i finally heard the people sing

Well, finally, 8 months after its theatrical release, i finally saw Les Miserables on dvd.  Let me start out by saying that i am a huge fan of the show.  i think the score is wonderful and i saw the original staging 5 times, both on Broadway and the national tours.  Having said that, i will try not to compare the two entities too much.  Trying not to compare them, though, is not going to happen.

First of all, i will say that i enjoyed this film adaptation.  i liked it.  i didn't love it like i hoped i would.  But, it had some compelling work going on and there were some genuine moments in the film that were wonderful but some moments that failed.

Hugh Jackman did a fairly good job as Jean Valjean.  i was not blown away by him, but he handled the material well and has a beautiful voice.  And, of course, he's never bad to look at.  Actually his physicality going from the convict to the mayor and into old age was handled quite well.  He has a beautiful voice and i think his best singing came in the beginning of the film, in his soliloquies as the convict.  i was very disappointed in his interpretation of Bring Him Home, which is one of my favorite songs from the show.  It's a prayer to God and i didn't find it very prayerful.  He started the song way too loud and when it reached its emotional climax, he had no where to go with it except sing louder.  Still, he did some great work throughout the film.

Anne Hathaway walked away with critical raves and an Oscar for her portrayal of Fantine.  i will say that i think she deserved the praise.  Her performance was grounded and achingly raw.  Her emotional connection to the material was very impressive especially in her solo, I Dreamed A Dream.  Sometimes, though, i did find her emotions overwhelming in that number, simply because it got in the way of the actual music.  Still, a wonderful job.

Russell Crowe did not bother me nearly as much as i expected him too, after hearing almost every one i know pan his singing.  No, his voice is not appropriate for the role of Javert, but at least he can carry a tune.  It was not nearly a painful a musical performance to watch as say Lucille Ball in Mame or Rosalind Russell trying to expand her 3 note vocal range in Gypsy.  He's never been one of my favorite actors, but he does make a good villain.

i was very disappointed in Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen as the Thenardiers, but i blame this more on the script and direction.  They should be the comic relief in this movie and every opportunity missed its mark.  Samantha Barks was a very pleasant surprise with a very tiny waist!  Hers was one of the best versions of On My Own i have heard....and i've heard it a lot!  For once, it was not overdone.  Eddie Redmayne has a beautiful voice, but i will admit my personal preference that i cannot stand to watch a singer whose vibrato is so thick it shakes his entire head when he sings.  Amanda Seyfried's acting was better than her singing, a little too chirpy for me.  But then again, Cosette is a tough role, as are most ingenue roles if you want to make them believable, and i doubt any of Amanda's contemporaries would have fared better.  And what a delight to see Colm Wilkinson, the original JVJ, as the Bishop.

my biggest problem with the film is the moving around of songs.  That just irritated me.  I Dreamed A Dream and On My Own both were shuffled around and it undermined their emotional intensity, more so for the latter.  If you've not seen the stage version, IDAD comes directly after Fantine is fired from the factory and before she becomes a prostitute, not after.  And OMO comes in the 2nd act, after Eponine (not Gavroche like in the movie) delivers the letter for Marius, which makes her fatal return to the barricade that much more poignant.  As with most movie musicals, songs get shortened like Beggars At The Feast or cut completely like Dog Eats Dog, but it seems they were cutting songs the longer the movie went on.  Oh well.

All in all, Les Miserables was worth seeing and i would recommend it if you haven't seen it yet.  i won't be watching it with the frequency that i watch other movie musicals, but it will get another viewing in this household at some point!

just today's thought

i realize that i'm very Jekyll & Hyde.  It seems like i'm either very up or very down.  There does not seem to be much middle ground with me.  In some ways, that's good because when i feel something, i feel it completely.  In some ways it's bad, because it tends to drive me and everyone around me and online crazy.  As if i'm not crazy enough!!

Oh well, that's life and it goes on.  i know there are certain things i shouldn't do, as they just enhance things when i'm down.  i'm not going to say what those things are right now, but i do have a running list in my head that i sincerely intend to work on.  We shall see how it goes.

So far, this morning, i seem to be standing on the middle ground.  i think my direction is going to be positive.  Wish me luck!

10 reasons i enjoyed hearing about the new British heir

1. No one got shot.
2. No one leaked government information.
3.  No teacher got robbed of funding.
4. Nothing exploded or crashed.
5. There was no racism or profiling involved.
6.  No government official cut education funding and then gave his cabinet raises.
7.  No one's rights were swept under the rug.
8.  People were united in something happy for a change.
9.  No pro athlete, with the world at his fingertips, committed a felony in conjunction with this birth.
10.  No one was interpreting God's word for their own benefit.

i admit that i don't closely follow the royal family of Great Britain.  But, i also admit, that it was nice to have a headline news story that was something positive for a change.  How nice for people to come together and celebrate a birth for a change.  i've noticed, most particularly on Facebook, that many people this side of the Atlantic had many snide things to say about the birth of the newest member of the royal family.  To me, this shows a lack of manners (in America?  go figure).  If you don't like it, yes you have every right to express that, but it's still rude.  We don't have a royal family in America, so we don't understand, really, what it means when an heir to the throne is born.  The closest thing we probably have is when KK's baby emerged from her lumpy nether region...only to be named North...a direction the baby's mother's not use to going in.  Oh well.  Class, and i don't mean financial status, is not something we have here anymore on a regular basis.

i'm just not a good friend

i spent alot of time today dreading coming home from work.  Michael works late once a week and tonight is his night to work.  i hate coming home to no one but the dog.  Don't get me wrong, i love Squirt, but it's not the same as having another person in the house.  Not that Michael and i would do anything tonight.  It'd be the same thing every night.  We'd have dinner, i'd take the dog out, then i'd end up on the computer and he'd sit and play some game on his phone or read.  That's just what we do.

anyway, i kept thinking that i should find something to do tonight, someone to hang out with.  And that's when i came up empty.  i got no one LOL  i have lots and lots of social acquaintances but very few actual friends.  So, i end up spending alot of time alone with the dog.

i just don't know how to be a friend anymore and that makes me sad. i use to be a great friend.  No, i have never been the first person people would call when they wanted to do something, but i was usually on the list somewhere.  That doesn't happen anymore.  And i guess i'm too afraid anymore to make the first move because i truly don't think anyone would want to just hang out with me.  That's sad.  Oh well.  it's not like anyone will read this anyway haha so, like usual, i'm just talking to myself :)

Today's recipe - Creamy Lemon Pie

Creamy Lemon Pie

1 8"or9" baked pie shell or graham cracker crust
3 egg yolks
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup ReaLemon Juice from concentrate
Yellow food coloring (optional)
2 cups whipped topping

Preheat oven to 325.  Beat yolks, milk, lemon juice & food coloring.  Pour into pie shell and back 30 min.  Chill.  Top with whipped topping.

This is a great pie, very flavorful and not hard to make.  Separating the eggs is the most difficult part haha

Enjoy!

thought for the day...

If you stare too long at the door that's closed, you may not see the door that's opening up for you.

Live, learn and grow!

some drastic changes

my body is telling me that it is time i make some very vital changes to my every day life.  i'm not sure what all that is going to entail, but i know a few things it will.  All smoking must stop.  And i seriously will have to curb my coffee intake.  Both of these will be really difficult for me to do, but i know in the long run i will be grateful i've done it.

i'm going to have to take better care of my body.  With so many different ailments in my family's medical history, i feel like a walking time bomb.  i do realize that i cannot stop what will be, but i can do my utmost to put up a good fight!

i've been having some circulation problems.  This has been ongoing for a long time.  Cramps in my legs and feet have been extremely painful at times.  Stopping smoking will really help this.  But for the past few weeks, other things have been going on.  My limbs have been tingling on and off, just like they're "going to sleep" only it's been much more constant.  And it seems like they're either tingling, itching or burning.  It's kind of driving me nuts.  And as soon as i get my new insurance card, i'm going to have it looked at.  i choose not to go to places like WebMD because they'll just scare you with all their "diagnosis"  lol

So, starting tomorrow, things are going to change in my life and i fear i will definitely be a little more on the crazy side than normal.  i still have to figure out how to do this.  i'm almost thinking that i need to make out a daily schedule for awhile, hour by hour, what i need to be doing so that i don't stray off the path i'm taking.  We shall see!

Wish me luck!