Musical theatre lovers and fans of Les Miserables as a standalone work will know that it’s not long after the particularly miserable prostitute Fantine sings her magnificent stirring solo “I Dreamed a Dream” that she ends up dead. Spoiler alert, etc. But “I Dreamed A Dream” is also one of the pivotal cathartic moments-of-song in the epic melodrama and I feared Anne Hathaway as Fantine wouldn’t do the song justice. Based on the teaser trailer (below) I’m still not entirely convinced about the casting of Hathaway, but I have to admit she sounds quite good, with just the right mix of ragged pathos and pretty high notes.
The teaser doesn’t reveal much of the action or performances (Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Helena Bonham-Carter), it sets the scene of 1832 France more than anything, but with Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech) at the helm and beautiful cinematography, hopefully this movie will be the epic that the musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg and the Victor Hugo novel deserve.
Via TIME
