There are many reasons to be excited about the forthcoming musical adaptation of Les Misérables, including its stellar cast and direction by Tom Hooper. The only real reservation I've had applies to how the music would be handled. The seminal stage production (which just celebrated its 25th worldwide anniversary in 2010) is of course known for its stirring musical numbers by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Hebert Kretzmer. Because it holds a special place in so many people's hearts due to their live experiences (including this gal), there are countless ways that the film could be ruined -- the most likely outcome being a competent but flat, uninspired imitation. After all, what can replace the thrill of seeing these amazing songs performed live?

How about a movie where the actors sing live? 

Les Mis will be the first musical ever to be produced this way (as opposed to tracks being laid down ahead of time in a studio and played back for the actors to lip sync to). This behind-the-scenes look at the film allows the actors to talk about why they were excited to film this way, and why the finished product will be unlike anything you've ever seen before. Beyond the ground-breaking film technique (e.g. one finished 3-minute song taking 10 hours to film), it's also exciting because it gives audiences who never got to see the play a chance to partake of that experience.

Will you be going to see it in December?

Rian Johnson is the man of the hour. Don't mistake this for his 15 minutes though -- he's been making the rounds in Hollywood, film festivals around the world, and places like Comic-Con where he as a self-professed nerd fits right in; and his most recent piece of work, Looper, has received near-universal praise. Did he come from nowhere? Well, everyone has an origin story.

I first became aware of Johnson's work after seeing Brick, the high school detective movie that was both brilliant and unsettling. I can't now recall who brought that freshman effort to my attention -- it might have been a film blog or perhaps I stumbled across it on Netflix. Regardless, it was not long after the film's release in 2005 which came and went rather quietly; in the time since, however, Brick has built a steady and passionate following for the director. It was an original screenplay, written after his graduation from USC School of Cinematic Arts, which was too ambitious for a studio to chance on a first-time director. Instead, he raised the half-million dollars himself and went to work. Despite being a new director he was no stranger to filmmaking, having shot over 80 short films by the end of high school. Of the process, he said, "I was getting used to having a camera in my hands, and with finding shots and forming a (crude) visual language. I was goofing around with editing, with sound, putting things up against each other and testing how malleable everything was. Doing a bunch of it, even if it was bad, was the key to it becoming something I could start refining." He found that his style was very distinctive and inspired heavily by classic noir films like The Maltese Falcon and The Glass Key. The Cohen Brothers also influenced his stylistic choices. The author Dashiell Hammett, famous for his American hard-boiled crime fiction, moved Johnson to contribute his own work to the genre. 

In the end, though, what comes out of Johnson is pure originality. He wanted so badly not to merely mimic anyone that he has released only 3 major films in his 7 officially active years (all original screenplays): Brick, The Brothers Bloom, and most recently, Looper. Each film has the hallmarks Johnson is becoming known for, not the least of which being witty, stylized dialogue. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, a favorite of Johnson's, breathes life into the words Johnson writes with a credibility that might fall flat from other actors' less talented mouths. The director is also adept at getting inside the uncomfortable recesses of his characters minds. This theme is seen in all of his movies, but is also clearly evidenced in two landmark episodes he directed of "Breaking Bad": "Fly" (which was essentially a bottle episode) and "Fifty-One;" both served to expose Walter White's increasing desire for control, tendency toward mania, and seduced the viewer into his world to the extent that his irrationality seemed rational after all. Such is the brilliance of Johnson's direction. 

In another example of Johnson's emphasis on people over spectacle, one might expect that a film about time travel would involve some flashy special effects and an elaborate mythology. "It's not a big, shiny sci-fi world, it's something that is... everything is just broken down, so it's kind of a dystopian future." Johnson wanted to focus not on the gimmicks of time travel ("I'd go back and kill Hitler!" or "I'd play winning lottery numbers!") but rather the psychological effects. What happens, for example, when a young man can be given security in life -- money, health care, companionship -- but in exchange knows the date of his death? Is that preferable to potentially live longer and in ignorance while also gambling that you could die sooner? Would you take a guaranteed 30 years, or trade it for the toss-up of 5 or 50? And what does it do to a person to see their decisions manifest in their older self before they've had a chance to make those decisions at all? These are the sorts of questions Johnson likes to pose, and see where his characters take him. 

Since Johnson has spoken publicly against directing films not of his own writing, we can expect that he will continue to search inwardly for material versus chasing Hollywood trends. When speaking about how to "break into" the movie scene, he said, "At the end of the day, the movie that got me noticed was something that nobody was asking for – a bizarre high school detective movie – but it was 100% mine." He has trusted audiences to approach his work with an open mind because he knows that, in a way, creating original films against a backdrop of sequels and remakes will stand for itself. "It’s important to keep discovering."

Brick is available on Netflix Instant
The Brothers Bloom is available OnDemand, on Blu-ray, and DVD
Looper is in theaters everywhere now 

Check out this excellent interview about Johnson's filmmaking process, from screenwriting to post-production.

A good trailer is a piece of art. It should inform, excite, and entice without giving away too much of the story, while demonstrating unique ideas so the film it represents stands apart from dozens of others in a given week. You know it when you see it.

- - - 

ARGO
Directed by Ben Affleck
Release date: In theaters

What is it about Ben Affleck as a director that I like so much? Maybe it's his answer in a recent Details interview: "I need my work to mean something to me in order for me to not be home with [my family.]" When a director approaches projects with that mindset, I'm more likely to trust that what is on the screen isn't going to waste my time, because he didn't want to waste his in making it to begin with. And it shows in the trailer for Argo, Affleck's third film (after Gone Baby Gone and The Town). 

There is only one trailer for Argo, and it was the only trailer needed because this one is excellent. The story is loosely based on the events surrounding 6 American diplomats who escaped the seizure of the U.S. embassy in Tehran during the Iranian Hostage Crisis of 1979. While most of the diplomats were taken hostage, the CIA worked to extricate the 6 from their hiding place in the Canadian ambassador's home. Before even getting into the meat of the story, I am already in love with the visual style of the film: classic 70's facial hair, earth tones, big glasses; the use of shredded photos interspersed throughout, which in this digital age feels like an homage as well as a stylistic choice. Every face I see is recognizable but transformed -- Judy Greer! Bryan Cranston! Kyle Chandler! Most of all, Victor Garber looking slim and years younger as the Canadian ambassador, Ken Taylor, who had an extremely important role in how events played out. (Affleck, who after hearing about Taylor's inclusion, was concerned about trumping up America's involvement at other players' expense and invited the former ambassador to his home to view the film; changes were later made to the script.) 

Then, just when you think it's a straight political thriller, a twist of tone: "If I'm gonna make a fake movie, it's gonna be a fake hit," insists Alan Arkin, confirming that so desperate was the situation, the government would say "yes" to this plan. The bulk of the film, then, follows the crazy events that transpired to bring a fake production team to Iran to make "Argo," a fake science fiction film taking place on Mars, and then attempt to evacuate the 6 hidden ambassadors as the undercover stars of the film. Does it work? You can spoil it with a quick Wikipedia search if you like, but I have a feeling it wouldn't make a difference. Ben Affleck looks to have combined a compelling story with original characters, a fast-paced plot, all set in Iran during a slightly romanticized, very politically-charged time in our history. Best Director nods are a lock, and if you're a fan of the filmmaking process, this movie might hold an extra dimension of interest because of the "film within a film" aspect. See it in theaters now. 

NEXT WEEK: Zero Dark Thirty

So we have some changes going on at the blog, and you'll be seeing a lot of new content every. single. day. (Except Sundays, because, you know... God. And homework.)

The types of things you can expect are:

Mondays: "Coming Attractions" - post will focus on a trailer and all of its merits/flaws, whether it succeeds in making you want to see the film, and some discussion about the film itself. Mainly upcoming films, but some recently released as well.

Tuesdays: "[Directed by...]" - featuring a director each week, with emphasis on those who have recent or upcoming projects. Can be at any level of the professional ladder, from amateur to auteur, indie to Academy. 

Wednesdays: "Video of the [Wednes]Day" - featuring a video about anything film related that strikes my fancy and makes me want to talk about it.

Thursdays: "88 MPH" - We'll climb into our DeLorean and focus on films made/released before the year 2000. Yes,  it's an arbitrary date. Deal with it. 

Fridays: "Film Score Fridays" - I've always said that a mediocre movie can be saved for me by an excellent score (or soundtrack, and yes, there is a difference). We'll look at notable soundtracks and their creators from all eras. 

Saturdays: "Babble On" - this will be a blog post about anything that's on my mind related to film that didn't fit  into one of the above categories, and will probably be from a more personal angle. We'll see...

I'll take this opportunity to lay out a couple of ground rules for comments:

1. Keep it civil
2. Keep it relevant
3. No spam
4. We reserve the right to remove a comment or user who does not comply with these rules (although please don't make me have to do this, because I'd rather not remove any voices from the conversation)

Other than that, read away and comment as you please! This is the opportunity to create your own community about something we all love and have in common. So whether you're a recreational filmgoer or professional filmmaker, feel free to share what's on your heart and mind; we all have valuable things to say. Thanks for participating in this little experiment of ours!