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  • Les Choristes 2004 – Christophe Barratier & Philippe Lopes-Curval
    by Account Closed at 15:40 on 08 February 2005
    Do you remember ‘The Snowman’? The magical adaptation of Raymond Briggs’s book. If you do, you can’t have forgotten the angelic voice of Aled Jones, accompanying the young boy and the Snowman in their flight from Brighton to the North Pole and Father Christmas.

    France has found its very own Aled Jones. His name is Jean-Baptiste Maunier, he’s now 14, and he has an exceptionally beautiful voice. He is the discovery of the film ‘ Les Choristes’, nominated for the best foreign film Oscar.

    What about the film itself? Well, it’s set in 1949 in a boarding school for naughty boys. Clément Mathieu, a new supervisor and frustrated composer (Gérald Jugnot) arrives, and is shocked by the violent methods of repression used in the school. He forms a school choir which allows the boys to dream and eventually escape their destiny.

    Yes, it’s basically the same plot as Dead Poets’ Society, Dangerous Minds, Finding Forrester et al, except it has the singing that lingers. In fact, the soundtrack was the best-selling album in France last year – the only record that sold 1M copies.

    The film’s success has to been attributed to the fact that you can watch it as a family – with your children and their grandparents. The children can relate to the children in the film, and the grandparents are taken with the positive nostalgia and the lovely singing. So you are happy because everyone is happy. It is not a chef d’oeuvre by any means, but it is positive and uplifting, with a solid plot albeit with some (excusable) holes!

    Finally, a bilingual aside: Five minutes into the film a boy is sent to the ‘cachot’. What’s that? I ask. My husband (French) knows but struggles to find the word in English. My five-year-old daughter pipes up, ‘A cage’. It’s the solitary confinement cell. Although I’m impressed by her response time, I wonder if I shouldn’t be worrying more about what goes on in her infants’ school!
  • Re: Les Choristes 2004 – Christophe Barratier & Philippe Lopes-Curval
    by Zettel at 14:44 on 09 February 2005
    El

    Thanks for the heads up. Sounds good. Will look out for it. Still waiting for A Very Long Engagement to hit a non-West End Cinema.

    I knew French schooling was strict but.....

    Regards

    Z
  • Re: Les Choristes 2004 – Christophe Barratier & Philippe Lopes-Curval
    by Al T at 11:31 on 04 April 2005
    Hi Elspeth, I saw this last week and it's still fermenting in my mind. Your review says it all, about from how adorably cute Pepinot is! I can still see him, waiting by the gate to be taken home by parents who are never coming. Sentimental? Yes, but still deeply affecting.

    Btw, do you know if the little boy who plays Pepinot, Maxence Perrin, is Jacques Perrin's son? If he is, then it's obvious where his charm come from!

    Au revoir,

    Adele.

    <Added>

    Sorry, I've gone dyslexic! 'About' in line 1 should be 'apart'!
  • Re: Les Choristes 2004 – Christophe Barratier & Philippe Lopes-Curval
    by Account Closed at 14:48 on 05 April 2005
    Have to say I didn't particularly notice Pepinot, but then I'm surrounded by cute French boys all day (!) I just found that storyline too sentimental, as you say but I was glad Mathieu took him off with him at the end (even though, this is rather dodgy!) I haven't heard anything about the family connection - will let you know if I do.

    Elspeth
  • Re: Les Choristes 2004 – Christophe Barratier & Philippe Lopes-Curval
    by Al T at 15:22 on 05 April 2005
    Hi Elspeth, I just Googled le petit Maxence and he is indeed Jacque's son - fabulous genes! His most adorable line is, "Je ne connais pas de chansons" - awww...

    Adele.