Miss Saigon Movie

[Dave19]

Posted: 5/23/14 at 7:22am

I would like to make a topic about this, because I could only find one about the "possible movie cast ideas" and one about the previews/reviews of the new London production.

Yesterday I watched the Les Miserables film again and it was worse than I remembered it to be. The whole film is full of things that don't work. To give an example, the scene where the Bishop sings to Valjean "...But remember this my brother....." a key moment in the story of the life of Valjean. Unfortunately this scene does not work in the film, because it is very rushed, there is no realization in Valjean , it's in the same sentence as "you can go now" to the guards. All you can hear is the guards walking away, bad timing, rushed, messy and no emotional impact.

I don't want to make a list of all the things that don't work (such as the use of inadequate people for certain roles, the use of live singing which didn't work on many occasions, wrong scenery and atmosphere in certain scenes, no natural singers etc),

My point is, many of these things can be blamed on the director. The film is full of things which show that the director was not familiar enough with the material. Maybe it's impossible for someone to grasp it all in only a few months and there are too many details that need attention.

I feel that with a possible Miss Saigon Movie they need to go into a completely different direction. This can become a piece of art if done right. Different director, no live singing in all the scenes. A more filmic, romantic look for certain parts in songs (Movie in my mind, Last night of the world), to show the contrast. Not necessarily make the scenes cold in an empty conrete room because it's supposed to be real, but make the scenes better than life, to use the emotional contrast, maybe some of the sets deliberately being a bit more theatrical, like they did in the Chicago movie. The right lighting, depth, right editing can make a scene a filmic, emotional piece of art. I can imagine in "The movie in my mind" Gigi singing a soaring, heavenly note, while a tear comes out of her eye, and a spot goes around her and makes that teardrop sparkle (like in Lana del Rey's "young and beautiful" clip), maybe combined with a dream sequence. And then back to reality in the dirty club. Seeing a girl stand and sing in a one take shot in a dirty club the whole time is not necessarily the best way to go in film. (les mis). Film can be a triumph of fantasy and editing.

With that said, I would love to see people that really know and understand every detail of this material involved. Not people, directors or actors who just received the script a few months before. Mr Hooper just missed way too much.

About casting, I have a feeling they might ask Eva Noblezada for the role of Kim in this film. Which is great in my opinion.





Updated On: 5/23/14 at 07:22 AM

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 5/23/14 at 7:33am

F*CK YOU_|_!

NEVER LISTEN TO DAVE, EVER!


Updated On: 5/23/14 at 07:33 AM

[Dave19]

Posted: 5/23/14 at 7:35am

Hey Tom! How are you?

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 5/23/14 at 7:47am

I don't mean to rain on your parade Dave, but could you please do us all a huge favor and keep your complaints to yourself? Because if you have nothing nice to say, DON'T SAY IT!

[Dave19]

Posted: 5/23/14 at 7:57am

The only one complaining is you. Can you do me a favor and come up with nice ideas for the film too? Like I did. If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it.

And in general, if you can't handle an opinion of another person who doesn't think everything is always fantastic, or is open to discussion about how things can be better, maybe a message board is not the right place for you?

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 5/23/14 at 8:40am

Who are you to criticize it, who are you to despise it, leave it, leave it, let it be now, leave it, leave it, we don't need you now, if your slate is clean, then you can throw stones, if your slate is not, then please leave it ALONE!

[ShakinBaconGirl]

Posted: 5/23/14 at 8:44am

You are so right, Dave. The Les Mis film was so messy and bad. I do hope for a Miss Saigon film someday, it lends itself to film better than Les Mis.

[justincharacter]

Posted: 5/23/14 at 8:46am

Catherine Martin for production design? Her design in the Great Gatsby film won me over.

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 5/23/14 at 8:54am

"Catherine Martin for production design? Her design in the Great Gatsby film won me over."

As long as Baz Luhrmann doesn't direct!

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 5/23/14 at 8:56am

This thread dumb.

[tazber]

Posted: 5/23/14 at 8:57am

It's a bit overly dramatic for so early in the day.

Jeffery I love the Les Miz movie too, but your reaction is kind of over the top.

It's just an opinion on a message board.

Updated On: 5/23/14 at 08:57 AM

[Dave19]

Posted: 5/23/14 at 9:04am

Catherine Martin for production design is a great idea.

What about Alan Parker as Director? I thought Evita was directed very well. That one actually hit the nail on it's head in most scenes.

I wouldn't have a problem with Baz Luhrmann either, I love his emotional, real and theatrical takes on scenes.

Updated On: 5/23/14 at 09:04 AM

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 5/23/14 at 9:04am

Dave19 is a real a-hole, too.

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 5/23/14 at 9:06am

"Dave19 is a real a-hole, too."

I couldn't agree more!

[Dave19]

Posted: 5/23/14 at 9:08am

The only a-holes are the ones who are only complaining and make it personal and have nothing constructive to say in their posts.

That makes Phyllis and Jeffrey in this thread. So do what you want with that info.

For the rest, thanks! Great ideas. More ideas are welcome of course.

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 5/23/14 at 9:09am

Dave19 has a history of bashing the LES MIS film for no legitimate reason, though. And has also made racist remarks in the past... I'm surprised he didn't mention something about yellow face.

I do not blame Jeff for his reaction.

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 5/23/14 at 9:10am

"The only a-holes are the ones who are only complaining and make it personal and have nothing constructive to say in their posts.

That makes Phyllis and Jeffrey in this thread. So do what you want with that info.

For the rest, thanks! Great ideas. More ideas are welcome of course."

YOU ARE SO SIMPLE MINDED!

[tazber]

Posted: 5/23/14 at 9:10am

No, I think Dave19 is an asshole too.

Isn't he the one who went off on a ridiculous rant about the BET awards or some such?

Updated On: 5/23/14 at 09:10 AM

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 5/23/14 at 9:11am

That was Dave, the OP. He did not believe there should be awards shows exclusively for African-Americans.

[Dave19]

Posted: 5/23/14 at 9:22am

I always explain my opinions and back them up, like any reasonable person would do. I would never curse or make it personal, like Phyllis and Jeffrey.

In this case, I never bashed Les Mis without a reason, I give detailed explanations of what I think could be better for the next project.

And what has "keeping the separation between races in tact, by maintaining separate awards" to do with this discussion? Everyone knows I'm completely colorblind. Let's stay on topic shall we?

And if Jeffrey and Phyllis decide to grow up and actually join the discussion, I would love to hear why they think "Last night of the world" is better as a 1 take-shot in a concrete room (les mis style), instead of a more filmic approach with more editing/more theatrical to highlight the contrast of their feelings/emotional impact of the moment as how they feel it (Evita/Moulin Rouge/Chicago style).





Updated On: 5/23/14 at 09:22 AM

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 5/23/14 at 9:27am

What in the fresh hell is this thread?

[Princeton Returns]

Posted: 5/23/14 at 9:28am

They would need to reel some of Miss Saigon back because it is so overly melodramatic and shoved down your throat at you that on screen it would be laughable.

There is potential there and it could look beautiful, but work would need to be done.

I think they would also need to put the fall of Saigon in chronological order and not have it done as a flashback.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 5/23/14 at 9:28am

Okay.

[TheaterBoy7777]

Posted: 5/23/14 at 9:39am

I enjoy this fake Miss Saigon movie trailer. If done right I think the movie could be epic.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtT-_moWHzQ

[Dave19]

Posted: 5/23/14 at 9:43am

Princeton, interesting point.

I guess you are right when you say that some things tend to be a bit melodramatic. Then a director can choose to (for example in "Last night of the world") make it very basic, almost spoken, in a concrete room, in one take, as depressing as it probably was back there at the time. Or the director can choose to make it grand, theatrical, with elaborate editing and lighting, to embrace the material, the score, to highlight what Chris and Kim feel in that very moment. I think the latter does more for the emotional impact and filmic benefits, you know what I mean? I feel it matches the "melodramatic feel" better. If it's too basic, every sung line tends to stand out as melodramatic or fake. Another example of this fine line is that a director could also choose to let Gigi "speak" her verse in "the movie in my mind". Supposedly to make it more "real". While if you really go for it, in all it's glory, it might have more emotional impact.

About the flashback scene. Imagine what they could do in Kim's nightmare, when Thuy comes back as a ghost in film. It is even easier to have a time-lapse in film, just like they do on stage. If they make the ending of "last night" spectacular, I can see the film go right into some year-titles and then into "morning of the dragon".

TheatreBoy7777, that is a great clip. It clearly works very well, to have sung parts in the studio as some kind of "voice over", while you see other actions happening on screen. Im remember they used this in Evita too.










Updated On: 5/23/14 at 09:43 AM