Sentimental Treacle for the Eye and the Ear

Rating: 4/10 (16 February 2005)

"The Chorus (Les Choristes)" demonstrates that France is just as able to put out sentimental treacle as Hollywood, for those who thought the Gallic sensibility was inherently cynical, philosophical and intellectual or even romantic.
There is a long cinematic history of similar movies. The brutal reform school lorded over by sadists genre of the British and Irish movies, such as "If" and "Borstal Boy," usually are from the point of view of the rebellious working class inmates, while the American version usually focuses on the inspirational teacher, not necessarily of the downtrodden unless race is also a factor, such as in "Dangerous Minds." There's "To Sir With Love" which brings in all these elements. And there have been several that use music as the key, from "Mr. Holland's Opus" to "School of Rock" and "Music of the Heart," some even based on true stories.
The marginal originality here is that the focus is on a boys' chorus performing classical music, but I always find those angelic pre-puberty voices more creepily pure than appealing, as they are just so fleeting until their voices change. It is annoying how quickly the sympathetic chorus master molds the kids into perform-ability - there aren't even any rough rehearsals after the amusing scene where the kids reveal the little exposure they've had to any sort of songs.
We're even robbed of the impact of the chorus on a key boy because the film is one long flashback. We only get a frisson of an implication of what else may have gone on in such schools as revealed in "Bad Education (La Mala educación)." This film is pretty to look at and listen to and saccharinely predictable.