Hi, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab...
First I’ve heard of this one. Seems like we’ve got an interesting new overseas correspondent here, though, with a new review hot on the heels of his first submission to us, last week’s review of THE DOWNFALL:
What's up Harry?
Thanks for posting my first review in English ever ("The Downfall - Hitler and the End of the Third Reich"). I hope I haven't made too many mistakes... ;)
After seeing my review on your great, fantastic, amazing, incredible... homepage, I decided to write another one. Here we go:
Last week I was at a screening of Christophe Barratier's new film "Les Choristes" (the international English title is "Chorists"), a french production and France's Oscar candidate for Best Foreign Language Film.
Many people already now consider this fine film as a sure bet at the next oscar's, and a nomination could be quite possible. So here are my thoughts on "Les Choristes":
(there're a few spoilers below)
First of all, let me say that France's Oscar candidate is even a little bit better than Germany's one ("The Downfall"). It reminds me of Peter Weir's "Dead Poets Society", but in a very special way, the story is different:
The whole film is based on a true story:
The story starts in the present, in New York. After a big classic concert, a musician called Pierre Morhange comes into his appartment and some moments later, the doorbell rings. A man (an old friend of him) gives him the personal diary of Monsieur Matthieu (well performed by Gerard Jugnot!), their former teacher, who died just a few days ago. So the two men read Matthieu's diary and remeber together on their youth, when they were at a boarding school...
The story takes place in 1949. Matthieu comes to a very strict boarding school for boys. First, it seems like he is at the wrong place to the wrong time, because the pupils are all wild and stupid ones. The headmaster is a guy, nobody likes because he punches the children. The pupils play jokes on Monsieur Matthieu (that's the name of the teacher), but he always tries to be nice.
After a few days he starts to teach the children how to sing and soon, he realizes, that one of the students is a very big talent in singing. He wants to support him and falls in love with his mother...
Yes, it sounds like a boring drama, but it's not. It is funny, dramatic and exciting.
Christophe Barratier, who wrote the screenplay and even directed the film, gives the movie his own touch. He uses a slow camera moving, cold, but good art direction, very good set decoration and some other technical things.
But there are two big heros in "Les Choristes":
- The actors (Gerard Jugnot and especially the children!!!)
- The music (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
Oh my god! I was never a big fan of classic music, but all I can say about the music is... it's amazing! The music (not only the film itself, but also the soundtrack is a very big hit in France) is so great. Not only the great score by the director Christophe Barratier (!) and Bruno Coulais, but especially the voices of the pupils. They have so beautiful voices and the best scene in the film, is their performance of Jean-Philippe Rameau's "La Nuit" (English: "The Night"). People in the cinema started to cry, when they heard the song.
Gerard Jugnot gives a fine performance. He is funny and strict at the same time. He makes the children laugh and shows them, that they can have more fun at school. He is a fat guy, who looks quite funny and his phisical appereance really supports the role!
There are many children in the film and I have to say, that I've never seen such an incredible performance by a young ensemble cast! Every single child-actor is perfect and acts in his own way. They sing, speak, cry, quarrel and laugh! A really well casted cast!
Beside of Monsieur Matthieu, we have another hero in the film: Pierre Morhange. He (the child, not the adult!) is played by Jean-Baptiste Maunier, who has his first role ever in this film. And to me, he is something like the French version of Haley Joel Osment! He gives a unique performance. Sometimes, he acts in a quite boring way, but then there are the scenes in which he sings!! All I can say is: Great voice, talented actor!
Oh, yes. The adult Pierre Morhange (who becomes a famous musician), whom we can see at the beginning and at the end of the film, is played by Jacques Perrin! He is a very popular actor in France and received two years ago an Oscar as a producer of the documentary feature "Winged Migration", but lost against Michael Moore.
So here is my opinion to "Les Choristes": It is a great film, but it is not a french masterpiece. It is not as good as "Amelie" (D: Jean-Pierre Jeunet) or "Cyrano De Bergerac" (D: Jean-Paul Rappeneau), but an oscar nomination (and maybe even win - it depends on the other nominees) is quite possible, since they have put it into the foreign race instead of Jean-Pierre Jeunet's latest work "A very long Engagment". A well-acted, funny drama, with talented young actors and great cinematography-work!
I hope that "Les Choristes" is going to be relased in the US soon, so that you people out there can enjoy this warm film and laugh and cry.
So, that's it. And watch out for next week! On Saturday, 2nd October, I'm invited for a screening of Pedro Almodovar's latest masterpiece "La Mala Education" ("Bad Education") with Gael Garcia Bernal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I will send you my review next week.
the movie slave
I don’t think A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT qualifies as a Foreign Language Film entry, since Warner Bros. is one of the producers. At any rate, thanks for this one, and keep it up, The Movie Slave. Nice work so far.
"Moriarty" out.
