Les Miserables is a film based on a five volume novel by Victor Hugo on a politically minded France, and it is set to premiere on Christmas Day. Starring Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfired, and Russell Crowe, along with many more actors and actresses, the film is produced by Working Title Films and distributed by Universal Pictures.

What causes this film to be set off to the side compared to other musicals is the fact that it contains live singing. In musical films it’s normal for the actors and actresses to record their versus and do a play back while acting, and they will lip sing to their own vocals. In Les Miserables, however, that is not the case.

“We sing as we act, rather than lay down songs weeks in advance,” said Hugh Jackman, in an article by Baz Bamigboye from the DailyMail. “‘It makes it much more realistic — particularly with a gritty story like this.”

Director Tom Hooper, who won Best Director, Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Original Screenplay for “The King’s Speech,” at the Academy Awards in 2011, had taken on the project because of Hugh Jackman. “Hooper said his very first casting decision was to put Hugh Jackman in the role of Jean Valjean, the ex-prisoner who creates a successful new life for himself under an invented identity.” According to Huffington Post, Hooper had said, “If Hugh Jackman didn’t exist, I don’t think I would have done the film.”

Junior Lenyshka Marrero commented on the live performance in Les Misberables performance saying, “I think is pretty cool, since it’s never been done before.”

Tom Hooper’s main objective it seems for the film is to show that, “unlike most musicals on screen, its talented cast sang while acting.” The actors will have more freedom to act out their singing rather than planning it three months in advanced to the actual filming, according to a post by The Hollywood Reporter.

Les Miserables is said to be an outstanding performance by the actors and actress, even to probably be nominated in the Oscars. Russell Crowe had tweeted, “I saw Les Miserables tonight. I am so grateful to be in that ensemble led by a remarkable performance by Hugh Jackman.Valjean is AWESOME.”

Cory Wilson, senior, said, “It shows that they care about the fans of their work and they want to do something spectacular.”

From an article in HeraldSun, Hooper said he would have walked away from the project had Jackman turned down the role. “There was no second choice,” he told Vogue magazine. The actors fell into place after that, knowing that really a few characters could intimidate Wolverine, a character Jackman is famous for; Hooper had Russell Crowe take the role of Jean Valjean’s nemesis.

Junior Abbie Polk said, “I think that’s awesome! Coming from someone who’s a singer, I’ll be interested to see how it sounds, considering the pressure the actors are going to be under to get it just right.”

Les Miserables will be a holiday treat for its audience that gets to view it at the end of this year. It will cause an emotional movement within the crowd, and hopefully have an unforgettable performance from its actors and actresses that put so much into the musical.