Bishop of Digne, while Ruffelle plays a prostitute.^{[citation needed]} Hadley Fraser, who previously played Grantaire in the 25th Anniversary Concert and Javert at West End, appears as the Army General. Another West End actor, Gina Beck, appears as one of the "Turning Women". Michael Jibson plays the foreman of the factory in which Fantine works and is fired from.^[31] Bertie Carvel has a cameo as Bamatabois, a dandy who sexually harasses Fantine.

Several actors in the West End production of the musical appear as members of the student society, including George Blagden as Grantaire;^[37] Killian Donnelly as Combeferre; Fra Fee as Courfeyrac; Alistair Brammer as Jean Prouvaire; Hugh Skinner as Joly;^[38] Gabriel Vick as Feuilly;^[39] Iwan Lewis as Bahorel; and Stuart Neal as Bossuet. Blagden was cast in January 2012.^[40] Other stage actors including Hannah Waddingham, Daniel Evans and Kerry Ellis have small parts in the film along with actors who previously starred in various productions of Les Misérables.

Sound track:

1. "Look Down" – Convicts, Javert, Valjean^†§
2. "The Bishop" – Bishop of Digne^†§
3. "Valjean's Soliloquy" – Valjean^†§
4. "At the End of the Day" – Poor, Foreman, Workers, Factory Women, Fantine, Valjean^†§
5. "The Runaway Cart" – Valjean, Javert
6. "The Docks (Lovely Ladies)" – Sailors, Old Woman, Fantine, Crone, Whores, Pimp, Toothman^§
7. "I Dreamed a Dream" – Fantine^†§
8. "Fantine's Arrest" – Bamatabois, Fantine, Javert, Valjean^§
9. "Who Am I?" – Valjean^§
10. "Fantine's Death" – Fantine, Valjean^§
11. "The Confrontation" – Javert, Valjean^†§
12. "Castle on a Cloud" – Young Cosette, Mme. Thénardier^†§
13. "Master of the House" – Thénardier, Mme. Thénardier, Inn Patrons^†§
14. "The Well Scene" – Valjean, Young Cosette^§
15. "The Bargain" – Valjean, Thénardier, Mme. Thénardier^§
16. "The Thénardier Waltz of Treachery" – Thénardier, Valjean, Mme. Thénardier, Young Cosette^§
17. "Suddenly" – Valjean^†§
18. "The Convent" – Valjean^§
19. "Stars" – Javert^§
20. "Paris/Look Down" – Gavroche, Beggars, Enjolras, Marius, Students^§
21. "The Robbery" – Thénardier, Mme. Thénardier, Éponine, Valjean^§
22. "Javert's Intervention" – Javert, Thénardier^§
23. "Éponine's Errand" - Éponine, Marius
24. "ABC Café/Red and Black" – Students, Enjolras, Marius, Grantaire, Gavroche^†§
25. "In My Life" – Cosette, Valjean, Marius, Éponine^§
26. "A Heart Full of Love" – Marius, Cosette, Éponine^†§
27. "The Attack on Rue Plumet" – Thénardier, Thieves, Éponine, Valjean
28. "On My Own" – Éponine^†§
29. "One Day More" – Valjean, Marius, Cosette, Éponine, Enjolras, Javert, Thénardier, Mme. Thénardier, Cast of Les Misérables^†§
30. "Do You Hear the People Sing?" – Enjolras, Marius, Students, Beggars^§
31. "Building the Barricade (Upon These Stones)" – Enjolras, Javert, Gavroche, Students^§
32. "Javert's Arrival" – Javert, Enjolras^§
33. "Little People" – Gavroche, Students, Enjolras, Javert^§
34. "A Little Fall of Rain" – Éponine, Marius^§
35. "Night of Anguish" – Enjolras, Marius, Valjean, Javert, Students
36. "Drink With Me" – Grantaire, Marius, Gavroche, Students^†§
37. "Bring Him Home" – Valjean^†§
38. "Dawn of Anguish" – Enjolras, Marius, Gavroche, Students^§
39. "The Second Attack (Death of Gavroche)" – Gavroche, Enjolras, Students, Army Officer^§
40. "The Sewers" – Valjean, Javert^§
41. "Javert's Suicide" – Javert^†§
42. "Turning" – Parisian women^§
43. "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" – Marius^†§
44. "A Heart Full of Love [Reprise]" – Marius, Cosette, Valjean, Gillenormand^§
45. "Valjean's Confession" – Valjean, Marius^§
46. "Suddenly [Reprise]" – Marius, Cosette^§
47. "Wedding Chorale" – Chorus, Marius, Thérnardier, Mme. Thérnardier^§
48. "Beggars at the Feast" – Thénardier, Mme. Thénardier^§
49. "Valjean's Death" – Valjean, Fantine, Cosette, Marius, Bishop of Digne^†§
50. "Do You Hear the People Sing? [Reprise] / Epilogue" – The Cast of Les Misérables^†§