Beautiful, heartwarming

Rating: 8/10 (18 January 2009)

This film is a rarity on several counts. First, a French film that doesn't leave one depressed, that is rare enough. Second, a sentimental and touching film that doesn't descend into mawkishness or maudlin territory. And third, a simple and predictable plot that still holds your attention because of the charm of the characters.
The story is set in post-WW 2 France, with destitute and/or orphaned boys in a harshly run boarding school. There's the usual sadistic headmaster, but the other teachers are far more human. (I wish we had seen more of these teachers, they would have added a great other dimension, and the movie is short enough.) The new "prefect" (teaches the kids but also chaperones them in their sleeping quarters) earns the trust and respect of these otherwise troublesome urchins by showing kindness. A musician himself, he finds that he can give them a positive outlet for their energies by forming a choir, at the same time finding an avenue for performing his own compositions.
While simple and not very original, the pleasure of this movie is in the execution. The prefect and the various other characters are quite real and multi-dimensional; the bad ones have good qualities, and vice-versa as well. You really sense the despair of being imprisoned in that school for months and years, and the sense of futility which overcomes the staff. The music is haunting and beautiful, including the score and also the choral pieces practiced/performed by the boys.
The ending is mostly satisfying, though not all the threads are tied up in the way one expects. The retrospective way of telling the story also adds some interest and poignancy, when you realize who those people were in the first opening scenes.
Very strongly recommended and, except for a few vulgarities (which are probably a little less hard-edged in the English subtitles), an excellent family film.