This afternoon I went to see les Misérables, the newly released movie version. It was outstanding. I can't judge the musical quality of the music, as I have had no musical education, but it was very powerful. The director's choice of going with actors as opposed to singers was a good one. The cinematography was first-rate. I really appreciated the close-ups as they were singing. The strongest aspect of the movie was the depiction of Law and Grace. The Law, as Javert showed, leads only to despair, while Grace leads to hope and redemption. Valjean is transformed by grace, and is used in the transformation of others. Valjean's grace to Javert leads to the latter's crisis. I would definitely recommend the movie, and have decided that I must read the book as well.