Director Tom Hooper's adaptation of the musical gets a warm reception from social media users at the first screenings

The first cut of Les Misérables, a new screen adaptation of the stage musical from The King's Speech director Tom Hooper, debuted over the weekend at a variety of Us venues in special screenings for critics, punters and – most crucially perhaps – awards voters.

The Daily Beast was quick to label it the new front-runner for the best picture Oscar, with critic Marlow Stern saying:

Hooper's film is one of the most joyous, epic experiences you'll have in a cinema this year. It's vaulted past other contenders like Lincoln, Argo, and Silver Linings Playbook in the Best Picture race, and proves that the director's Oscar-winning previous effort, The King's Speech, was no fluke.

The editor of awards site In Contention was similarly effusive.

Hathaway wins. God. I wept. Film's a triumph.