It was hard to pick what to watch this past weekend (being the start of the internationals) because none of the movies I've been waiting for are out here yet. But after checking out my meager choices, I opted for Django Unchained and Les Miserables. I've been wanting to see Les Miserables for some time but couldn't convince Jay to go. He's not a hater or anything... In fact, he's seen the stage show several times!
When I went up to the box office to get my tickets, the guy there said, "Those are both three hour films. That's pretty hardcore." Ha! I wanted to say, "I used to work in a cinema, sonny, you're not scaring me!" But I settled for "It's better than watching the rugby all day" to which the woman next to him nodded sagely.
I would never have given Django Unchained a chance if it hadn't been for the fact that there was FUCK ALL else on at the time. I'm not a Tarantino fan. I can stomach From Dusk 'Til Dawn but that's about it. But since my other option was Movie 43, I decided to give it a go - and I'm glad I did!
I loved this movie. I'd go so far as to say it was EPIC. It harkened back to the Spaghetti Westerns of old with a touch (or a splatter) of Tarantino's gore.The soundtrack was a mix of old fashioned cheesiness with thumping rap beats that somehow worked. And Jamie Foxx is a BAD ASS MOTHER FUCKER. For real.
Les Miserables made me glad that, unlike Jay, I hadn't seen the stage show first. I think it would have been too much to live up to - and my expectations were pretty high already. I knew a lot of the music and the story lines already thanks to Jay and his mother so I knew what to expect. Some of the scenes disappointed me - like Carter and Cohen as the Thenardiers doing 'Master of the House' - but some of the scenes were much better than I was expecting - like Samantha Barks as Eponine doing 'On my Own.' (DESTROYED me.)
Hathaway and Crowe gave very good, very powerful performances. Jackman's performance was emotional but slightly marred by the fact that he can't sing as well as the rest of the cast. (I was distracted by his big fat tongue laying in his mouth like a dead fish.) I was feeling quite proud of myself for getting through the whole movie without crying. And then Fontaine returned to take Jean Valjean... Cue waterworks.
(Yeah, I bawled like a little bitch. You wanna make something of it?)
I would definitely recommend both movies but, surprisingly, I liked Django best!
