I loved the movie, and I could really go on and on analyzing every last bit of it... but instead, I'll leave you with this quote from an article about Eddie Redmayne:
"Eddie volunteered to sit beside Samantha when they watched Les Mis for the first time. 'Sam has such a history with the piece,' he said of the actress, who also played Eponine in a 25th anniversary concert production of the musical. 'She’s an extraordinary human being and a formidable actress. Our weight of expectations felt almost as large as the weight of expectations of all the fans. The moment when Hugh ripped up that paper and pieces flew into the air, Sam and I just grabbed each other’s arms. We felt emotionally connected.'"
And that last sentence (as pointed out by Kate) is precisely how I reacted to it.
Go see it... with an open mind, and discard all preconceptions and opinions you've already heard... And pay attention to more than the performances. Listen to the orchestrations, and try and understand the artistic process.
I think that's why I loved Les Mis so much. Every single scene allowed me to analyze it in a different way than the musical did. The film brings another layer of realism to the story, and I can honestly say that I admire what the cast and crew came up with.
I still love the stage version, but this was, in my opinion, a very good attempt.
BTW: You can read the entire Eddie article here.
