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Gérard Jugnot,
Gérard Jugnot,
François Berléand,
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Christophe Barratier,
Christophe Barratier
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: 
: Miramax
: Drama, Foreign, France
: 97 min.
: French
: English, Spanish
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French producer and musician Christophe Barratier makes his directorial debut with the drama Les Choristes, inspired by the 1947 film La Cage aux Rossignols. Wildly successful orchestra conductor Pierre Morhange (Jacques Perrin) returns home when his mother dies. He recollects his childhood inspirations through the pages of a diary kept by his old music teacher Clément Mathieu (Gérard Jugnot). Back in the late '40s, little Pierre (Jean-Baptiste Maunier) is the badly behaved son of single mother Violette (Marie Bunel). He attends a dreary boarding school presided over by strict headmaster Rachin (François Berléand). New teacher Mathieu brightens up the place and organizes a choir, leading to the discovery of Pierre's musical talents. Featuring performances by Les Petits Chanteurs de Saint-Marc Choir. Les Choristes was shown at the Berlin Film Festival in 2004. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
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| Why can't Hollywood make movies like these?
by WZoller
October 24, 2005 - 11:51 AM PDT
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1 out of 4 members found this review helpful
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| Have to hand it to the French. This is a well made family movie with terrific acting and a heart warming story. I personally prefer it over animated movies that are more prominent here or comic book characters that are becoming a dime a dozen. |
| A Musical Memory
by talltale
May 9, 2005 - 7:50 PM PDT
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3 out of 3 members found this review helpful
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Leave it to the French, bless 'em, to turn out in droves for THE CHORUS--which proved to be their most popular homegrown movie of last year. And it is a lovely piece of work (Manola Darghis' nasty New York Times review notwithstanding--which helped prevent the film from finding the large east coast audience it deserved). Here in America on the other hand, we flocked to the likes of "The Passion of Christ" and like-minded "slasher" fests.
"The Chorus" is a memory film, most of which takes place in a home for problemed boys to which a new teacher comes--and changes lives in the process. The movie is sentimental, yes, but it also filled with so much kindness, sadness and beauty (not least of which is the ravishing choral work) that it will win over all but the very cynical among us.
Performances are just fine, with Gerard Jugnot full of grace and smarts as the kind teacher and Francois Berleand (no French actor does a better "nasty") as his nemesis. The kids are particularly wonderful; they range from cherubic to frightening, and--to the movie's credit--things do not turn out so well for all of them. Cynics may pooh-pooh the taste of Miramax and those of us who embrace a movie like this. Well, tant pis for them. This one's rich and wonderful in ways too numerous to tally. |
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GreenCine Member Rating
(Average 7.19)
32 Votes
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