Review Roundup: LES MISERABLES Opens in the Philippines

In any case, "Les Miserables" is the kind of movie that many people will love. And many people will hate.

Sometimes you feel that it's indulgent. Sometimes there's just too much of the damn singing that could have been done away with (oh and now I can imagine angry commenters saying, "You idiot, it's a musical!").

But this film adaptation is extremely effective. It employs film techniques to the service of the story of "Les Miserables," giving us a glorious version of it.

BroadwayWorld Philippines: Hooper's non-intrusive camerawork, which amounts to grandiose wide shots, especially during the sweeping melodic instrumental music played prior to or in between the sung parts, and medium close up shots, mostly one long takes filmed at least two minutes to capture the emotions of show-stopping solo numbers such as Valjean's "Soliloquy," Fantine's "I Dreamed a Dream," and Marius' "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables," aided the telling of the story, which at the core of it was the frequent exposition of Christian virtues of faith, hope, charity, mercy, and forgiveness...

On the surface, "Les Miserables" can move one to tears because of its characters' intertwined melodramatic destinies, poignant songs with ear-shattering crescendos, and bittersweet denouement.

On a deeper level, the film can also be deemed a Christian movie in disguise, which may come off as too preachy and tacky to some.

Oliver is about to earn his M.S. degree in public relations and corporate communication from New York University while serving as regional editor for BroadwayWorld.com. Over the past 18 years, Oliver has been handling public relations and corporate communication for numerous brands (including Pepsi), Broadway shows, Broadway stars, non-profit organizations, and mainstream celebrities. He also teaches public relations at De La Salle University-Manila. Follow Oliver on Twitter: @OliverOliveros

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