9. Production Design
Speaking of which, it is the below-the-line crafts that perhaps stand out best in this film, and that's a category the Academy loves to reward period pieces for. The overall production design is staggering, achieving the look and feel of early 1800s Paris with stunning accuracy and fervent enthusiasm. Combining with the aforementioned visual effects, Hooper creates a living, breathing world that we don't doubt for a second, and it's all accentuated by every aspect of the production from the outstanding make-up effects - check out Hugh Jackman's haggard appearance later on - to the superb costume design. Though production design on period pieces like this can sort of blur into one, such that they're not very memorable, this is a sure exception; this isn't just a meticulous reconstruction of a period gone by. It's rendered with plenty of personality and also a wealth of reverence to both the stage show and Victor Hugo's original novel. Fans can't ask for any more than that.