Les Misérables (2012)

Tom Hooper parks his camera right up against every face in Les Misérables, and after 158 minutes you’ll know Hugh Jackman’s pores better than your own. Then there’s Russell Crowe, who sings Javert like a man carrying each note across thin ice, stern, careful and terrified of slipping. Almost all the dialogue is sung, so the slow stretches feel extra slow. But the showstoppers land hard. Anne Hathaway sings I Dreamed a Dream in one long, unbroken close-up, and it’s devastating. Jackman throws everything he has at Valjean and mostly lands it. Eddie Redmayne turns Empty Chairs at Empty Tables into the saddest song in the movie. Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter crash in as the greedy Thénardiers and turn Master of the House into a pickpocket circus. It earned $442.8 million around the world on a reported $61M budget. A 7.2 because the big songs soar and the man chasing Valjean can’t keep up. $1,897 says you sing your next grocery list out loud and somebody in the house joins in with a harmony.

What works: Anne Hathaway’s big number is a knockout, and Hugh Jackman and Eddie Redmayne carry the emotional weight of the story.

What doesn’t: Russell Crowe’s singing is stiff and thin for such a huge role, and the nonstop extreme close-ups get exhausting over 158 minutes.

Who it’s for: Musical theater fans who already know every word and want to sing along through the tears.