For fans of the epic, enduring stage spectacular Les Miserables, a movie version worth watching has been a long time coming. And because of the play’s enduring popularity, the movie’s all-star cast and the preemptive Oscar buzz – the hype for its Christmas Day opening was undeniably huge.
But realistically, could the flick ever live up to its fevered expectation?
I’m a lifelong Les Miz fan(atic) – a tradition passed down from my parents before me. My father scored us seats on Broadway just ahead of NYC’s millennium celebration, and it made my little teenage heart swell to twice its size. Like so many others, I was waiting with baited breath and absurdly high expectations to see this year’s big screen incarnation.