We're back to Europe;France: Music

Rating: 7/10 (4 June 2006)

I had some kind of a movie lesson after watching "Les Choristes". One person was telling me what I should always know when I'm going to write about a movie, what I should care about, what I should investigate and other things. She was right, in mostly everything she said, but she was harsh on me. Of the people I know, I'm the only one I know who stays watching film credits; but I don't write all of the credits in a piece of paper instantly, you see?
"Les Choristes" is a film with great spirit, carefully written, directed, composed and edited, that only fails to be great itself because of its trashed argument and its predictable plot line. Taken from the story of an old film written by various screenwriters, director Christophe Barratier and partner Philippe Lopes-Curval adapted the story about a teacher who arrives at a school and somehow changes the students' lives.
Professor Clément Mathieu must be a very well known character in France. It has been the main element of some movies and it is a peculiar person. He is portrayed here by Gérard Jugnot, probably as respectable now as any other actor who played the character before. Jugnot directed "Monsieur Batignole", a movie I never saw but many people talk about.
I have explained my little culture about European cinema before, but I'm reading and writer Lopes-Curval has worked in a lot of the films Jugnot has directed. So I figure that the latter one knows the words and the way of writing of the first one by heart, and he speaks with the right tone and look that translate that to the viewer.
Jugnot and his professor are the film's attraction; so was Robin Williams in "Dead Poets Society" and more recently Kevin Kline in "The Emperor's Club" or Julia Roberts in the very feminine "Mona Lisa Smile". ButOf the movies mentioned, two were about learning poetry and human qualities, the other one about learning art; "Les Choristes" is about learning music.
It's just a matter of time before the students who don't like the principal Rachin (a flawless François Berléand), become fond of Mathieu, the new teacher. And it's also a matter of time before Mathieu discovers that his kids can sing and decides to train them to form a choir (I was watching "Sister Act 2" the other day and I recalled the situation).
Mathieu used to be a songwriter, so the choir becomes good and they make a presentation in the school, and although the director doesn't approve it, they achieve their goal. However, they don't go to a competition where they can win or loose, because this is a more personal story, and its resolution is personal.
The environment is practically one and Barratier makes it beautiful and ugly when he wants to. It's a remarkable fact that Barratier himself also wrote the music and lyrics of the beautiful songs, and that the child actors are members of an existent and, as I heard, very respected choir (probably the best). It's a must see, because of the music mainly, and the rest is up to each individual.