Until Midnight (& Sometimes Later)

Gangster Squad is a period cop versus gangsters story, full of standard tropes, yet it rises above standard fare to be a fun, entertaining romp full of action and peppered with interesting performances. See my full review at buzzymag.

An excerpt:
Mickey Cohen, former boxer, current mobster, rules the town. He desperately wants to show the Chicago Mob that he doesn’t need to answer to them, and desperate men do desperate things. He will do anything to get what he wants, and woe to anyone in his way.

2012 will be remembered as the year I came to terms with living in Delaware and found a life here. We ended the year by going to several holiday parties, and spent New Year’s Eve in Philadelphia with lots of friends, watching the ball drop on TV.

I spent 2012 editing more than ever, but I also started reviewing movies at buzzymag–best job ever! It’s a start. I took Jonathan Maberry’s Novel in Nine Months class, and while I didn’t manage to write my novel, I did learn a lot. I put out my first solo anthology: Galactic Creatures, and I’m very proud of how it turned out. I didn’t lose the fifty pounds I wanted to, but I came close at forty-eight down.

Cat-wise, we produced a litter of maine coon kittens, a litter of munchkins, and a litter of havanas. We didn’t show much, and it looks like we won’t be showing all that much in 2013, either. I’ve got a few judging assignments lined up for the next year, but my focus has definitely shifted.

Looking ahead to 2013, I’ve signed up for some online classes from EFA to spruce up my copyediting skills (a refresher never hurts), and to learn how to format e-books. I’ve got lots of editing lined up, and a couple of short stories I *will* submit (or else!). I want to do more writing, including the movie (and book) reviews for buzzymag.

I’m going to be more involved in Philcon this year (I was assistant Masquerade director in 2012), and I hope to get more involved in PSFS, too. I’m hoping to learn more about how to put on conventions–it can’t be that different from putting on cat shows, right?

I’m within fifteen pounds of my goal weight. I’m on nutrisystem, and I *will* get there this year. Next up: more exercise.

Oh, and more filking. My first guitar lesson in thirty-plus years is tonight . . .

Les Miserables
Director: Tom Hooper
Writers: Claude-Michel Schonberg (book), Alain Boublil (book), Victor Hugo (novel), Herbert Kretzmer (lyrics), Alain Boublil (original: French text), Jean-Marc Natel (original: French text), James Fenton (additional text), William Nicholson (screenplay)
Stars: Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Eddie Redmayne, Sacha Baron Cohen, Helena Bonham Carter, Samantha Barks, Aaron Tveit, Daniel Huttlestone, Colm Wilkinson

Disclosure: I’ve never seen the musical verison of Les Miserables before, although I’m familiar with the story. I went to see it with several people, one of whom has seen it numerous times, and listens to the various soundtrack recordings. The following is a conglomeration of our thoughts.

The translation from stage to screen went fairly well and the overall experience was very enjoyable.

The notable thing about this version is that the actors sang every take, allowing them the freedom to act as they sang. This also made it much easier to understand the lyrics (according to my Les Mis expert). But–they not only drove this point home in the advertising for the film, the director spent far too much time in close-up on the actors mouths (“Look–they’re singing. Live!”). The result left all of us wanting more scenes that showed people singing together, and that showed the staging (which seemed to be good). We wanted to see the scenery and the costumes.

They picked a cast that could sing, most especially Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway, with Eddie Redmayne, Samantha Barks, and Amanda Seyfried a whisper behind. They all did a great job of acting/emoting while singing, and were amazing to listen to. Russell Crowe was the weakest voice of the bunch, but his role primarily required him to be stiff and by-the-book, so his performance worked, too.

In a number of places, Hooper used walking into sunlight to symbolize hope, and it was really effective.

Among the supporting players, Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter are deliciously evil as the Thenardiers, Samantha Barks is wonderfully tragic as Eponine, and Daniel Huttlestone steals the show as Gavroche. My Les Mis expert spotted Colm Wilkinson as the bishop–he was the original Jean Valjean on Broadway.

The makeup on Hugh Jackman was very well done. He started out as an emaciated convict, then was turned into a gradually aging gentleman.

This movie takes you on a definite emotional journey. It’s a heavy ride, but well worth the trip.