Les Mis on ice

We've just spent a glorious Sunday in the presence of Brother Edward and Sascha. 

I woke up this morning with terrible back pains. I think the process of sleeping is making the muscles around my ribs somehow go into spasm, and so once I wake up, there's no other option than to get up and take a bath because it hurts so much. Getting up at 8.30am on a Sunday is no laughing matter and I've spent the day yawning. 

In the afternoon we went to see Les Miserables (the film.) Some of it was overwhelming moving, and the cast was like a roll call of every one Nathan's ever worked with. The bit parts and ensembles were almost exclusively played by West End Wendies: Hannah Waddingham, Di Pilkington, Caroline Sheen, Jonny Barr, Katie Seacombe, Michael Jibson, Frances Rufelle. All Britsh. I felt proud. 

There was some dodgy singing from the lead men, primarily by Russell Crowe, who's opened himself up for a shed-load of potential abuse by singing really badly. It should have been the casting director's responsibility to stop that from happening, however many bums he's going to put on seats. He's just not good enough to play such a pivotal and serious role. No one cared that Pierce Brosnan was rubbish in Mamma Mia, because the film was silly and lighthearted but listening to Crowe singing "Stars" was horrific.

I was slightly disappointed with Hugh Jackman at times. His "Bring Him Home" felt throaty, strangulated and completely lacking in subtlety. There were some horridly nasal areas of Marius' voice, and Cosette had a weird bleety sheep-like vibrato.

That said, the women steal the show, and the absolute stand-out performance was Anne Hathaway, whose "I Dreamed a Dream" was close to extraordinary; one single 3-minute shot creating perhaps the most engulfingly moving cinematic experience of my life. 

We went back to Ted and Sascha's after the film to watch Dancing On Ice (from the sublime to the ridiculous) and eat the nicest raspberry souffle I've ever tasted. 

There was a shocking moment on Magic FM Radio this afternoon involving Rick Astley interviewing a somewhat frosty Helen Hunt. The conversation at one point went something like this;

Rick: So after you'd won your Oscar, I understand you gave up acting for a while?

Ms Hunt: Um? No... (thinking) I don't think so... Where did you hear that

Rick: That's odd. It says here that you gave up acting and started learning the viola...

Ms Hunt: No! What on earth? Wait...(dawning) I PLAYED Viola in Twelfth Night! 

I was so embarrassed that I had to immediately switch the radio off!