'Les Miserables' delivers once more

MOVIE REVIEW

By Sharon Nagy, On-line Forty-Niner

May 5,1998

"Les Miserables" is a beautifully scripted, engaging and fascinating portrayal of morals, right and wrong, and what can happen when encountering the wrong side of the law.

 

The movie, based on the classic Victor Hugo novel and not the wildly popular play of the same name, touches on a wealth of themes, from love and death to vengeance and forgiveness. The characters passionately jump out of the screen and make way into the heart.

 

Geoffrey Rush plays Inspector Javert, a cunning man of the law who actively peruses the demise of Jean Valjean (Liam Neeson) for one mistake Valjean committed as a young, hungry child: stealing a loaf of bread.

 

Valjean spends nearly 20 years in prison for his crime, and Javert's first encounter with him occurs when Javert spends a year working as a prison guard at the same penitentiary.

 

Years later, the two opposites meet again, when Javert is assigned as inspector to the city of Vigau, directly under Valjean's supervision.

 

The love story unfolds when Valjean discovers Uma Thurman's character, Fantine, fired from her job at his factory for having an illegitimate daughter. Fantine turns to prostitution for financial support for the family that is caring for her child, Cosette.

 

The latter part of the film is set years later, when Cosette has blossomed into a teen-ager, played gracefully by Claire Danes. "Les Miserables" then takes another avenue toward love when she falls for a young revolutionary, played by Hans Matheson.

 

The deepest love of all is exposed in the father-daughter relationship between Valjean and Cosette. The two are hopelessly devoted to the happiness and safety of each other, and the loyalty they share is a reminder of what true love really is.

 

---