The Green Dragon Inn is open for business as a pub: [link]

Slake? Who says slake?

Oh. Us.

Carry on!

Glad to see it's probably scaled for humans. Or humans playing halflings. Whichever.

When Anne Hathaway sings it, it's 100% "Fantine, you fucking idiot. No wonder you're going to die a syphillitic prostitute."

Oh yes. Generally speaking I enjoyed the emotional framing of the film more than the original cast recording. (Even including Mme Thenardier.)

I saw Les Mis yesterday, as part of our NYE plans. (The other part was going to an Indian restaurant, which Biyi enjoyed for once. It's a Christmas miracle!) I thought is was fantastic overall, through I agree that Russell Crowe's singing really wasn't up to the part, not even particularly close. (Nor was Amanda Seyfried, but she was only playing Cosette, so I didn't really care.) Anne Hathaway was the biggest surprise.

Singing-wise, though, I thought the highlight was the various revolutionaries. (I'm including Eponine in that list, and discovering that imdb claims Samantha Barks won the part over Taylor Swift, which was unexpected.)

However I did have a problem with cracking up at inappropriate moments. Like the way it's presented, it seems to me that Fantine loses her job one morning, and it takes her one day to have started selling body parts and be dying of syphilis. Didn't even go back home first. I haven't experienced such rapid reversal of fortune since the South Park movie crew's decision to start cannibalising people after three hours without a meal.

Or when Valjean decides to skip town rather than possibly disgrace his daughter, and as far as I can tell was entirely healthy that morning until he dropped his trunk while climbing into the carriage; and he's packed up in a convent and breathing his last before the next sunrise. Apparently that trunk contained his extensive supplies of Ebola virus.

I'm aware that more time is probably supposed to have passed, but I like my version better. I told Biyi, incidentally, of my interpretation of Fantine's Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day and her response was:

"Don't you have something in films called, méngtàiqí?"
"méngtài-- You're invoking the Montage?!"

Oh, Biyi loved it too. She's a big fan of the musical, and expects the film to pick up the Oscar for Best Picture.

I'm glad I read your reviews, Juliebird and bt.

I just watched the 25th Anniversary Concert on YouTube and was all pissed again about the movie singing. I guess it is just a different animal.

They went for a startling amount of realism and it gave depth in some places and in others it was just disturbing or discornant.

I'm mostly pissed that One More Day got such short shrift. And Jackman was too nasal to be borne.

I agree Hathaway and Barks OWN those songs now.

Even including Mme Thenardier

I hold out hope that one day HBC will be cast in a musical directed by someone who has heard of the word "enunciate." She was hopelessly miscast in Sweeney Todd, but this part she could have absolutely nailed if only she would open her damn mouth wide enough to sing actual words.

I just watched the 25th Anniversary Concert on YouTube and was all pissed again about the movie singing. I guess it is just a different animal.

I love the 25th Anniversary Concert except for Nick Jonas as Marius. That is possibly the worst version of "Empty Chairs" I've ever seen.

except for Nick Jonas as Marius

Hopelessly miscast and outclassed. What were they thinking? Did he win a mail-in coupon contest or something?

except for Nick Jonas as Marius.

Yeah, how the hell did he sneak in there?

He was overshadowed by the reunion of the first cast and the 4 Valjean's singing Bring him Home and the ensemble singing One More Day, possibly my favorite song in the whole show.

What were they thinking? Did he win a mail-in coupon contest or something?

He's actually played it on Broadway, but I call Stunt-Casting!

I am sooo glad that Taylor Swift was not cast in the movie!