Wow. Just wow. It's not often that I get chills from a behind the scenes feature. Yesterday Universal moved the release date of Tom Hooper's (THE KING'S SPEECH) take on the classic musical to Christmas, and today it released this nice extended clip. And while not as epic as the first trailer for CLOUD ATLAS, there is some really great stuff here.
Most of the clip focuses on the fact that every take was sung live during filming. Seeing how much emotion it empowers each performance with is just amazing. One of the most fascinating pieces is seeing Hugh Jackman's various takes on one of Jean Valjean's key soliloquies. And while all the actors offer really great insight, it's Jackman's demonstration that really shows what this particular way of shooting can do for performances. It gives them so many outlets and different paths to explore, while bringing a much needed component of realism and pure emotion. It's such a wonderful idea that really seems like it's going to bring something truly amazing to the adaptation. It makes you wonder why every musical doesn't do this, though I'm sure it's because of the extreme length of time it must have taken to film each scene. It's a truly groundbreaking idea, and if Tom Hooper pulls it off I would not be surprised one bit if he received an Oscar nomination.
My only complaint would have to be that we don't get a sneak peak (or listen) of Russell Crowe's Inspector Javert. I know for a fact that Crowe is a very talented singer and I am very anxious to hear and see his take on the character. We also don't get a glimpse of Helena Bonham Carter or Sacha Baron Cohen which is regrettable. However, the cast is stunning (especially Anne Hathaway as Fantine, WOW) and the film looks like it has the real chance at being something very special.
