There is  no novel as gripping or emotionally draining as Victor Hugo's Les Misrables, the story of redemption, overzealous fundamentalism (justice at all costs) and selfless heroism. Which is probably why it has been translated into numerous languages, and portrayed on Broadway, television, and by Hollywood a dozen times over. Jean Valjean has been brought to the screen by many actors, but never with quite the charisma and on-screen passion of Liam Neeson, the Oscar-nominated actor from Schlinder's List.

With a stunning cast, a gorgeous soundtrack, and a premise that should touch even the most hardened of hearts, this most recent adaptation is a triumph. Jean Valjean (Liam Neeson) has spent nineteen years at hard labor in a French prison for stealing a loaf of bread. Having reached the end of his sentence, he is given a yellow passport (marking him as a former convict) and told to report to his parole officer within a certain amount of time. Now wandering the lonely roads of France seeking redemption for his corrupted life, Valjean is about to meet the man who will forever alter his fate. Turned away by all the local inns in a small country parish, he finds a place of safety and solace within the church under the hand of a compassionate old Bishop (Peter Vaughan). Valjean has grown hard and cruel in prison and he betrays the man by thieving his silver and stealing away in the night. Fate, however, is not on his side. He is caught and returned to the church. But instead of judgment, he receives mercy... and a new lease on life. 

Ten years later, Inspector Javert (Geoffrey Rush) of the Paris prefix of police has been assigned to a new post in the city of Vigau. The small town prospers under the management of a good-hearted and overly kind mayor; but with a growth in profit comes expanding corruption and Javert feels the mayor holds the strings of government too loosely where criminals are concerned. Javert is convinced he has seen the man before... perhaps in prison. This stranger resembles closely a convict who has broken his parole. In the meantime, the mayor's overly-righteous overseer has learned one of the women in their employment (Uma Thurman) is an unmarried mother. Fearing Fantine may corrupt those around her, the penniless woman is discharged. Left without any other means of wages and a starving child to feed, Fantine turns in to prostitution in order to survive. She is arrested one night by Javert, but the mayor takes pity on her and not only removes the sentence, but gives her into the hands of the church so she might be nursed back to health.

He makes arrangements for her child be brought to her, a little girl by the name of Cosette (Claire Danes), who has remained in the hands of a corrupt innkeeper and his wife. The man views her as an avenue for wealth and makes halfhearted excuses as to why they need more funds to take care of her. Fantine is ill with consumption and the mayor fears her time grows short. But on the day he is to fetch her child, he receives a notice a criminal believed to be Jean Valjean has been captured poaching apples. He will be sentenced, found guilty, and imprisoned for the rest of his life. The choice is now before our hero... for he is Valjean. Will he allow this poor wretch to suffer in his place or risk everything, even Fantine's happiness, to allow the truth out into the grasping, twisted fingers of the cruel Inspector Javert? What unfolds is a touching story of renewed faith and moral strength in a time of revolution and cruelty. Valjean makes for an excellent hero, offset well by the passionate and cruel Javert. They are two men of conviction. But in one there is an allowance for human failings; in the other, no exceptions are made. It makes for a dramatic and powerful clash of personalities and priorities that gives way to several side-plots, such as Cosette's growth into maturity and her love for a Revolutionist, Maraus.

When a friend told me this was her favorite film of all time, I regarded it suspiciously. A movie that mentions prostitution and criminals on the back cover didn't sound promising. But the merit of the production is almost beyond comprehension. It teaches compassion, faith, honesty, integrity, and self-sacrifice; the ideal that a man can be redeemed from a horrible, demented soul into a forgiving child of God, which is the very essence of salvation. Lovers of the original book will find it much altered, but it captures the heart of Hugo's work. Les Misrables has romance, action, suspense, and unforgettable performances.  The film doesn't glow from surroundings, but the acting itself. Paris and France in general are portrayed as dark, soiled places. The characters are what truly tugs on our heartstrings, beyond the pitiful poverty of the common people. The PG13 rating should be observed, since the film carries mature elements such as implied prostitution (though aside from brief partial nudity when Fantine propositions her landlord for the rent, nothing is observed of her trade) as well as some battle violence. The second half of the film follows the reprisals of a second French Revolution, in which men and women are shot down, executed, and fired at. A child is killed in a crossfire. A man threatens a young woman with a gun. A man's head is bashed against a wall several times, with bloody results. A character commits suicide by allowing himself to drown.

Fantine accosted upon the street by several drunk "gentlemen," and they shove her around and put snow down her dress. She exhibits extreme cleavage on at least one occasion. There's also some mild language (several uses of "whore," and "slut"). Mild dialogue implies her landlord suggests she use her bed for prostitution. After cutting off her hair, she joins a line of ladies of the night. We see her bare stomach and legs after she throws aside a coverlet. The content is actually quite mild considering a film of this nature; it's handled tactfully and is appropriate for viewers old enough to understand the motivations behind it. Please don't allow mild issues to turn you away from a very worthy production, with particularly good performances. The tension between Valjean and Javert is more than adequately portrayed by two excellent Oscar-caliber actors. Rush and Neeson create a chemistry unlike anything I've ever seen -- they are both consummate actors, and the film is all the more deep thanks to their significant roles. Few other thespians can say so much without speaking a single line of dialogue, although their verbal duels often spark with repressed wrath. A gorgeous and powerfully dramatic score only add to the depth of character development and the grand scope of a past Paris while humor is carefully woven into a serious and captivating plot. 

Les Misrables is a wonderful film to share with family and friends... or to simply enjoy yourself. You may have to turn a blind eye to its minor flaws but if you can look past the obvious you will find a story to change your life forever. A tale of compassion, honesty, transformation, morality, and forgiveness that might not adhere exactly to Victor Hugo's tale but still leaves one with a sense of having spent two hours in a forgotten era and is much the better for it. You'll never look at Paris -- or a convict -- the same way again.