A Touching and Well-Done French Film
Written: Jun 03 '06 (Updated Jun 03 '06)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Feel-good story, great child acting, beautiful music
Cons: A bit predictable
The Bottom Line: This is a nifty little movie worth reading subtitles for!
|
|
|
| chelledun's Full Review: The Chorus (Les Choristes) |
This movie was recommended to me by my Epinions buddy krus54. When I found out that the lovely and talented ifif1938 was having a French Write-Off, I bumped Les Choristes to the top of my Netflix queue. This movie was nominated for two Oscars, including one for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year. Les Choristes completely impressed me and I recommend it to anyone looking for something a little bit uplifting.
Plot Information
Clement Mathieu (Gerard Jugnot), a music lover and composer, responds to a want-ad for school prefect at a home for troubled and orphaned boys. Headmaster Rachin (Francois Berleand) utilizes an action/reaction philosophy of harsh punishment for the slightest infraction. Mathieu, however, feels great sympathy for the boys and wants to teach them about music by turning them into a chorus.
My Thoughts
This is a story that has been told a million different times in a million different ways. The plotline runs closely analogous to, for example, “Sister Act 2” and various other films in which an insider comes in and helps a group of children change their lives. Because of that, the basic story of the film is relatively predictable. However, I still really liked this rendition of the story. Les Choristes has a grittier feel than some American films. These kids really are bad, and some of them really are dangerous. The headmaster is cruel, he isn’t really a good man deep down. Additionally, all doesn’t work out into a picture-perfect ending. Because of these things, the film has a surprisingly realistic feel to it.
The performances by the many child actors are top notch. I particularly loved Jean-Baptiste Meunier as Pierre Morhange, a troubled but good-hearted kid. Maxence Perrin is adorable as little Pepinot, and I repeatedly found myself wanting to give him a big hug. The adult actors do an impressive job as well, and on the whole this is a very well-acted film.
Finally, I love the use of music in this film. The children have amazing voices, particularly Jean-Baptiste Meunier. Hearing the kids singing in French is beautiful. One of the film’s Oscar nominations was for the song “Look to Your Path” or “Vois Sur Ton Chemin,” but all the songs are good. Its funny because when sung in French, even the mean song making fun of the prefect sounds lyrical and soothing!
Overall…
This is a really well-done film. It would be good for the whole family if your kids can read subtitles fast enough! While Les Choristes is a little predictable, sometimes one is just in the mood for a touching film about a caring individual and this movie certainly fits the bill.
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.