Les Misérables Movie Review

Tom Hooper’s highly anticipated film adaptation of Les Misérables, coming out on Christmas day, has raised any number of important questions. Will the star-laden cast pull off live singing? How many close-ups can Hooper cram into nearly three hours? Do I have to read the book first? We should spend time on all of these quandaries, to be sure, but newcomers to the theatrical sensation have another one to tackle first. If I want to understand why people are so hyped for Les Miz, where do I start? Happily, that question doubles as the perfect prompt for a debate over who among the myriad performers who’ve attempted the delectable roles provided by Victor Hugo’s saga have performed them best. And so below, after countless soundtrack listening sessions and solo bedroom singalongs, I give you the answers: the definitive versions of Jean Valjean, Javert, Fantine, Marius, Cosette, and Eponine.