When all of those images from Tom Hooper’s Les Miserables hit the Web, we kind of figured a teaser trailer would be right behind them, but thought we’d have to wait until the weekend to finally get a good look at footage from the anticipated musical adaptation. Yet, less than 24 hours after the photos were shared, a trailer was posted on MSN. We’re sharing it with you below:
Brilliant. Start with a song, sung beautifully by Anne Hathaway’s put-upon Fantine. Offset it with spectacular images of the French countryside, photographed by cinematographer Danny Cohen. But it’s when Hathaway’s voice swells, explaining how the cruelty of life has crushed her dreams of a better way of living, that I realized how emotionally invested I was in this brief clip. It was more than enough to convince me that this Les Miserables is going to work.
Everything about it looks epic. It feels grand in scope. Hooper’s an excellent director, an Oscar-winning talent. And I think he has tapped the ideal cast for his stage-to-screen adaptation. In addition to Hathaway, Hooper has Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Amanda Seyfried and Eddie Redmayne. I didn’t see Helena Bonham Carter or Sacha Baron Cohen in the clip. Did you? It’s possible I just missed them.
When Hollywood nails the musical genre, the film industry can provide sweeping entertainment for the masses. It’s early, I know, but this outstanding trailer suggests that Hooper has something special heading to theaters later this year. As the trailer promises, the dream lives this Christmas.
