I now blog over at The Eyre Guide! This blog is an archive of my past posts.


Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Awesome Adaptations (32) - Les Misérables

Posted by Charlene // Tags: ,

Awesome Adaptations is a weekly bookish meme, hosted at Alisa Selene’s books blog, Picturemereading.  Anyone can play along! Each week there is a new category of adaptation to blog about. Any format (television series, film, web series, etc.) is acceptable as long as it is based in some form on a book. If you’re playing along on your own blog, just mention Picturemereading in your post and include the banner above. Let them know which film you’d pick and why it is an awesome adaptation worth watching. Oh, and don’t forget to share the link to your own post in the comments for that week’s challenge so that everyone can read your thoughts!

An Adaptation With An Awesome Kid Actor Performance
Title: Les Misérables
Adapted from: Les Misérables by Victor Hugo

And little people know
When little people fight
We may look easy pickings but we got some bite!
So never kick a dog because he's just a pup
You better run for cover when the pup grows up!

Although I had a few issues with the recent movie musical adaptation of Les Misérables, the actor who played Gavroche was absolutely not part of it!  Daniel Huttlestone (and I do have to add that Isabelle Allen who played young Cosette was also excellent!) was so believable and ingenuous in his role!  Gavroche has so much heart, while also being a little too cocksure of himself, but is completely loyal and stalwart.  And in the movie he steals every scene he is in.  Daniel Huttlestone brings all those qualities of Gavroche to life with an adorable twinkle in his eyes to boot!  Not to mention having a very good singing voice!

If you have never read the book/seen the musical/movie, this last paragraph is spoilery, so beware!  The part that made me cry the most in this film has to do with Gavroche - after the final battle and when Gavroche is laid out with the dead and Javert lays a medal on Gavroche.  I admit to be particularly susceptible to that moment in "The Final Battle" song, when some of "Bring Him Home" comes into the music - so I'm already emotional - and to time it with Javert honoring one of the rebels and being so touched by the tragedy of Gavroche's death - somebody hand me some tissues!!  Ugh, so beautiful and so sad!

They did a lot of great casting in this movie, and I was more than impressed by Daniel Huttlestone's realistic and touching portrayal of Gavroche.  

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6 comments:

  1. Gavroche was awesome! Totally teared up when he died!

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    1. Oh me too! So much more tragic when the actor makes the role so believable!

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  2. First of all, EVERY SINGLE TIME I BLUBBER. Gavroche's death takes place off-stage in the show, so seeing it in the movie and seeing Javert's reaction is unbelievably heartwrenching.

    Second, did you know Daniel Huttlestone played the role of Gavroche on the West End prior to being in the movie? He also played the Artful Dodger with Samantha Barks in Oliver. That kid is just too good. :)(I'm also a little too in love with Les Mis.)

    Rachel @ Paper Cuts

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  3. I totally get you on that! I went on my DVD to that scene that I mention in my post, and had instant tears - I didn't even need the buildup of the movie to make me cry!

    I did read that Daniel was in the West End as Gavroche, but I didn't know he was in Oliver with Samantha! So cool they worked together before! Glad to know you are a Les Mis fan! Someday I'm going to read that book and hopefully appreciate the musical even more. :D

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  4. I really loved this movie. The music wasn't quite as amazing as seeing it in the theater, but the acting was fantastic and it was great seeing everyone up close instead of from a distance in a theater. :)

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    1. I agree with you completely! It's just so great to see this musical on the big screen! And especially to see the emotion so clearly portrayed.

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