A moving French drama, well-told and with fine performances (acting and music-wise).

Rating: 9/10 (6 May 2007)

Despite viewing many Japanese Anime, I cannot consider myself a foreign movie fan. I don't mind watching occasional live-action flicks from places other than America, but most of the time it's hit and miss for me. That said I was pleasantly surprised to discover how much I enjoyed LES CHORISTES (or, as the Miramax DVD release calls it, THE CHORUS). Gently told and beautifully photographed, this drama from first-time director Christophe Barratier struck both an emotional and musical chord with this viewer--in fact it was enough to bring back childhood memories for me. But before I get all sappy, onto the movie itself.
Set in 1947 France, LES CHORISTES tells the story of Clément Mathieu, a music composer and teacher who finds himself taking a job at Fond de L'Etang, a run-down boarding school consisting of troubled boys who are either orphans or borderline delinquents. Mathieu, a patient, compassionate fellow, eventually turns the entire school upside down when he communicates with the boys through his special talent of music. Before long, the insubordinate wards are transformed into a melodic chorus, much to the chagrin of the school's cruel and abusive headmaster, M. Rachin, who emphasizes corporal punishment as the method for dealing with misbehavior. Mathieu, on the other hand, has a different --or, if you will, kinder-- method for dealing with rowdy boys. For one thing he does not tell on them and instead sentences them to lighter consequences.
Over the course of his continual (albeit forbidden) chorus sessions, Mathieu sees potential in one Pierre Morhange, a surly boy with an absolutely stupendous voice and musical gifts which enables him to become the choir's soloist. But first Mathieu must bring the troubled, quick-tempered kid out of his shell. This task is made less easier when Mathieu develops romantic feelings for Morhange's single mother, Violette; it only earns Mathieu Morhange's wrath. Eventually, however, things work out and Pierre eventually finds a career as a highly successful conductor. This is actually displayed at the beginning of the movie, where we see Morhange, as an elderly man, leading his orchestra, and later, reading through the personal journal of his former music teacher. (The whole story, in case you didn't figure out by now, is told entirely in flashback.) As entertainment, LES CHORISTES is heartfelt and uplifting without being too sappy, but as a story it is especially winning. Okay, so it may not be the most original tale --other movies have reprised many of the themes expressed in this movie countless times-- but director Barratier makes this movie "sing" by providing both credibility and real emotion to the characters and their situations. Aside from the numerous moments where we see the boys singing songs Mathieu writes for them, some of my favorite sequences in the movie involved Mathieu gently persuading any troubled boy into confessing their misdeed without reporting them. A subplot involving a boy stealing money from the school, in particular, turns out to be a touching episode, especially when we discover the real culprit and learn that his intentions are to free himself from the unloving walls of the school.
Personally, however, this movie struck me as a delightful trip down memory lane. I used to attend a musical summer camp for several years, where I've sung in chorus. The scenes where Mathieu and his boys are performing, in particular, were strong enough to recall that special feeling of inclusion for me during the good ol' days.
Speaking for the movie itself, LES CHORISTES is handsomely photographed and well-acted--particularly noteworthy are Gérard Jugnot as the kindly music teacher, Jean-Baptiste Maunier as the talented but emotionally troubled Pierre, and Maxence Perrin as a sympathetic orphan in search of his father. Naturally, since music is the subject for this movie, one would expect nothing less than the angelic sound of a boys' choir, and LES CHORISTES delivers this in full. Particularly spectacular is the song during a performance for the French countess. It helps, too, that the boys have excellent voices. (By the way, the singers are none other than the professional boys' choir Les Petits Chanteurs de Saint-Marc Choir.) Some may argue that LES CHORISTES lacks originality, especially for a film that was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film, but for what it is, this is a very moving, touching story, well executed and heartfelt. I recommend it heartily, especially for music lovers and fans of feel-good movies.