Having only seen the first two episodes this review may be a little premature but the tone does seem to be set. The adaptation looks good and has played out relatively well so far but some points of detail/style I really struggle with. These include how physically clean and healthy Fantine and her friends/colleagues (and their clothes) are during the romance with Felix and his friends. They were fairly poor seamstresses and the way their scenes are shot in soft light etc. Too romanticised for my liking. Also, give us more of the context: show us Fantine finding out she's pregnant as an unmarried woman, giving birth to Cosette, being subject to prejudice and discrimination before leaving Cosette with Madame Thénardier... This wouldn't take long to do but would add a great deal.
Also, whilst Dominic West is a great actor and performs well, the casting of him as Jean Valjean is problematic. It's absolutely crucial to the plot and the character that Jean Valjean is more than a man in terms of strength and capable of feats that are almost super-human. Whilst West has been to the gym, he looks like that: a man that has been to the gym. He doesn't look like someone imbued with the incredible strength that Jean Valjean needs. I don't believe it in him. He's no more physically imposing than those that surround him and this is difficult for me to get over.
The cleanliness/hygiene of some sections of the film make it feel a little dated to me and too 'BBC' - it needs to be darker, dirtier, more realistic. Lose the romanticism and give us some realism please BBC - that's how to make an adaptation of Les Mis great instead of good, in my book at least.
The accents and lack of French language (the odd 'Monsieur' etc feels weird) are, however, obstacles to the authenticity of the series and, for me, get in the way of the story and the context (as an aside and again for me, the race or ethnicity of the actors certainly does not get in the way). Whilst I can understand the BBC not wanting to produce a French language show that is shown in English speaking territories with subtitles, some half decent French accents would make it feel much more real to me. Les Mis is about, in, and of France after all.
Good work but I think the BBC could do better....
Also, whilst Dominic West is a great actor and performs well, the casting of him as Jean Valjean is problematic. It's absolutely crucial to the plot and the character that Jean Valjean is more than a man in terms of strength and capable of feats that are almost super-human. Whilst West has been to the gym, he looks like that: a man that has been to the gym. He doesn't look like someone imbued with the incredible strength that Jean Valjean needs. I don't believe it in him. He's no more physically imposing than those that surround him and this is difficult for me to get over.
The cleanliness/hygiene of some sections of the film make it feel a little dated to me and too 'BBC' - it needs to be darker, dirtier, more realistic. Lose the romanticism and give us some realism please BBC - that's how to make an adaptation of Les Mis great instead of good, in my book at least.
The accents and lack of French language (the odd 'Monsieur' etc feels weird) are, however, obstacles to the authenticity of the series and, for me, get in the way of the story and the context (as an aside and again for me, the race or ethnicity of the actors certainly does not get in the way). Whilst I can understand the BBC not wanting to produce a French language show that is shown in English speaking territories with subtitles, some half decent French accents would make it feel much more real to me. Les Mis is about, in, and of France after all.
Good work but I think the BBC could do better....