Les Miserables (in theaters now)

Based on Victor Hugo’s masterful drama and examination of the elemental struggle of law versus grace, Les Miserables has arrived on screen for the first time as a major motion picture that is also true to the form of the original stage performance as a wall-to-wall musical.

Oscar-winning director Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech) tackles the struggles and tangential characters flowing through the life of Jean Valjean, a French peasant who is finally freed after 19 years in prison for stealing bread to feed his family and repeated attempts at escape. An all-star cast of vocally gifted thespians, led by Anne Hathaway, Hugh Jackman and Mamma Mia! star Amanda Seyfried, plus a few surprises like Russell Crowe—though to be fair, the Gladiator star has sung in his share of rock bands in the past—and Eddie Redmayne, one of England’s fastest rising young actors, anchors this epic retelling of Hugo’s classic tale.

The author was always considered one of France’s premier poets of his time in the mid-19th Century, but the arrival of Les Miserables in 1862 marked a novel way for writers to give voice to a new generation of commoners and creatives alike, making its impact and influence relevant even today. Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter co-star. Rated PG-13. Watch the trailer below: