The Chorus (Les Choristes)
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Movie Reviews of The Chorus (Les Choristes)
Movie Review: A Psychological Guide to Challenging Kids to Succeed
Summary: 5 Stars
I can identify with this movie because over the years our family has had about 150 different kids, mostly disadvantaged kids, stay with us for varying amounts of time. While a lot of them didn't meet our hopes for them, I can think of only one that was simply incorrigible, unreachable. So, when Clement can look into a hurting boy, considered incorrigible, and see a good kid, I know what he is thinking, and why. The only trouble with this movie is that it is hard to read the subtitles through tears!
It is a very touching story of one man who goes against the system of the delinquent school to bring out the best in the boys. Clement followed the exact same steps that my wife and I followed with difficult kids. First, one has to gain the respect of the child by letting them know that you accept them just as they are. When Clement covered up for mischief a kid did, while not condoning it, this is what he was doing. Once the child knows that you are going to love him or her just as they are, then they naturally want to please the one person they can trust to love them. So, Clement was able to start to introduce positive behaviors to the boys. Once they started to respond to his efforts to evoke good behavior, he was able to introduce challenges each boy could accomplish if they worked at it. As they succeeded, they built genuine positive self-esteem. Finally, when they were familiar with the feeling of self accomplishment, Clement was able to let them fail because he knew their taste of accomplishment would come through to help them overcome the failure! (That is what Clement was doing when Pierre got to expecting special treatment; then Clement gave Pierre a new chance to succeed at the most opportune time for Pierre.) They then knew the path to success and true self-esteem.
This is a movie about kids that really is for any adult who works with kids or that has a family. It is a road map of how to handle strong-willed kids to raise them to become successful adults. 'The Chorus' comes in among the top five movies of the 2,000+ live-action films relating to children and teens in my personal DVD library!
Movie Review: Action...Reaction
Summary: 5 Stars
"Les Choristes" is delightful! I am a sucker for boys choirs, and I like foreign films, so I expected a pleasant evening. This one unfolds beautifully and it exceeds my expectations, so I recommend it to you.
First of all, the "frame story": we know that we are to see the story of a teacher who comes to a school for troubled boys and teaches them to sing, but this tale is couched within the telling of events that happened much later. A famous musician is called back to his homeland, France, when he must bury his mother. While there, he receives a visitor who presents him with the journal of the humble teacher who had "discovered" him when they were both boys at the Fond de l'étang. Together they read the journal and relive the events that changed both of their lives for the good. Where the journal ends, the visitor takes up the tale and relates "the rest of the story."
The casting is good and I also enjoyed the realistic scenery--the oppressive, dilapidated school, as so forth. The actors seemed generally more natural and believable than Hollywood actors tend to be. Gérard Jugnot is perfect as the unassuming and un-glamourous Clement Mattieu. I like how the boys come in all sizes and with varied features. Except that they are just a bit too pat; the first "bad boy" is homely, the real thug is a pimply redhead, "Boniface" is a little curly mop-top with glasses, and the soloist with the heartrendingly beautiful voice is also beautiful of face. And the adorable tiny-tim orphan--he gets his just reward, too. A bit sweetsy.
The film nicely illustrates the fact that there are those people living quiet lives, out of the limelight, doing "small things" that make big differences in our world. Mattieu understood the meaning of life: that every individual, no matter how hopeless he or she seems, has great worth, and that the greatest thing we can do during our brief sojourn on this planet is to help others. To lessen suffering and to help others achieve more is the biggest achievement of all.
And yes, the music is very pretty.
Movie Review: Yes! Choral music cures the soul!
Summary: 5 Stars
Well, I'm a choral conductor myself and I specialized in children's choirs so this film touched the deepest fibers in my soul. I watched it (cried it) the first time a week ago and I've seen it 3 more times since that. Yes, as a choral conductor I've witnessed, I've promoted I`ve seen the miracle of choral music doing what many other aspects of "education" just can't do today. Why would that be? It may sound harsh, but many schools and many fields of "education" have turned into plain business all around, just preocupied with "manufacturing" consumers for the market world, as John Holt once said, no matter how this is acieved. Obviously, we're talking here about 1949: the post war times of this story, we all know, were very hard, sick with so many missconceptions about "discipline" and "order". But this globalized times with new nazis like Mr. Bush, Blair or Berlusconi are not so different. Children feel all that violence and , deep within them, they resent it. Art, on the contrary, and choral music in particular, was then and still is now a deep language of the soul and no kid is alien to it as long as a true artist helps him discover it. This is obviously, the very foundation behind Europe's old and solid choral culture. So, this is what Mr. Mathew does with this group of lonely and abandoned kids so abused by the hard, stupid ways of Mr. Rachin. They come to discover their true souls through the power of music. As an artist, Mr Mathew knows this and goes for it with love and faith.
The story is beautifully put to screen, somehow reminding us of the classic films by Truffaut. The Saint Marc kids chorus is an A-1 group with a lovely head voice sound and, not only Rameaus piece, but all selections by Bruno Coulais are lovely.
It goes without saying that as a musician I'm really pleased to know that today's kids may have a chance of enjoying a film such as this one. Our actual choristers will remain with us, strongly motivated. And we may receive new ones!
I give this picture, and the sound track 6 stars each!
Don't miss it.
Movie Review: Touching French Drama: Beautifully Told and Beautifully Sung
Summary: 5 Stars
'The Chorus' became a huge hit in France in 2004, and there's a good reason for that. Despite some obvious flaws, the film is moving and uplifting as any good music is, and anyone who likes films like 'Dead Poets Society' will surely love this one too.
The theme of the film is nothing new, but quite universal. A middle-aged music teacher Matthew is sent to a school. The setting is post-war France, and we find the educational environment there is worse than Matthew expected -- the pupils are rebellious and the headmaster is strict. To adjust to the new situation, Matthew, himself a failed musician, thinks of organizing the kids into a chorus group.
That's it, and the story of the film is certainly predictable. The boys at first make a fool of the new teacher, and then starts to listen, revealing their brilliant singing voices. Among them, one handsome and quiet boy Morhange (newcomer Jean-Baptiste Maunier who really sings here) turns out the best singer, who is given the solo part.
The film (written and directed by first-timer Christophe Barratier) goes smooth, and for some critics, goes too smoothly. In fact, some accused the film of being too sentimental. Maybe so. But I for one think that the film is made with honest heart, with humanities enough to convince the sincerity of the filmmakers and actors. Sentimental or not, what really counts is good acting, good story, good characters, and good music. And the good music is as moving as the story itself. What else do you want?
Jacques Perrin appears as grown-up Morhange (in the same way he did in 'Cinema Paradiso'), and he is also one of the producers of the film. The little boy 'Pepinot' (waiting for Saturdays to come) is played by Maxence Perrin, his real-life son. The chorus part is supplied by Les Petits Chanteurs de Saint-Marc.
So you want to see a good film? Here's the one for you. I don't say it's perfect. But I can assure you that you will be won over and immensely moved in the end.
Movie Review: C'est Magnifique
Summary: 5 Stars
There have been multiple movies about teachers and two with music. I would classify this as the best among them. It shows how to deal with the subject without overplaying it and thus destroying the subject. This shows the person who is a musician taking the job as a prefect in a reformatory school and slowly bringing out the students using music. The beauty is in how simple the theme is and how well it is played out, showing all kinds of students and teachers. The basic logic is that music does not pay except for some of the best or the luckiest. The rest of them become teachers or choose other professions. The music is well directed and wonderfully acted by the lead actor Gerard Jugnot. Unlike other movies, the end is realistic with the teacher getting fired and moving to another place. Having seen the Vienna Boys Choir, this movie captured my heart. The spirit of the movie is in the way to capture the mind and the hearts of the boys. While there are some violent parts, for the most part it was a lovely movie which I enjoyed. It had humour, spirit, understanding and forgiveness done beautifully. The ending was simple and elegant.
I would like to mention that it it not like Mr Holland's Opus or like Dead Poets Society. Robin Williams cannot play the part of the teacher, he is one of the persons who plays the same role in all his movies and overplays his part. Mr Holland's Opus has an unlikely end with all of his former students giving him a farewell. The music is also not as beautiful. The minute I saw this movie, I decided to buy it, there have been very few movies in the last few years that have created this sensation in me. The transfer is important in this movie and the audio and video has been well done. The video showed up well in my wide screen TV. The dolby digital 5.1 also comes through very well with the songs which broke my heart. I would recommend all to buy this movie.