Les Misérables (Tom Hooper, 2012) - 5 stars

Les Misérables is nothing short of magnificent. Tom Hooper’s version of the world-famous stage show and novel stars Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean, once a slave on the run, now a new man hoping his past, and the ruthless Javert (Russell Crowe) do not come back to haunt him, as he vows to raise Cosette (Amanda Seyfried) after her factory worker mother Fantine (Anne Hathaway) dies.

Hooper shows ambition with every decision he makes, the largest of which was to have the cast sing live on camera instead of dubbing afterwards in the studio. This decision made this a film that stands out like a spy among rebels, and Hooper and the cast’s conviction taking it through the film may have allowed them to create the finest film of the year.

Watching the film with the knowledge of the actors singing live just brings everything to life, as if you are really there. Forget 3D effects, Hugh Jackman’s ‘Who Am I?’ comes out of the screen more than Avatar (James Cameron, 2009) ever will. And when you know the singing is real, you have to question whether the blood, sweat and tears that go with each number are real too. Especially when certain members of the cast are shown in one long take without cutting away, you realise you are no longer in the cinema watching Hathaway playing Fantine, you are there on the streets of France watching Fantine herself. From her rendition of ‘I Dreamed A Dream,’ that will break even the hardest of hearts, to the hilarious ‘Master Of The House’ by Sasha Baron Cohen (in his best role for years) and Helena Bonham Carter, each number permeates the theatre with such raw emotion that we could well be seeing it performed live in front of us. Other sequences worth noting are Samantha Barks (who played Éponine in both the film and on stage) singing ‘On My Own’ and the exceptional performances by the young Daniel Huttlestone as Gavroche and Isabelle Allen as the young Cosette.

Danny Cohen’s cinematography is also due a mention. The camera does not simply show us the story, it participates. The camera is used as another instrument of the orchestra, it’s movement or lack thereof is so in tune with the musical numbers. At times menacingly low, or hauntingly high and often using Dutch angles, it shakily but fluidly moves around at street level, almost barging crowd members out of the way to get right in the faces of the key players. At other times, the use of cranes and steadicams allow us to sweep gracefully through courtyards and over roofs, looking down on the ‘desire and despair’ we have just been part of.

In all aspects, Les Misérables is Tom Hooper's masterpiece, a much more worthy contender for Best Picture than his previous offering, the wrongly awarded The Kings Speech (2010). The performances so real, the design so endlessly detailed, and the visuals and music are non-stop breath-taking. We do not watch or witness this story; we are invited by all involved to actively take part. However, in a story of such misery, it is unfortunately Hooper himself who will come out crowned as 'Le Misérable,' after being tragically omitted from the Best Director category in last week's Oscar nominations.