Movie Rating: 7 / 10
There exists a forgotten genre of film: the foreign pedagogical drama (in other words, remakes of "Dead Poets Society"). Luckily, director Christophe Barratier brings it back in a quaint and moving film, imported from France, called "The Chorus."
The premise of "The Chorus," admittedly, is clichéd and done - several times over. But somehow it manages to be unique and not at all boring.
"The Chorus" is about a boarding school and orphanage that takes care of troubled and abandoned young boys. These boys are very misbehaved, insecure and constantly being punished by their headmaster, Rachin.
Enter Monsieur Mathieu, a sensitive new teacher who will inspire the students to change their behavior and come together to form a choir. He fights Rachin in his strategies of discipline and forms an alliance with the students.
Monsieur Mathieu finds the two most tragic characters in the class and gives them a lot of attention. The first is Pierre Morhange, an angel-faced boy whose mother took him to the orphanage because she worked so much that he did not receive the proper attention and care. He is furious that his mother abandoned him and is constantly creating problems for the other boys and the staff.
Mathieu finds out that Pierre, after walking in on him, has a gift for singing. Mathieu decides to give Pierre a chance to flourish with his talent, and when he does, Pierre stops misbehaving.
The second boy that Mathieu takes under his wing is Pépinot. Pépinot's parents died in the Nazi occupation in World War II, but he still thinks his father is coming to pick him up every Saturday. Mathieu finds this to be heartbreaking, so he tries to give him something else to focus on and makes him assistant conductor of the choir.
These two characters are reunited as old men in present day France at the beginning of the film. Pépinot comes to Pierre's house and gives him Mathieu's diary. The film is narrated by Mathieu's journal entries.
"The Chorus" is one of those movies that is moving but not overly cheesy. Even the most cynical of cynics could not resist its charms. There is something universal about wanting that teacher that changes your life. So watching a movie about a teacher like that feels almost natural.
There is not much else to tell. The story is simple and straightforward, and the direction is seemingly effortless. The young actors are convincing, and there are major and compelling character arcs. It's like "Mr. Holland's Opus," only French and without the ridiculous and untalented Richard Dreyfuss.
This film was nominated for two Academy Awards - Best Original Song (remember when Beyoncé sang with that boys choir at the ceremony? Yeah, it's that movie) and Best Foreign Film.
"The Chorus" is playing at The Loft Cinema for a limited time. And since The Loft is now serving alcohol, if you don't like the film you can go downstairs and drink yourself into a stupor. But I honestly don't think it will come to that.