The clue is in the title: Les Misérables is the depressing film adaptation of Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonbergs long-running musical of the same name and, without going into its intricate plot and time-hopping too much, basically tells the tale of several unfortunates in early 19th century France in the run up to the Paris Uprising of 1832. So far, so gloomy but it doesnt end there. Like the musical its based on the film is sung-through, which means every line of dialogue in the film is sung rather than spoken, so youre effectively listening to a 2 ½ hour long song about suicide, revolution and death. After its release in 2012 it was widely cited as the most depressing film of the year and it sounds like it was a miserable experience for the cast too, especially Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway who had to lose massive amounts of weight for their roles. Verdict: give it a wide berth.
