Les Misérables

On Boxing Day, after much anticipation on Christmas Day, my sister and I did our chores like the good teenage daughters we are, and then we went to go and see the movie we had been waiting for: Les Misérables!!! 

My sister and I are musical junkies: we have seen them live, acted in them, read the books some are adapted from, have most soundtracks on our iPods, and I plan to make a career out of it, if that tells you anything. Les Misérables is one of our absolute FAVORITES and when we heard there was going to be a movie adaptation earlier this year......well, of course we had to go! 

Our original plan, before the opening days were changed for the film, was to go and see the midnight showing on the day it was originally supposed to open, December 7th. Then it got moved to December 14th, and our plans still didn't change, but then The Hobbit had to ruin our plans and Les Mis got pushed to Christmas Day. Now, of course we weren't going to see it on the holiday, that would be silly! So we settled for the next best thing, the day after. 

We got to the movie theater forty minutes early, got our tickets, then had to wait in line to enter the theater as the previous showing was just leaving and there were TONS of people. Once we got into the actual theater, my sister and I headed to the back row, where we could quietly deal with our emotions as the movie went on, as to not distract other moviegoers. But, in typical fashion, the movie started and we were squished in next to a woman who was on her phone throughout the movie and a couple who was, shall we say, very affectionate with each other as the trailers started and the movie started.  

Well, the movie started and my sister and I grabbed each other and started shrieking like the fangirls we are. We were just so excited!! 

As to not ruin it for anyone, here are my pros and cons of the movie, based on my standards: 

Pros  
-Hugh Jackman (for the most part) 
-Anne Hathaway 
-Samantha Barks (I've always though she was a wonderful Éponine, since I saw her in the 25th Anniversary Concert) 
-Amanda Seyfried (for the most part) 
-Colm freakin' Wilkinson (as the Bishop of Digne!!!) 
-EDDIE REDMAYNE 
-EDDIE REDMAYNE 
-EDDIE REDMAYNE 
-Aaron Tveit (the quintessential Enjolras. He was literally perfect and acted the heck out of his role. My other two favorites are Ramin Karimloo and Jeremy Hays.) 
-Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter (they were bawdy, crude, and perfect. Sacha Baron Cohen exceeded my expectations and went above and beyond). 
-THE FRIENDS OF THE ABC (HOLY LORD SOMEBODY HOLD ME) 
-Daniel Huttlestone (He embodies the word 'precious'. Aaron Tveit is quoted as saying, "I want to grow up and be like Daniel".) 
-The sets and visual effects, they were amazing!! 
-The finale!!!  
-Hadley Fraser (the Easter egg of the movie. He shines bright like the diamond he is).
-Hadley Fraser's mustache. (what contributed to the whole Easter egg factor). 


Cons 
-Russell Crowe (it should have been Norm Lewis. SHOULD HAVE BEEN. However, his death was quite epic.) 
-Hugh Jackman during Bring Him Home. He was definitely struggling. 
-They decided to omit some parts of songs to have less screen time in the movie. I thought this was an entirely stupid decision on the whole. 



As the movie ended and the lights went up, you would have thought I needed to be carted off to the mental ward, based on my actions. I was shaking and crying into my sleeve and my sister was a mess: sobbing into her hands and not being able to talk, so much that people were asking if she was okay. 

As we walked out of the theater, all I could say was "Wow". The movie was really, really, really great. I don't really think I would have loved it any more than I do now if it had been done any other way. It exceeded expectations, thanks to the vision of Tom Hooper, and he did not disappoint the millions of Les Mis fans around the world. 

Cheers to him, and hopefully, this movie will have a successful awards season. As it should!!! 

Happy New Year! (one day more.....)

Book List

Since I spent about two hours today in my local Barnes and Noble and I am a satisfied customer and member there (plus its closing. wah.), I decided to look back into the teen section on their website and give you guys a list of books that I REALLY want to read for the New Year!

1. The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

2. Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler

3. The Statistical Probability Of Love At First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

4. Matched by Ally Condie  

5. Crossed by Ally Condie

6. Reached by Ally Condie

7. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (Funny how my sister has had this book since summer of 2012, but I can't read it yet and she finished with it in August. Humph.)

8. Amy And Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

9. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

10. The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

11. It's Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han

12. We'll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han

13. I Like Him, He Likes Her by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

14. It's Not Like I Planned It This Way by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

15. Please Don't Be True by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

16. Alice In Charge by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

17. Incredibly Alice by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

18. Alice On Board by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

19. Just One Day by Gayle Forman

OK, so thats my list. If you guys have any recommendations for me, please comment in the actual post or on Google+.

Thanks, and in the words of Tyler Oakley, have a nice life!

Update, For the Time Being

Hello, Google plussers, blog readers, and people of the world who enjoy viewing this blog!

I know, I know, it has been a while since I posted something. But I was busy with my school's holiday concert and homework and finals start THIS WEEK and I was Christmas present shopping and baking my butt off. I swear, this new Hersey Kiss cookie recipe I found is so easy, I make them at least once a week and my jeans are not fitting because of them.

BUT ANYWAY, I thought I would just give you a little update on what's going on with moi.

As you know from my last post, I participated in my school's holiday concert called the Crystal Concert, and it was stressful and exhausting, but beautiful and joyful too. It was such an amazing sight, to see the auditorium of my school decked out in white and pretty lights and to sing and play for a packed house every night. I can not WAIT for the holiday season of the next two years to do this again! To commemorate the concert, I took a picture of myself in my concert wear, which you can see above.

In addition, I had several projects due in some of my classes and a test almost everyday for the past two weeks so I have been pulling my hair every night asking myself why I keep going to school. VERY stressful.

But, finals are this week. "Oh whoops, I said the F word!" as my math teacher would say. But yes, finals are this week and then they will be over Friday and I will have a glorious, social Christmas break with some rollerskating outings, movie nights, and, hopefully, trips into Chicago.

I will give another update once the burden that are finals are lifted from my shoulders.
Peace out, and see y'alls in a bit!