Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on December 2012

Every word is sung in this faithful film adaptation of the long-running musical based on the Victor Hugo classic. It’s admirably ambitious and beautifully mounted. Musical stage vet Hugh Jackman excels, and Anne Hathaway’s show-stopping rendering of “I Dreamed a Dream,” filmed in close-up and in one take, made me want to applaud. Russell Crowe not so much. There’s a demographic out there that eats this stuff up, but the appeal is not universal, and the film’s visually maximalist approach will tire all but the most avid fans, especially as it starts to sputter in the bombastic, overcooked latter half.