Les Mis - My Review

One of the benefits of being semi anti-social (hmmm, maybe just semi-social?  I think the anti looks misplaced...) with my nose in a book, and very few engagements written on my calendar is that I get very, very excited over things that regular people with regular social lives may over look as just another part of another day. 

For instance, I was in a movie theater watching the trailers for upcoming movies and almost stood up and cheered when the preview for *Life of Pi* came on.  First of all, how did I not know it was being made into a movie?  I usually know stuff like that.  Second of all, it is probably one of my favourite books and one of two books I have read twice (the other one being Rapture of Canaan, which I totally recommend).  The twist at the end of Pi took my breath away.  I had to read it a second time so I could picture it in my head knowing what I didn't the first time around.  I will have to read it a third time now, because in discussing how badly I wanted to see the movie, my brother mentioned he started reading it, but had stopped because of how it was total blasphemy, and against every thing he believes in.  I need to read it again to see if I'm completely naive, because I saw it as a beautiful representation of God, nature, the resilience of the human spirit and what it can overcome.    It is so amazing to me how people can read the same thing and have completely different interpretations of it.

So you can only imagine my excitement when I heard Les Miserables was coming to theaters. (Side note: Probably the only thing I really, really, reeeeeeeeeeaaaaalllllllllly want to do before I die is go to New York and experience a real live Broadway show.  And Central Park.  At Christmas time.  Preferably with a boyfriend - seeing as how it's my dream and all, we can make it as unrealistic as possible, right??)   I could not and did not wait - I went to see it on Boxing Day.  Let me tell you folks, the movie did not disappoint.  Having not seen it on Broadway, I had no idea what to expect - but I was blown away.  It reminds me how I long to live in a musical, where it is common to break into song when something a) awkward or b) lovingly is needed to be said.  But Gah!!  If I were the Academy, I would give every single actor an award, Anne Hathaway, Hugh Jackman, Amanda Seyfried, the chorus.  Boom...Oscar, Oscar, Oscar. 

Along with the amazing acting and the singing and the falling in love, it also reminded me how very fortunate and thankful I am to have been born into the 21 century as a woman.  We really, really have come leaps and bounds.  As a single mother, I cannot fathom having to hand my beloved child off to strangers (horrid strangers at that), while I work to support them by any means necessary.  I cannot imagine having to stand up to an army to fight for a better life and for what I believe in and die for that belief.  Ahhh, and what a wonderful story about second chances - it is truly never too late to start again.  Oh the power of hatred and anger, how it eats us up inside and destroys us.

The only complaint I have about the whole experience is the woman who sat beside us in the theater who felt the need to do a running commentary throughout the whole movie.  That's right...all two hours and thirty eight minutes.  Out loud.  For two hours.  And thirty eight minutes.  She was oblivious to our shushing - probably because she was too busy talking.

"He's a prisoner."

"Oh my, he's starving.  Look how fast he's eating!"

"Do you think he's going to fall?"

"He doesn't have his papers.  Oh no.  What will happen?  Will they catch him?"

And when words escaped her, she just filled the silence with...

"Hmmmmhhmmmmmmmm"

and

"Awwwwwwwwwwww"

Did I tell you how long the movie was?