Les Miserable – Teen Movie Review

Les Miserable, set amid the 1832 French Revolution, is centered around the life of ex-prisoner Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman). When Valjean met a dying woman named Fontine (Anne Hathaway), he promised to raise and care for her young daughter, Cosette (Amanda Seyfried). Valjean took his role as an adopted father very seriously; he became a better man, which changed his life forever. Based on Victor Hugo’s classic novel, this is a powerful story about love, redemption and forgiveness; a story that will make you laugh and cry, and one you will not want to forget.

Rating: 3 and 1/2 buckets out of 5
Release Date: March 22, 2013
MPAA Rating: PG13
Best Age Group: 15+
Sexual Content: Moderate
Violent Content: Excessive
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
Drugs and Alcohol Content: Mild
Will Kids Like It? Yes (mature teens)

See a clip here of my review, along with my Parental Guidance review!

See the trailer here!

Talking Points:

The music, the acting and the storyline were truly amazing. There was an all-star cast; to name a few, Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Russell Crowe and Helena Bonham Carter.

Les Miserable was a powerful story, with a strong religious element to the film. Valjean (Hugh Jackman) was an amazing character. He rescued Cosette and risked his life for her true love, Marius. He was a forgiving man, who was sorry for his sins. At the end of the film, while in church, he asked God and his daughter to forgive his trespasses; this was an intense, heartfelt scene.

There were some disturbing scenes with regards to the prostitutes and the abuse they endured.

Sexual Content: Moderate

• We saw several prostitutes, wearing skimpy outfits. They sang a very suggestive song about their trade.
• We saw images of the prostitutes and their customers having a sexual encounter. They were fully clothed, though we saw their movements, and their pain and despair.
• There was a humorous scene with a prostitute straddling her customer, once again fully clothed.
• We saw a man trying to seduce a prostitute, this was a disturbing scene.

Violent Content: Excessive

• Since the film was set during the French Revolution, there were a lot of scenes involving gun fire. We saw character’s blown up, and streets filled with dead bodies.
• A women and her son were shot and killed, we saw them bleed to death.
• Character’s were hit and beaten with clubs.
• Fantane, a prostitute (Anne Hathaway) had a tooth removed by a barber. This was a disgusting scene, as she was selling her hair and a tooth to make money.
• When Valjean was released from prison he was severely beaten.
• We saw a character committing suicide.

Crude or Profane Language: Mild

• “Sh–,” “h–l,” and “b-tard,” were said a couple times each.
  

Drugs and Alcohol Content: Mild

• We saw character’s drinking wine and alcoholic beverages.
• Character’s were shown smoking a pipe.

Will Kids Like It? Yes (mature teens)

Overall Les Miserable is a truly amazing, heartfelt, powerful story. However, with the mature subject matter, and disturbing scenes, I feel this is not appropriate for kids. As I previously mentioned, this is a film that mature teenagers and adults will find interesting and entertaining.

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