The Movie Musical: Good Casting

What makes a good movie musical cast?

A few weeks ago, I revisited 2012's Les Misérables for the first time in probably a decade. For whatever reason, the film was re-released in cinemas complete with a Dolby remaster for both the picture and sound. Dolby is my preferred theater format, so it was a must-go for this fan of the musical and instructor of this course for you, our paid subscribers.

My assessment hasn't changed much, even if this big-screen, perfectly-mixed remaster is the best it's ever played for me. It seems impossible to adapt for the movies, from the musical stylings to its purely theatrical motifs. Director Tom Hooper is up to the tall task, even if I did ask, "Why the hell did he think that was the best choice?" during the countless sweeping CGI-laden zooms of the city. 

But if there's one thing Hooper absolutely got right, it's the casting. In this series of adapting stage musicals to the screen, it's important that we talk about the performances that sell so many of the tickets. Hooper got a lot of crap for the performances that inhabit his world and there are a few that I've dunked on right along with you. But, as many directors (Scorsese, Altman, and countless others) have said, casting is 90% of directing. It is so important and whether or not they all turned out, Hooper got that casting right.

It makes his movie...well...sing. Here's why they were all the best picks available: