Short Reviews Double Feature

Mainly because I am in the middle of preparing my 'Best Films of the Year' list, here are a pair of short reviews for two films that I saw back-to-back today. One of which is an adaptation of a famous musical which is in turn based off of a classic novel and the other is the latest from an acclaimed director.

LES MISÉRABLES (2012)

While there have been many film adaptations of Victor Hugo's classic 1862 novel of the same name, director Tom Hooper's take on the story is the first 'Les Misérables' movie to be primarily based off of the highly successful musical that debuted back in 1980 and while I may not have seen any of the other 'Les Misérables' films, this version will probably end up as being one of the best. It certainly is the best film musical in many years and this all comes from the great cast. Hugh Jackman gives a real Oscar-worthy performance as Jean Valjean and Anne Hathaway is also terrific as Fantine, and she's only in the film for about 10 minutes or so. The whole new technique that the filmmakers used to record the music, consisting of having the actors sing live instead of lip-synching to pre-recorded songs, gives the movie a uniqueness, allowing the actors to do something different with this music. All in all, it certainly is one of the year's best films.

Rating: 4.5/5

DJANGO UNCHAINED (2012)

I'm just going to say it straight up; it's a Quentin Tarantino movie. If you're a fan of his work, you are not going to be disappointed with Tarantino's take on the spaghetti western genre set in 1860's America. It's a bold and bloody (emphasis on the latter) movie that shows that Tarantino isn't afraid to do things that most filmmakers wouldn't dare to do. It also has a pretty funny screenplay with some great lines here and there. Like with Les Misérables, the cast is excellent but this time there is one big standout; Leonardo DiCaprio as the main antagonist Calvin Candie, a plantation owner who owns the main character Django's wife, prompting Django (Jamie Foxx) and bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz) to go and rescue her. DiCaprio just steals the show, and I'll be shocked if he's not nominated for an Oscar. Tarantino delivers once again.

Rating: 4.5/5