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Absolutely Brilliant!

As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.

Blistering performances.

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

One of many versions of Victor Hugo's iconic epic, this late 90s version sees Liam Neeson as Jean Valjean, a 19th century convict who is given a chance for redemption, despite the persistence of the law-obsessed Inspector Javert (Geoffrey Rush), when he must raise the child of the lowly Fantine (Uma Thurman), Cosette (Claire Danes), amidst various changes and turmoils in France, culminating in the student revolt in Paris.While its ending will have Hugo purists boiling with rage, Bille August's adaptation still manages to be a very fine film in its own right. Its immediate strength is its all star cast's great performances, especially Rush and Neeson in the two central roles, playing off each other perfectly as the kind hearted Valjean and the ruthless Javert. Thurman, following 'Batman & Robin' and 'The Avengers', does make up for it here with a nuanced and kindly performance as Fantine, while Danes' Cosette, though a little more bitchy than other versions, still conveys that sense of goodness and hope that is so central to the character.Production-wise, it's exactly what you'd expect. August' direction is sweeping and large, enhanced by design work and location filming that does make you believe you are looking at early 19th century France, and in the midst of horrid prisons and bloody street battles during the revolution. Veteran master Basil Poleadours' score is also nicely varied, going from booming and romantic, to intimate and sombre as we journey with Valjean as he reclaims his life.Rafeal Yglesias (the same man behind the great screenplay for Peter Weir's 'Fearless') does a workman like job of adapting and condensing the notoriously thick book, mainly focusing on Valjean's journey here and dialing back on a lot of the socio-political commentary of Hugo's work. This is a double edged sword, as it does permit more than a handful of genuinely emotional moments that tug at the heart without being too sappy, and focuses the story more around Valjean and his quest for redemption, but it also means that most of the supporting cast are cut or severely reduced (the Thernadiers are on screen for a few moments, and Marius and Enjorlas get collapsed into one character, among a number of other changes) and again, a lot of the bigger ideas in 'Les Mis' are more in the background. And well, the ending is going to irk purists, which is all I'll say.But despite that, this more base take on 'Les Mis' still worked as an engaging period drama with really tight pacing and a good emotional undercurrent. It may not be definitive, but it is entertaining

I understand that move such big story to movie is not simple task, but why again bend everything to such big cliché? The characters were flat, they bring me no emotion, someone was killed? And what, who was it actually?If you want know the strong story, watch the 4part France mini series with Gérard Depardieu. Do you want some simple movie for evening? This is good enough.And really notice that the movie is from end of the 18th century, there were no Afro-Americans with freedom, you can have you correctness, but it change nothing about history. We should display it and then we can learn from it. Not to try to lie.

Often times people compare this movie to the book or the Broadway. If you are going to do that, you might as well not even watch it. This movie is a simplified rendition of the book and, besides the setting, characters, and basic plot, is nothing like the book or the Broadway. I recommend that you enjoy this movie for what it is and do not try to compare it to its other versions.This movie is one of the best movies ever made. It has all the best parts of a great movie. Action, love, redemption, suspense, a great music score, a despicable evil villain, a plot twist, sheer emotion, and it give an insight into the past and some of the social problems that existed. If this movie was an original work it probably would have been one of the best of all time, but since it varies from the book, which has a loyal following of its own, it has been overlooked.

Bille August's adaptation of the classic tale of redemption, revenge and romance is not a faithful adaptation of the book. Characters are reduced to bit parts, or are eliminated entirely, whilst the ending is removed. But this does not stop it from being an excellent film. Dramatically shot and convincingly acted, this is one for the ages.The ever reliable Liam Neeson provides the film's soul as the repentant convict Jean Valjean, believable as both a former criminal and a saintly figure, touching with his female costars and smouldering when confronting his nemesis, the ever watchful Javert. The Javert of this film is colder and crueller than the professional of Hugo's book, but in the hands of Geoffrey Rush, he still garners sympathy as his duty -bound world falls apart. Uma Thurman provides pathos in her brief role as Fantine, as does Claire Danes, whose relationship with Valjean provides the true emotional heart of the film. Also notable is Peter Vaughan as the Bishop of Digne, the man who sets Valjean on the path to redemption.So if you are looking for a faithful adaptation, look elsewhere. But if you seek a moving, dramatic and entertaining film, you cant wrong with this version.