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I finally got a chance to see the 2012 movie version of Les Miserables starring Russell Crowe, Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway. I’d seen the stage version of the musical several times and always enjoyed it so I was curious how it would translate to the movie screen. Very well, I thought. The first thing that struck me was the novelty of actors known almost exclusively for their acting morphing into singers. A musical expert might notice some defects but it all seemed very good to me. The second thing I took away from the movie was a better understanding of the story. With the original Victor Hugo novel never having made it onto my reading list, I was a bit unclear about the context of much of the action seen in the stage version. With the benefit of hundreds of extras, elaborate costumes and set design, and plenty of 21st century special effects, the movie version gives you a much better idea of what is actually going on in the story. If you haven’t seen it yet, I’d recommend adding it to your list of soon-to-be-seen films.