Vive La Revolution Francaise!

Oscar-winning director Tom Hooper's Les Miserables won just three Oscars at the February 2013 distribution party: Anne Hathaway, supporting actress, and two of the smaller trophies for sound mixing and makeup and hairstyling. A disappointing trio of awards, but better than the wearisome biopic Hitchcock which rightly won nothing whatsoever. Anthony Hopkins' worst movie many would say.

With Les Miserables, there is a genuine attempt to breathe new life and perspective into Victor Hugo's 1862 classic novel about the tumultuous era of early nineteenth century France. Following the defeat of Napoleon, the allies bring back the hated Bourbon dynasty, first Louis XVIII and then Charles X. It is the people's rebellion against Charles X in 1830 which forms the climax of both the novel and the movie. Some commentators have argued that the film has parallels with events in our own time, especially the so-called Arab Spring.

So here we have a five-star musical extravaganza and Hooper, with an Oscar for The King's Speech already to his credit, has crafted a stunning work which more than holds its own in cinematic terms. This is no easy task as Hugo's novel has been subjected to at least a dozen earlier film and stage renderings. Of course this is a musical and the director insisted the singing be shot live as opposed to being pre-recorded as is usually the norm in musicals. All the songs from the stage show are there, plus one new number – Suddenly – written for the hero Valjean (Hugh Jackman) and the young orphan Cosette (Isabelle Allen) as they flee to Paris.

The movie sticks closely to the book. Jean Valjean, the hero, is imprisoned for 19 years for stealing a loaf of bread to feed his family. He is eventually paroled, foolishly steals a silver plate from a bishop, reinvents himself as a businessman and is pursued by the relentless police chief Javert (Russell Crowe) until the denouement at the Paris street barricades of 1830.

Les Miserables with its catchy musical numbers has now fascinated a new generation of fans who will be humming the tunes long after they have left the theatre. At nearly three hours of runtime and almost every line of dialogue in song, this movie is not for those who can't deal with epics. Attentive learning is certainly required and there are several jumps in time, so the aging and reintroduction of characters is something to be borne in mind. There is not much connective material between one musical number and the next which, some say, was responsible for Les Miserables not winning more prominent Oscars.

So Les Mis (its nickname) may not be perfect but it's certainly a great film, a gorgeous and well-executed production if sometimes a little lukewarm. In particular Russell Crowe is a somewhat lackluster antagonist as the pursuing policeman who often seems to be a little too tame. One cannot, for example, quite imagine him passing himself off as an anti-royalist republican in the street barricade battle. He is too tame for that.

But this is a movie that you'll want to see more than once. At least three viewings are needed to appreciate fully the musical numbers which are numbered in their dozens. You might want to consider the DVD release, already available at Pattaya from discreet sellers in a fish and chip shop or bar near you.