Monday, December 10, 2012

“Les Misérables” Already Oscar Worthy


Tom Hooper’s adaptation of “Les Misérables” is already gaining serious praise from critics and viewers who saw the November 23rd premier of the new musical, who are calling its nomination for several Oscars a surefire thing. And for those of us who are musical lovers, that’s good news. These days, there isn’t exactly an excess of new musicals to choose from—so the release of one, quickly followed by chatter of Oscars, is rare news.

Anne Hathaway takes the cake for her portrayal of Fantine the factory worker, and Hugh Jackman stars as the ex-con and leading man, Jean Valjean. Both have received rave reviews from critics.

“Anne Hathaway could easily win supporting actress [at the Oscars],” said Dave Karger of Fandango.com. “Her ‘I Dreamed a Dream’ is the showstopper.” Indeed, many are calling Hathaway’s performance a “lock” for a Best Supporting Actress nomination.

Jackman could very well pick up his first Oscar as well. “The audition with Hugh, which was in May of last year, was an extraordinary moment because that was when I knew I had a movie,” said Hooper in an interview with Deadline.com. “Hugh has a kind of innate grace and spirit as a human being and a great kind of moral compass and gentleness that is perfectly suited for this man going on this spiritual journey.”

In fact, the entire film is likely to be a strong contender for Best Picture at the 2013 Oscars. Hooper’s no amateur when it comes to directing jaw-droppers. He directed “The King’s Speech” in 2010, with its all-star cast of Colin Firth, Helena Bonham Carter, and Geoffrey Rush. It won four Oscars in 2011: Best Achievement in Directing (Tom Hooper), Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Performance by and Actor in a Leading Role (Colin Firth), and Best Writing/Original Screenplay (David Seidler).

No comments:

Post a Comment