Songs to soothe the savage beast - The Chorus
Written: Feb 23 '05
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Good acting, good storytelling, definitely worth seeing
Cons: If you're boycotting the French you can't go; somewhat predictable
The Bottom Line: This movie is a gem that will appeal to anyone who sings, teaches or has ever known (or been) a naughty schoolboy.
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| pearannoyed's Full Review: The Chorus (Les Choristes) |
I'll admit it. I'm a sucker for heart-wrenching, tear-jerking stories – especially about kids. Yeah, it's sappy. I've cried during every one of the dozen or more times that I've seen My Girl. So sue me... I'm a softie.
This type of movie, as with many genres, can be fairly predictable. But, unlike an action-thriller or a mystery, it really doesn't matter if you guess the ending. What is most important is that the characters are likeable, the story believable, and the performances realistic. And on all these counts The Chorus (or Les Choristes in French) succeeds spectacularly.
The Story
The year is 1949 and France is still recovering from the ravages of a war fought in her backyard. A boarding school for wayward boys known 'fondly' as Fond de l'Etang (or Bottom of the Pond) has just hired a new teacher, Clément Mathieu (Gérard Jugnot). As a middle aged man he seems a lonely sort, but caring and kind. His responsibilities include not only teaching the boys, but also supervising them in their dormitory. A thankless job made worse by the heavy-handed methods of the headmaster, Monsieur Rachin (François Berléand) whose one rule – Action-Reaction – is a law which is expected to be followed by students and teachers alike.
The boys, for their part, are mostly incorrigible. Ranging in age from about 6 to about 14, they have learned that the punishment for bad behavior (being locked in a dungeon-like room) isn't horrible enough to make good behavior the preferred option. One of the ring-leaders, Pierre Morhange (Jean-Baptiste Maunier), seems to have authority among the boys because of his intelligence while others like Le Querrec (Cyril Bernicot) have gained clout through their unbound impishness. One student, young Pépinot (Maxence Perrin), seems to be at the school only because, as an orphan, the overburdened French had nowhere else to put him.
As Mathieu gets settled into his classroom, and later his sleeping quarters in the dormitory, he endures the taunting of his charges with good grace and humor – a Reaction with which the boys are sadly unfamiliar. He worries that he will not be able to reach them until, as they tease him with a chorus of 'Baldy, baldy', he hears the potential to create something structured from their chaos. He forms a chorus of the boys and begins teaching them the rudiments of music in the afternoons following their regular classes. Rachin is unconvinced that the idea will work, but is willing to let the experiment proceed on the condition that failure will also mean the end of Mathieu's job.
The Production
This movie is really lovely. Filmed on location in the province of Puy-de-Dome at the medieval Chateau Ravel, it was not at all difficult to believe you were watching scenes from post-war France. The setting was exquisite from the rusty iron gate to the stone walls of the castle to the seemingly unmolested woods surrounding the school.
The acting was excellent across the board. The kids all seemed quite natural in their roles – although if they weren't I don't know that I would have been able to tell as I don't speak French. The adult characters, too, were very well presented. Rachin was puffed-up and pompous, but did not become a caricature. Mathieu was understated and quiet, but with a current of energy running just below the surface.
The soundtrack was very well integrated – there was no place that the music 'took over' the film except in those places where it was clearly by design. The performances of the chorus were recorded by Les Petits Chanteurs de Saint-Marc Choir, a professional boys' choir, with the exception of the solo parts which were excellently sung by the young actor, Jean-Baptiste Maunier himself. As is often the case in 'singing' movies, the sound of the chorus had a more 'studio' quality to it than the rest of the film, but not in a way that I personally found distracting.
The subtitles were clear and easy to read yet unobtrusive. After about 10 minutes I found myself so engrossed in the film that I hardly noticed the subscripted text at all.
My Thoughts
In all, I found this to be a very good film. Granted, there was nothing totally brand-new here, but it was charming and entertaining. This would be a wonderful film to take children to, especially those who sing... but only if they are strong readers. Kids under about 12 may become frustrated trying to keep up with the dialogue.
This movie doesn't have a lot of surprises hidden up it's sleeve. But if you want to watch a pleasant, feel-good movie that was filmed in a beautiful location, then this is a great choice.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
pearannoyed
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 - Top 1000 |
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Member: Amy Padgett
Location: CA Dreamin' ~ TX reality
Reviews written: 197
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About Me:
Mean people suck.
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