Les Misérables

Released 1998
Stars Liam Neeson, Geoffrey Rush, Uma Thurman, Claire Danes, Hans Matheson
Directed by Bille August

Frenchman Jean Valjean (Liam Neeson) imprisoned for stealing bread, is paroled after nearly two decades of hard labor. A gift of silver candlesticks from a kindly priest helps him begin anew. Forging a decent and profitable existence, he finds success as a businessman and as the mayor of a small town. He even takes in a pregnant young woman (Uma Thurman) and raises her daughter as his own. When a former prison guard (Geoffrey Rush) recognizes Valjean, his past catches up to him. Director Bille August culls mesmerizing performances from his cast, but loses us with an ending that panders to teen audiences. The focus shifts dramatically, and uncomfortably, from the haunted Neeson and his hawk-like pursuer, to his daughter (Claire Danes) and her romance with a handsome revolutionary. After this narrative shift, the script leaves behind the Victor Hugo classic's themes of revenge and redemption to focus improbably on teen angst--hardly what Hugo had on his mind.

Summary by Rochelle O'Gorman

This film was my introduction to this famous story, and I was pretty engrossed during the first half. The story centers around a thief who becomes a changed man after receiving charity from a priest he's beaten and robbed. It's a powerful story of a man's redemption in a society that doesn't allow redemption. Valjean is haunted by Javert, who's a nakedly ambitious man bound to the letter of the law. At the end Javert is supposed to have found his redemption as well, but it feels forced. I think the story was probably compressed too much, and the ending was short-changed. Much worse than the ending was the subplot of the teenaged Cosette. Claire Danes and Hans Matheson (Marius) are simply not up to the material. Matheson is charismatic in his initial speech, but horribly whiny and small during the rest. I got bored once he came into the picture, and the attempted coup wasn't any more exciting. Still, the first hour is strong, and the overall story is worth a rental. --Bill Alward, June 10, 2002