to have only just seen Les misérables?

[YourFredIsBoring]

What a truly fantastic film.
I am now looking into watching the stage show. I laughed, cried and shouted at the screen.

Justifying this pointless thread with a Q.

So... How many of you have watched a film years after it has been released and thought WHY didn't I watch this sooner?

The film is good but the stage show is far superior the actors can all sing for a start.

I cried buckets when I say it in the West End several years ago.

It's ok.....Russell Crowe is terrible. Even Hugh (who I love) let me down in parts.
The Colm Wilkinson cameo gave me goosebumps.

I enjoyed it to a certain extent because it is one of my all time favourite musicals and not an easy one to make into a film. The stage show is far superior, I agree.

I don't think I'd ever heard any of the songs from it, and I don't watch X Factor type shows either, but there was a piece on the news of Susan Boyle's audition for X Factor and she sang "I Dreamed A Dream". I liked it so much I booked to see it in London the following month.
I watched the film last night and it made me cry!

Yeah you now need to buy the concert Dvds . In the film i preferred some of the other characters to the main i love enjiloras sigh and Anne hathaway knows how to drag out dying I went for a pee got a drink and crisps came back and she still hadnt died

I think that if your children know about sex and can handle scenes which involves death, then it wouldn't be a problem as such.

I watched 'The boy in the stripped pyjamas' with my DS. He's only 7, but is fixated with anything WW2 (suspected aspergers) and we didn't want him to carry on down the path of glorified war, so we sat him down and watched this film and it opened his eyes and made him realise that war was a terrifying, sad time. It hasn't traumatised him. It was quite educational actually.

I think that if you think your child can handle it and would be happy to sit through 3 hours, then all should be fine.

Expect questions, the ending is emotional, but not in a bad way. More in a sad, but necessary and beautiful way!

I know its a few years apart dd saw it at 14 and loved it her favourite song isvlovely ladies i think its fine for an 11 year old if they like musicals its just not cheery its very uplifting and you get carried along with it

We're a musical theatre family, so DD has inevitably seen shows rather younger than most. She was in an amateur production of Les Mis when she was 9 (Little Cosette) so couldn't avoid it! She first saw the stage show when she was 5 - we were in London with family who wanted to see it so we booked a box. I assumed she'd sleep or we would leave but she loved it. When it came to the prostiturtion bit, my then 16 yr Old niece caught the question. The line is 'The usual price for just one slice of your pie?' DD hissed 'What kind of pie's that then?' Quick as aflame and totally deadpan, DN answered 'Cherry'
She did sing all the choicest prostiturtion lyrics on the tube at top volume though, so not all good!
YANBU to watch it whenever, but YABUnfortunate to see the film first. It's not a patch on the stage show.

I think I saw it first at 9 on stage in South Hampton and in the west end at 12, absolutely fell in love with it.

The stage show is amazing!
The film was watchable but the casting of 'Enjolras' was so wrong . Cant beat Michael Maguire in the 10th anniversary concert

I went to see it at the cinema.

It was the most appalling, sentimental, manipulative pile of toss I'd ever had the misfortune to watch.

This. My OH [who normally frequents the toilets several times during a film] wouldn't leave his seat as he knew I'd walk out. Load of old bollocks if you ask me.

I've recorded it, cos I've never seen the film or the stage show. I love the story - listened to a brilliant dramatization on Radio 4 ages ago. But I'm not sure if I can face a musical version.

After reading this thread, I'm still not sure whether to watch it or not.

Cariad I would re commend watching the YouTube link I posted, it's a very good version of the musical.

Meh - I didn't think much of it to be honest.

My DC both watched it when it first came out on DVD and loved it and now it is at the top of their musicals list, mostly because we have been working through their choices. DD didn't get the prostitution when she first watched it (she's 11 now) and certainly didn't get the reasoning behind Fantine's death, she just loved the music and the overall story. We had to get the music so they could just enjoy the songs.

I will admit though that the stage show is much much better, I have seen it several times. DH had never wanted to see it took me to see the stage show in 2012 and then went by himself when he was in London for the Olympics and it is now his favourite.

'The film is good but the stage show is far superior the actors can all sing for a start.'

Yep, spot on. Russell Crowe absolutely murdered Stars and every other song and that's my favourite song in the whole thing so I was furious. Thought Hugh Jackman was a bit pants too. Very impressed by Eddie Redmayne.

Stage show was waaaaay better

StephanieBeacham, not sure what old version you watched on the telly as the recent Les Mis movie was the first time the musical (as opposed to the book) had been filmed.

The film is good but the stage show is far superior the actors can all sing for a start.

Hugh Jackman was a stage actor initially and was in many musicals before he was cast in X-Men and hit in the big time. He has a great voice but I think it would've suited Javert's songs rather than Valjean's. He could've sun the hell out of Stars but rather murdered Bring Him Home.

Yes! Mamma Mia was a pile of shite!!

Love it and the stage shows, my cat is named Eponine

My 11 and 10 year old loved it, both asked about what happened to Fantine I simply told them the truth about how poor women have been exploited in this way for centuries and yes unfortunately it still happens today.Although it is shocking i would rather my daughter see this than happy hooker nonsense like Pretty Woman.

Watched the film for the first time in March as we had booked to see the show. After watching the film, I dreaded watching the stage show.

The show was amazing and we saw it again last week.

Oddly, we watched the film again the other night so dd could watch (she is 11) and I actually enjoyed it more than the first time. Although it's not a patch on the show.

Dd loved the film, so I have an excuse to go watch the show again...so she can see it too.

I have the DVD but have never watched. I saw some of the film last night. loved Eddie Redmaine. obviously the film was more graphic than the musical.

loved the stage show, first seen in the 80s plus dds school did
a fab amateur production and have the DVD of it with Alfie Bo and Mat Lucas.

all wonderful imo

Never watched it right through. Got to about 15mins in and was so bored I went off to find my crossword book. I just couldn't sit and watch it any longer than that.

Titanic was the same, although I did get a bit further into that film (half an hour) then fell asleep.