X
- 1998
- PG-13
- Columbia Pictures
- 2 h 14 m
- 1998
- PG-13
- Columbia Pictures
- 2 h 14 m
Summary Valjean, a former criminal, has atoned for his past and now finds himself in the midst of the French Revolution, avoiding a law-obsessed policeman hell-bent on capturing him.
Directed By: Bille August
Written By: Victor Hugo, Rafael Yglesias
- 1998
- PG-13
- Columbia Pictures
- 2 h 14 m
- 1998
- PG-13
- Columbia Pictures
- 2 h 14 m
Les Misérables
65
6.0
Where to Watch
Summary Valjean, a former criminal, has atoned for his past and now finds himself in the midst of the French Revolution, avoiding a law-obsessed policeman hell-bent on capturing him.
Directed By: Bille August
Written By: Victor Hugo, Rafael Yglesias
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 24 Critic Reviews
65
75% Positive
18 Reviews
18 Reviews
25% Mixed
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 24 Critic Reviews
65
75% Positive
18 Reviews
18 Reviews
25% Mixed
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
The third American bigscreen rendition of Victor Hugo's classic novel, Bille August's Les Miserables is without a doubt the most emotionally powerful and handsomely mounted production of the story yet.
A solid remake of Victor Hugo's classic about a man who steals a loaf of bread and the police inspector who hounds him for years because of it, with Liam Neeson and Geoffrey Rush. Director Bille August's focus on the love-story angles blurs the epic messages about freedom, honor and justice. [07 Jun 1998, p.C6]
August's production, while not on a level with either of those memorable predecessors, is solid nonetheless. Its strengths are its handsome amplitude and the intelligent clarity with which the various strands of the novel are advanced by a smoothly meshed international cast. [01 May 1998, p.D4]
It's epic, sweeping, and genuinely engrossing for awhile, but then it stumbles. [07 Nov 1998]
Quite simply, Les Miserables is a messy classic -- difficult to condense, contrived and highly melodramatic, which made it fine fodder for a pop opera. To counter the antiquated excess, Danish director Bille August ( Pelle The Conqueror ) keeps the mood as cool as an autumn night in Copenhagen, which also creates an emotional distance. [01 May 1998, p.6G]
Strip away [Hugo's] sociopolitical rhetoric, and you're left with a simple, heartfelt story. The film directed by Bille August and written by Rafael Yglesias does just that, rendering the plot handsomely. It's far from miserable, but it's not "Miserables," either. [01 May 1998, p.10E]
At 2 hours and 20 minutes Les Miserables is an unholy slog. It's the sort of movie where, when a title pops up saying, "Ten Years Later," you sink down in your seat certain it's going to be 20 before you get the hell out of there.
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 8 User Ratings
6.0
38% Positive
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
63% Mixed
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 8 User Ratings
6.0
38% Positive
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
63% Mixed
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.
Production Company
Mandalay Entertainment,
TriStar Pictures
Release Date May 1, 1998
Duration 2 h 14 m
Rating PG-13
Tagline The legend comes to life.
Awards
Cairo International Film Festival
• 1 Nomination
