Liam Neeson stars as Jean Valjean, a heartless convict who is transformed by a single act of mercy. Uma Thurman is Fantine, the vulnerable prostitute who begs Valjean to raise her only child, Cosette (Claire Danes). And Oscar-winner Geoffrey Rush is an ambitious policeman determined to return Valjean to prison. Read more
| Starring | Liam Neeson, Geoffrey Rush, Uma Thurman, Claire Danes |
|---|---|
| Director | Bille August |
| Genres | Drama |
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Liam Neeson stars as Jean Valjean, a heartless convict who is transformed by a single act of mercy. Uma Thurman is Fantine, the vulnerable prostitute who begs Valjean to raise her only child, Cosette (Claire Danes). And Oscar-winner Geoffrey Rush is an ambitious policeman determined to return Valjean to prison.
| Starring | Liam Neeson, Geoffrey Rush, Uma Thurman, Claire Danes |
|---|---|
| Director | Bille August |
| Studio | ENTERTAINMENT IN VIDEO |
| Run time | DVD: 2 hrs 8 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Drama |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Released | DVD: 04 Oct 1999 Production year: 1998 |
| Format | DVD |
"...With a first-rate cast and a venerable storytelling style, it fluently condenses Victor Hugo's epic novel and retrieves some of its suspenseful momentum..."
"...A vivid saga....The film, thanks to [August and Yglesias], is nearly as compelling as the 1935 [version]....Neeson simmers..." -- Rating: B+
Being a huge fan of the West End musical that's still selling out after 20 years, I have to say I was slightly disappointed with this film. I haven't read the book so I'm not sure how true to that the film is, but the changes I noticed were irritating (the exclusion of the character Eponine is criminal) and I felt the end was a total cop-out. Still, I did enjoy the film and there were some fantastic performances from Uma Thurman, Geoffrey Rush and Liam Neeson. The film is much darker and grittier than the musical, making it I suppose much more realistic to the era. If you're expecting a film of the musical, you'll be disappointed but as a re-telling of the story, it's worth a look.
For those of you who know the story of Les Miserables will easily follow the tragic events that are featured here. Nothing like the more well known musical that has taken the world by storm, which is broken up by some comic moments; this is much drier and realistic with some truelly riveting performances from Uma Thurman (Gattaca) and Geoffry Rush (Pirates of the Carribean) The film is not as graphic as the novel and doesn't stick completely to it, which is not surprising, but this gritty realisation of life in france during the revolution will open your eyes. Contains strong sexual references.