---
title: "Les Misérables: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/les-miserables-2012/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/les-miserables-2012"
critics_score: 64
critics_reviews: 22
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Les Misérables (2012): what the critics said

Critics' score 64 from 22 reviews: 13 positive, 3 mixed, 6 negative.

Most critics come down in favour of Tom Hooper’s film, and the praise gathers around one decision: recording the singing live on set. Reviewers who like the film say this gives the numbers a rawness the stage version cannot, and nearly every review, positive or not, singles out Anne Hathaway’s single-take ‘I Dreamed a Dream’ as the sequence that justifies the approach. Hugh Jackman is the other performance most often commended.

The spread is wide, running from unreserved raves to outright dismissals. The reservations cluster on Hooper’s direction rather than the cast: the constant close-ups, the swooping camera, the sheer relentlessness of a sung-through two and a half hours, which several critics find monotonous or bombastic. Russell Crowe’s casting draws complaints, with Film Comment calling him miscast. The Wrap goes furthest, treating Hathaway’s performance as part of the problem rather than the exception, a view almost no one else shares.

## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw

Rating ★★★★★. 13 January 2013. 

Tom Hooper's decision to record the singing live on set creates a work of unusual power, intensity and colour. The film is a magnificent achievement that overwhelms with its integration of spectacle, music and performances, especially from Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/jan/13/les-miserables-review-tom-hooper)

## Empire — Helen O'Hara

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 4 January 2012. 

The critic finds Hooper’s adaptation raw and emotionally powerful, taking the musical’s subject matter seriously with a visceral edge. Live-sung performances deliver unique punch despite occasional vocal wobbles, with Hathaway’s I Dreamed A Dream singled out as definitive.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/les-miserables-3-review/)

## The Telegraph — Robbie Collin

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 6 December 2012. 

Tom Hooper’s screen adaptation is a heart-soaring, crowd-delighting hit that feels cinematic and intimate despite its scale. The live-on-set singing gives the music vital presence, with Anne Hathaway’s performance as Fantine singled out as the showstopper.

[Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/9727469/Les-Miserables-first-review.html)

## Total Film — Neil Smith

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 11 January 2013. 

The critic calls the film a gloriously immersive wallow in squalor and degradation that will delight fans and win over newcomers. Live vocals and strong performances, especially Hathaway’s and Jackman’s, are praised, though the second half is less kinetic.

[Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/les-miserables-2-review/)

## Time Out — Cath Clarke

Rating 4/5. 17 December 2012. 

The critic suggests even musical skeptics may be won over by this energetic adaptation of the stage hit. Anne Hathaway's raw, single-take performance of 'I Dreamed a Dream' is singled out as the emotional highlight.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/les-miserables-4)

## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 24 December 2012. 

Hooper doubles down on the musical's emotional strength and fearlessly opens it up into a real world with epic scale; despite shameless plotting, it delivers an emotional wallop when it counts.

[Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-xpm-2012-dec-24-la-et-mn-les-miserables-20121225-story.html)

## Screen Daily

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 6 December 2012. 

The sung-through adaptation trades theatrical scale for intimate close-ups and live singing, creating emotional force especially in key numbers like Hathaway's 'I Dreamed a Dream'. Jackman delivers a standout nuanced performance while the approach may divide audiences between fans and non-fans of the musical.

[Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/les-miserables/5049739.article)

## Vulture — David Edelstein

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 9 December 2012. 

The critic admires the film's gumption and live-singing approach despite its tasteless bombardment and close-up excesses, noting it will be a hit. Singles out Anne Hathaway's performance for praise while critiquing the music and some vocal efforts.

[Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2012/12/david-edelstein-on-les-miserables.html)

## Radio Times — Alan Jones

Rating 3/5. 

Hooper delivers a well-mounted but heavy-going 'poperetta' that remains rousing thanks to strong anthems and standout turns, especially Hathaway's. The unrelenting close-ups, swooping camerawork and sung-through format make it feel monotonous at times.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-x1olwj/les-misrables/)

## The Hollywood Reporter — Todd McCarthy

Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 6 December 2012. 

The critic finds the film well-sung but bombastic, with repetitive visuals and monotonous musical numbers that slur together. Praises some live singing performances but criticizes the overall lack of subtlety and variety.

[Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/les-miserables-film-review-398662/)

## Film Comment — Michael Koresky

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 26 December 2012. 

The critic questions whether Hooper can successfully adapt the musical to the screen amid its clipped storytelling and forced grittiness. They single out the live close-up performances by Anne Hathaway and Hugh Jackman as the film's most stirring moments while criticizing miscast elements like Russell Crowe.

[Read the review](https://www.filmcomment.com/les-miserables-tom-hooper/)

## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 30 December 2012. 

Hooper's shift to grandeur confuses his sense of scale, resulting in a bombastic film whose music and lyrics battle to be more uninspired; a few cast members like Redmayne acquit themselves gracefully amid the inflationary excess.

[Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/01/07/love-hurts-2)

## Variety — Justin Chang

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 6 December 2012. 

The film satisfies fans as a faithful rendering but is managed with more gusto than grace, often toppling under its own grandiosity despite vivid visuals and intense live vocals.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/2012/film/reviews/les-miserables-3-1117948874/)

## Slant Magazine — Calum Marsh

Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 7 December 2012. 

The critic calls the film wearying and ugly due to its live-singing gimmick pressuring weak performers, fisheye close-ups, and garish maximalism. Praises the production design but faults the inept shooting and cutting that reduce everything to mugging faces.

[Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/les-miserables/)

## HeyUGuys — Ross Jones-Morris

Rating 5/5. 6 December 2012. 

The critic finds the film glorious and a textbook example of adapting a musical to screen. They praise the visual splendor, production design, and intimate close-ups that allow powerful performances, especially Anne Hathaway's 'I Dreamed a Dream.'

[Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/les-miserables-review/)

## Digital Spy — Simon Reynolds

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 13 December 2012. 

The critic hails the epic scale, old-school filmmaking and live singing as a potential turning point for movie musicals. They single out Anne Hathaway's heartbreaking 'I Dreamed a Dream' as the standout sequence likely to earn awards attention.

[Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a444838/les-misrables-review-does-oscar-glory-await-tom-hoopers-musical/)

## /Film — Germain Lussier

Rating 9/10. 6 December 2012. 

The critic calls it one of the year's best films, praising its bold, moving adaptation and emotional power, especially Hathaway's stirring close-up performance of 'I Dreamed a Dream' and the strong cast.

[Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/523941/les-miserables-review-this-big-bold-moving-hollywood-musical-is-one-of-the-years-best/)

## Collider — Matt Goldberg

Rating B. 24 December 2012. 

The film is an emotionally powerful musical adaptation buoyed by strong performances, particularly Anne Hathaway's raw 'I Dreamed a Dream,' but director Tom Hooper's overuse of close-ups and erratic editing often undercut the grandeur and staging.

[Read the review](https://collider.com/les-miserables-review/)

## Den of Geek — Matthew Schuchman

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 18 December 2012. 

The review praises the ambitious live-vocal approach and sweeping visuals as making the film a treat especially for stage fans. It highlights Anne Hathaway's standout emotional performance while noting minor complaints about some supporting casting.

[Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/les-miserables-review/)

## Paste — Jeremy Mathews

Rating 7.9. 25 December 2012. 

Hooper's choice to record vocals live creates a fragile, visceral intimacy that heightens the emotional impact of the songs and performances, especially Hathaway's standout turn, though some directorial choices like Dutch angles and crowd scenes feel forced.

[Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/les-miserables)

## The Playlist — The Playlist Staff

Rating C. 6 December 2012. 

The review notes the film's ambition and scope but finds it bloated and uneven, with histrionic moments. It singles out Anne Hathaway's performance and the magnificent ending for praise, while criticizing the long runtime and variable singing.

[Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/review-bloated-les-miserables-still-falls-short-despite-strong-performances-anne-hathaway-cinematic-grandeur-20121206/)

## The Wrap — Alonso Duralde

Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 17 December 2012. 

The critic calls the film a catastrophe of epic proportions and one of 2012’s most excruciating experiences due to Tom Hooper's bad directorial decisions. He singles out the extreme close-ups and over-the-top performances, particularly Anne Hathaway's as Fantine.

[Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/les-miserables-review-i-dreamed-nightmare-69581/)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/les-miserables-2012.md