Les Notes Miserables

Our plans were to stay in Memphis until Christmas Day, but the weather forecast for Tuesday was so threatening that we gave Elijah his gifts on Christmas Eve and checked out the night before. We drove home during the night to avoid thunderstorms, tornadoes and hail. Well, that was Chip's reason, anyway. I agreed to it because then we could go see Les Mis on Christmas Day.

Chip went with me because he loves movies and he'll go see just about anything really. We saw the play last year in Memphis and he liked it okay (except for all the singing). I didn't have any tissues in the house, and the roll of toilet paper wouldn't fit in my bag. But I found one of Dad's handkerchiefs so I took that. I figured I could wring it out.

Here were my thoughts that I was unable to tweet once the lights went down:
[Spoilers ahead. If it can even be a spoiler on a story from 1862.]

• Wow, they show a lot of previews when you go to a movie on Christmas Day. 

• I'm not hating that Gatsby remake. 

• Finally. Here we go...

• Don'tsingdon'tsingdon'tsing...

• "Who am ayyyyeeee??" *sniff* *sniff* Oh god, I'm crying already??

• I thought Hugh Jackman would use his really powerful, musical theater voice. I guess none of them are. I guess they don't need to. It's weird, hearing these songs in a soft voice. 

• "But there are dreams that can not beeeeeee" Oh Annie, you did not let me down. I wasn't convinced you had this but I am a believer now. Très tragique. Sobbing audibly now. 

• (And god you're skinny.)

• Don'tclapdon'tclapdon'tclap...

• People in this movie are a lot dirtier than they were on stage. 

• I could've done without that Sweeney Todd scene. People already have greasy hair, dirty fingernails and rotten teeth. How much grosser do we need to be?

• Is this a new song? Why do we need a new song? This is not Dream Girls. 

• Russell Crowe has the appropriate intensity for Javert, but he really doesn't have the voice. They should've got the guy from Phantom. 

• Huh. I think they took this part from the book. I don't remember Valjean and Cosette running from Javert through the walls of Paris in the play. 

• HOW SMALL IS EPONINE'S WAIST? That is not natural. 

• Anyone else distracted by how Marius's vibrato shakes his whole face? Cute freckles though.

• "He was never mine to looooose" oh god, sobbing. 

• (Is that my phone vibrating? I swear I put it on silent)

• I'm glad they didn't put a ton of makeup on Cosette. Her character is not a china doll, although she kind of seems like it next to all the dirty people. 

• "Without me, his world will go on turning...a world that's full of happiness that I have never KNOOOOWN" Face is buried in the hankie now. 

• "One day mooooore" You can sing a little bit on the loud songs.  

• The moment of truth: Wolverine sings Bring Him Home. "If I diiiiiieee, let me diiiiieeee! But let him liiiiiiivvvee!" Everyone else is crying too, right? I can't even catch my breath. 

• Oh, they changed this part. That is not how Eponine died in the play. But dead is dead, I suppose, and this story does run up a body count. 

• (WHY is my phone vibrating? Turning it off completely now.)

• I hadn't wanted to miss a moment, but I can't even watch this sewer scene. I'm pretty sure Marius would've died from bacterial infection after that. 

• The kid does pretty good on Empty Chairs at Empty Tables. Better than that Jonas brother in the 25th anniversary special.

• "To love another person is to seeeee the face of Gooooooood" That's it. I'm done. Wringing out the hankie. 

• Aaaand...scene! BRAVO!!

Chip said that the story is easier to follow in the movie. I had read a review that called Les Mis a "simple story of redemption" and I was all Really? I don't think it's a simple story at all. I think the theme is simple, but the story's actually kind of convoluted. Don't believe me, just try telling it to someone.

Also, it turns out when your phone vibrates after you've put it on silent, it's because there is a tornado on the ground in your area and it wants you to take protective cover immediately. "If I diiiiieee, let me diiiiiieee, seeing Les Miiiiiiiissss!"