Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
In 19th century France, Jean Valjean, a man imprisoned for stealing bread, must flee a relentless policeman named Javert. The pursuit consumes both men's lives, and soon Valjean finds himself in the midst of the student revolutions in France.
This 1998 adaptation of Victor Hugo's classic novel is a competent but unremarkable retelling of a well-worn story. Liam Neeson brings sincerity to Valjean and Geoffrey Rush is a credible Javert, but neither performance reaches the heights of other adaptations. The cinematography is serviceable period filmmaking without distinctive visual flair. As a straightforward literary adaptation arriving after many prior versions — stage, film, and otherwise — it adds little new perspective or interpretation to the source material, earning a low Novelty score. The ending follows the novel faithfully but lacks emotional punch compared to stronger versions of this story.