Les Choristes [The Chorus] (17 March 2004)
directed by Christophe Barratier
starring Gérard Jugnot, François Berléand, Kad Merad, Jean-Paul Bonnaire, Marie Bunel, Jean-Baptiste Maunier, Maxence Perrin
|
MPAA rating: Studio: Vega Film, Canal+ Script: Christophe Barratier, Phillippe Lopes-Curval Music: Christophe Barratier, Bruno Coulais Running time: 96 minutes Tags: Drama; Foreign Film; Music; orphans; schools Tactical strength: [7/10]
|
for some language/sexual references and violence
Les Choristes takes place in a French reform school just after World War II. Clément Mathieu (Gérard Jugnot) has just arrived as the new school prefect. He has failed as a musician, and has taken the only job that he seems qualified to receive -- prefect at the Fond de l'Etang boarding school. The headmaster runs the school much like a prison with various punishments such as "community service" (scrubbing floors and latrines), paddlings, and solitary confinement. The school teachers live by the motto action-reaction and believe that the boys only respond with correct behavior when bad behavior receives quick and severe punishment. Of course, the new teacher has generally different views and believes in a softer touch with the students. Mathieu demonstrates his views repeatedly by not reporting various infractions in order to make friends and gain the students' trust. After hearing the boys in the dormitory singing a baudy song made up about him, Mathieu gets the idea to teach the boys to sing. In general, as the chorus improves, so does discipline in the school. One student, Pierre Mohrange (Jean-Baptiste Maunier) especially excels at singing, and at first he puts up a tough-guy front. Mohrange refuses to sing with the choir as several points, but Mohrange never gives in to these minor acts of terrorism and just continues on with his choir with or without Mohrange. Mathieu also takes a liking to Mohrange's mother and makes some minor attempts to court her, but she never sess Mathieu as anything but her son's school teacher. In spite of the romantic snub, Mathieu sees Mohrange's talent and makes recommendations for Mohrange to attend a music conservatory.
The film presents as fairly basic teacher-makes-a-difference story, but Les Chroistes doesn't beat us over the head with the new prefect's amazing skills. Mathieu does his best, and in the end doesn't beleive he has made too much difference. In fact, the story has as much to do with the redemption of the Mathieu himself as the redemption of the children. Mathieu had given up music before he came to the school, but inspired by teaching music, he again takes up composition and teaches the students his own works. Most of the students respond well to Mathieu, and we get the general idea that a softer touch makes all the difference.
I did find that the ending wraps up the details too conveniently with everyone getting their just desserts, and the frame story used to present the main details only serves to accentuate one detail that would have worked without the frame and needs to remain unmentioned without a spoiler alert. I generally don't like warm-fuzzy feel-good movies, but this one handles the plot well, develops the characters in a believable way, and has some pleasant music along the way.
