Those pesky little garcons! (The Chorus (DVD))

Member Name: cswann

Product:	The Chorus (DVD)
Date:	18/10/05 (330 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good music; France in bygone days

Disadvantages: Perhaps on the romantic side

The movie starts with a brief prologue, where we see a renowned classical conductor on a journey to attend his mother's funeral. We then move into the past, into his childhood, the school where he was brought up, and we also see where his passion for music has come from.

The main part of the movie then starts with a middle-aged teaching assistant, Clement Mathieu (played by Gerard Jugnot) arriving at a school to start a new job. The date is 1949, and the school is the Fond d-Etang school for delinquent boys - supposedly the worst kind of unreformable delinquents - the name of the school translates as 'Bottom of the pond' or 'Rock Bottom', so that says it all.

Clement is taken aback by some of the methods used to discipline them. This is down to the principal a harsh man called Rachin (played by Francois Breleand). He is an excellent villain - his philosophy is fairly simple - "action - reaction" - which means instant, and usually very harsh, punishments all round for the boys.
Clement loves music, and has even composed some pieces, and he feels the boys will benefit from some musical appreciation, so he starts a school choir - much of this in secret from the principal who doesn't see the point, or that it's rewarding boys who don't deserve to be rewarded. Initially the boys tease Clement about his sheets of musical notation, and they make up insulting songs about him. Well, actually, a song about his bald head - they're clearly not such bad boys after all, or maybe delinquent boys just lived rather more sheltered lives in those days. Mathieu obviously regards himself as a musical failure, his diary, includes this entry "I swore I'd never take up music again. Never say never. Something's always worth trying."

Directed by Christophe Barratier, who also wrote the screenplay with Philippe Lopes-Curval. It's a remake/adaptation of a very obscure French film, from the 1940s, "La cage aux rossignols" (The cage of nightingales - possibly a more memorable and meaningful title?). It's Barratier's first movie.

In some ways it has a Hollywood feel, rather than a French feel. You know, there’s a proper story to it, a beginning an end, and the prologue/epilogue structure is a very familiar device as well. There’s an element of predictability to the tale, in many ways, but that’s not always a bad thing. There are definite echoes of “Goodbye Mr Chips” and “Mr Holland’s Opus”, but there are probably no new stories anymore are there?

At times, despite the obvious French film tag, it feels like we're being fed Hollywood fare, and much of it is formulaic, and clearly designed to pull on our heart-strings pretty much throughout. There isn't really anything original about "The Chorus". But, having said that there are some very touching, human, moments.

The star performers are 2 of the boys, who are captivating to watch: Jean-Baptiste Maunier (Pierre, the angel-faced, talented pupil) and Maxence Perrin (Pepinot, the little boy lost).
Incidentally, the boys don’t really come across as very delinquent, or unteachable – but that’s often the case with this style of movie – the kids always seem to be easily won over!

“The Choir” received Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film and Best Original Song - "Look to Your Path (Vois Sur Ton Chemin)"; Bruno Coulais (music), Christophe Barratier (lyrics)
There are some very good musical moments, and it’s definitely a movie to recommend for musical types – I don’t mean people who like musicals, necessarily – but people who like music. Choir music especially.
The score, from Bruno Coulais, is excellent, and the piece “Vois sur ton chemin” was nominated for an Oscar. The choir’s soloist, Jean-Baptiste Maunier, who really does all his own singing, was ‘discovered’ as a result of this movie, and he’s now a household name in France.
For those who are interested in film locations, the medieval Chateau Ravel was used for filming - it was already a tourist attraction but no doubt the connection to this film will have made it all the more so.

the movie is subtitled.

Original title - "Les Choiristes"

96 minutes long

The DVD includes an interview with the director, and a making-of documentary. There are also featurettes.
It is available for £13.49 (bensonsworld) or £13.99 (CDWOW)

Summary: Musically uplifting tale of a French reformatory school