10 Almost Perfect Movies (With One Terrible Scene)
3. Russell Crowe’s Solo - Les Miserables
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Tom Hooper's Les Miserables movie is, while not for everyone, a phenomenal adaptation of the stellar musical. That said, it has some questionable choices and Russell Crowe as Javert is high among them.
His turn as the iconic antagonist is mostly passable thanks to his gruff character work. But that goes out the window when it's time for him to tackle his solo. Oh gosh, why did he have to have a solo?
Crowe's rendition of "Stars" is easily the worst part of the movie. His awkward singing is cringe-inducing as his monotone voice conveys little to no emotion, and there are plenty of moments where he strains to hit the notes.
Simply put, Crowe sings the song badly, which is ironic considering he's not a bad singer in real life. Unfortunately, his musical theatre voice just isn't right, and sitting through his attempts to deliver a powerful vocal performance is painful.
Musical theatre fans also felt their hearts break in this scene, as "Stars" is one of the most popular male solos in the entire medium. Hearing it butchered like this was devastating, especially considering how many great actors could have sang it wonderfully.