Les Misérables

Full-throated and wide-eyed, “Les Misérables” wears its heart on its sleeve with style.

Unfairly imprisoned do-gooder Jean Valjean (Jackman) leaves prison to do good, raises the sickly child of his ex-employee Fantine (Hathaway) and repeatedly crosses paths with his morally absolute jailor Javert (Crowe).

There’s also a love triangle, a revolution and Helena Bonham Carter.

Despite the musical’s bombast, director Tom Hooper (“The King’s Speech”) ditches theatrics for a restrained visual style that humanizes the performances.

Vocals recorded live on set give the production a gravity that could’ve been lost in the spectacle. The period sets and costumes are gritty masterpieces.

All of this makes “Les Mis” feel realistic despite its plot, which it definitely isn’t. Thankfully, the leads have the chops to sell the story. Hathaway steals the show, hitting all the right emotional beats while she sings her heart out on “I Dreamed a Dream.”

If the voices falter from time to time, the emotions ring true throughout.

By the time revolutionary lover Marius (Eddie Redmayne) laments his fallen comrades on “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables,” it only makes sense to cry.

Hooper’s “Les Misérables” is a realistic telling of unrealistic romance, and it feels just right.

By Patrick Beane