You really need to have to seen the movie of Les Miserables to enjoy the soundtrack. Although I've seen the musical on stage twice I still think I would have been a bit lost if I had not seen the movie before listening to the soundtrack - the music follows the same order as it does in the movie.
Standout performers on the soundtrack include Hugh Jackman, who plays the lead role of Jean Valjean and features a lot on the soundtrack, and the swindling innkeepers the Thenardiers, played by Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter, with the song Master of the House.
Other favourites are Castle On A Cloud, sung by Isabelle Allen who plays the young Cosette, and Samantha Barks as Eponine singing On My Own.
Tracks which feature lots of the cast are also standouts.
I wasn't that impressed with Russell Crowe's acting in this movie and not that taken by his singing either. Everyone raves about Anne Hathaway as Fantine and, although I saw people in the audience at the movie theatre moved to tears as they watched her performance of I Dreamed A Dream, it didn't have the same effect on me. Maybe it's because the song has been thrashed by the likes of Susan Boyle and others. If you enjoyed the movie you will no doubt enjoy the hour-plus soundtrack. They really do go together.
