A Few Thoughts for the New Year: Les Mis, Sherlock, Luther, and TV Villains

It seems every time I sit down to write a post, I feel the need to write posts that would pass for college finals.  I realize that while there is an audience for and a merit to these kinds of posts, they create a mental block for me because I don't want to take 3-5 hours to write them. But most importantly, they may be creating a block for you.  While nothing means more to me than you putting time aside to read them, I don't ever want the reading and commenting to ever feel like a burden.

So, here's my first effort to quickly run through some very important things I've encountered out there in the land of entertainment.

First up, Les Miserables.

I should first say that the theatre audience was a good audience.  There was no intermittent clapping. I heard no talking. I saw no cell phones.  Throughout and at the end of "I Dreamed a Dream," you could have heard a pin drop.  It was an almost unparalleled viewing experience.

Now, based on the opinions I had heard going into the movie, I'd be lying if I said I went in with some inevitable expectations of the film.  Among their number:  Russell Crowe was miscast; Amanda Seyfried isn't in fact the worst part of the movie; the sung-through nature of the material doesn't work as well on the big screen. (After all, not every musical can be Jesus Christ Superstar.)

Well, for me, the film really worked.  On all levels.  The cast was phenomenal. INCLUDING RUSSELL CROWE.  Of all the reservations I had that were sculpted by others' opinions, none were more-so than the ones about Russell Crowe's (Javert) performance.  Well, I'm glad you folks were wrong.  And I say that as someone who's dream role is Javert.  This isn't a stage musical.  And while I'm not sure I possess the theatrical background to analyze his performance relative to that setting, I can say for a film adaptation, it works.  So much for me that he gave one of my favorite performances from the film.  He has had a habit lately of doing the same thing in different roles, but this performance was different and had nuances that I thought were perfect for Javert.  His voice sounded completely different from the rest of the cast, but I think an "unrefined" quality (whatever you want to call it) fits Javert like a glove.

Hugh Jackman (Valjean), at least in my mind, had some heavy-lifting ::rimshot:: to do because of the legacy Colm Wilkinson has left.

**Pause here to briefly explain my knowledge of Les Mis.  I've never seen a stage production.  Never saw the 1998 film.  Tried reading the book in the 3rd grade and gave up.  And the only version of the musical I've heard (and own) is the 10th Anniversary Concert.**

I've never heard a version of "Bring Him Home" that worked after hearing Mr. Wilkinson's.  And I just wasn't sure Hugh Jackman had it in him to be Valjean across all the years. Well, I was wrong (and it won't be the last time).  Hugh Jackman gave the performance of his career.  His voice worked for me.  It was refreshing finally to see all the performances in context of the story, especially Valjean.  Any nominations he gets will be earned and well-deserved.

Amanda Seyfried (Cosette) wasn't the end of the world that I thought she'd be. She held her own.  In fact, I'll go as far as to say she did a good job. And let's not even pretend like we didn't know what we were getting with Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen.  (Although Baron Cohen's constant flipping between French and British accents is puzzling.  I thought I convinced myself of why he might have been doing so, but I was probably overanalyzing as I tend to do.)

But there is one star that shines much brighter than the rest.  Anne Hathaway was nothing short of revelatory.  No other superlatives adequately capture what I feel about her performance. Definitely the best performance of the year.  Maybe of the (albeit early) decade.  But without question one of the most moving I've ever seen. There was no sobbing.  But I was in tears from almost the beginning, and whatever further reactions were on tap were halted by the most inescapable broken-hearted feeling.

I had planned a blog post about the merits of actors winning acting awards.  Many people/voters tend to believe there is that quintessential "Oscar scene" that many performances have or in some cases must have.  I tend to believe that while that sort of scene may be inevitable, putting much stock into one takes away from the rest of the performance.  So while "I Dreamed a Dream" is the one they'll show in all the award show clips, her performance isn't a one-scene pony.  Maybe those of you with musical theatre backgrounds can speak to the merits of her performance and whether they are earned or not, but I can only tell you how I felt. And for me she provides nothing short of a master-class.

I could go on and on about the merits of the technical decisions, story choices, etc.  But I'm gonna cut myself off here to avoid a repeat of the gargantuan The Dark Knight Rises post. Suffice it to say: for me, the film was a triumph.

I will say one quick thing about Tom Hooper.  Most of his work from a mise-en-scene standpoint is very consistent.  However, it is very different from that of typical American directors.  Now having re-immersed myself into British television for the first time since The Office with Ricky Gervais was a thing, I see where all of Hooper's decisions come from. (Considering his background, it makes sense.)

Now... about that British Immersion.

Sherlock had been recommended ad nauseum, and I had wanted to check out Luther because of Idris Elba's work on The Wire.  With the recent purchase of a Roku, we arrive at the following equation:

Roku + Amazon Instant Video = Awesome TV and No Productivity

I first went with Sherlock because of the sheer number of recommendations.  Well, this time, the expectations created by you all delivered. Which is saying something given the sort of acclaim it has generated among my friends.  It is the perfect combination of terrific storytelling and writing, tremendous acting, captivating drama, laugh-out-loud humor, and dynamic chemistry. 

People use the word "bromance" to describe Watson and Sherlock, but that does what Martin Freeman and Benedict Cumberbatch have given us a huge disservice. Their time together on-screen is essentially writing and acting at its finest.  (See, too, the Christmas party scene from Episode 2.01 "A Scandal in Belgravia.")

Luther is like Sherlock in that while both are very much crime "procedurals," they are more-so character studies. As a matter of fact, every description of Luther I read on Amazon, Wikipedia, etc., called it "psychological crime drama."  Boy howdy, is it!  The pilot completely fascinated me but gave a more grounded presentation of its "Moriarty" supervillain archetype Alice Morgan. 

The story of Sherlock is no mystery. But Luther is about Detective Chief Inspector John Luther for the Serious Crime Unit who is possessed by his work in a manner very similar to Sherlock. While their motivations are very different, their attention to detail is a cut above their contemporaries/colleagues. I couldn't help but make comparisons when I first watched.  But despite all I've said, they are very different characters and shows.

I think one reason Sherlock and Luther work so well for me is that they feature complete devotion to character, are based on very sharp and very smart writing, and feature two very intriguing villains.

In fact, just going off the top of my head, Jim Moriarty and Alice Morgan (despite only having been recent additions to my TV lexicon) belong right at the top of my Top TV Antagonists list. (Hearst from Deadwood is at the summit; I've never wanted to physically harm a fictional character as much as him. Also, Ben Linus from LOST deserves Honorable Mention.)

Before I go, I want to mention the 2012 slate of movies that came out this year.  Admittedly, I have fallen behind this year on staying up-to-date, so I am wary of putting out Top 10 lists of that nature.

But, I will say that Argo so far is my #1 Film of 2012.  Taking the prize for Most Overrated Film of the Year is Looper. Without going into one of my spiels, it simply failed because at the end, I didn't care what happened.  The screenplay worked for the first hour, but it never setup the stakes at the end convincingly enough. 

Finally, my favorite New Film of the Year (aka, the best film from any year that I saw for the first time this year) is Broadcast News.  If I could have back my Movie Ark picks, I'd probably put it on the list.  The film works on every conceivable level and features without a doubt one of the three best screenplays I've experience.  It receives a rare unqualified recommendation from me.

So what did you think of Les Mis?  Is my Russell Crowe assessment just wrong?

Do you watch Sherlock or Luther?  Thoughts, feelings?  Have a favorite moment?  Quote?  Episode?  Thoughts about what's in store for the next seasons? For the record, I rank the Sherlock episodes as
1)  2.01 - "A Scandal in Belgravia"
2)  1.01 - "A Study in Pink"
3)  2.03 - "The Reichenbach Fall"
4)  1.03 - "The Great Game"
5)  2.02 - "The Hounds of Baskerville"
6)  1.02 - "The Blind Banker".

If you aren't on Twitter or haven't seen my "poll," who are your Top 3 TV Antagonists?

Finally, what is your favorite film(s) of 2012?  Any disappointments for you?  (And if you say this blog post, I will find you.)

I hope to bring more to the table this year--sort of an unofficial New Year resolution of mine.  And I hope you will continue to visit and share in the discussion!