【電影簡介】

十九世紀的巴黎，貧苦的冉·阿讓為了挨餓的孩子去偷面包，結果被飽食終日的法官判處19年的苦役。出獄后，走投無路的冉·阿讓被好心的米里哀主教收留過夜，卻偷走了主教的銀器潛逃，后被警察捉回。主教聲稱銀器是送給他的，使冉·阿讓免于被捕。主教的言行感化了冉·阿讓，他化名馬德蘭，從此洗心革面奮發向上，十年后成為成功的商人并當上市長。這時，以前緝拿過他的警長沙威出現，一心要找他的麻煩。在此期間，冉·阿讓得知了妓女芳汀的悲慘遭遇，并承諾照顧她的私生女柯賽特。八年過去了，平靜的生活再起波瀾——柯賽特愛上了共和派青年馬利尤斯，轟轟烈烈的巴黎人民起義爆發了，無賴德納迪埃和冉·阿讓又狹路相逢，而多年來從未放棄追捕冉·阿讓的警長沙威又出現在冉·阿讓的面前。

【音頻文本】

I understand why "Les Misérables" set a new opening-day grossing record for musical films, but I don't understand why as many as 70 percent of the reviewers on Rotten Tomatoes have given it a positive rating. I mean, it is common, if not inevitable, for crazy fans to swarm the cinemas for film adaptations of their favorite work of art, but it is not so common to see critics rate a movie purely based on emotional grounds.For example, they love the original musical or they enjoy some emotional singing.

Personally, I find it to bizarre to see Wolverine put away his paws and take up singing for a change, but I am not rejecting the movie because of that. Instead I swallowed it up, calmed my stomach and kept watching. Also, I found the overflowing emotion in the singing a bit unnerving, but again I am not rejecting it better they have some than none at all.

However, I do have to point out that emotion alone doesn't make a good musical film. There must be a certain chemistry between the singer and the stage. In the case of "Les Misérables," the directors have apparently ignored the stage and put the focus on the makeup instead. Well, the makeup has to be immaculate because it must stand up to the test of the movie's countless close-ups. And yes, there are many close-ups. In fact, someone should have reminded the directors that they were making a movie, not big screen live feeds at a pop-star concert.

Now that poor cinematography and the setting have destroyed their chemistry with the stage, the actors sound tedious even at the height of their emotions. The problem is made worse by a lack of development in thestoryline and characters.

Javert played by Russell Crowe has to pursue Valjean simply because it is his duty, but what has this weird relationship done to both men? Valjean has been the stepfather of Fantine's daughter for years, but are they close? Suddenly, the little girl grows up and falls in love with a young man, and pretty soon they are married, but why? And, of course, the young man has to be in a student revolution. After all, this is France in the early 19th century. But what are the students dying for? You'll get no clue from watching the movie.

So, I can think of no good reason to enjoy this extended musical film. In fact, whenever Hugh Jackman takes a deep breath, I say: "Oh no, he is going to sing again." That should be the right critical response to this sloppy adaptation of a masterpiece. On my scale from one to 10, I give it a four.

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