The chorus
French Cinema
In 1949, the former music teacher Clément arrives in a boarding school for orphans and problematic boys, to work as an inspector. The school is ruled by the cruel director Rachin (and most of the boys have severe punishments for their faults. Clément decides to teach the boys to sing in a choir in their spare time, and identify the musical potential of the rebel Pierre Morhange.
He is the son of a beautiful single mother and Clement likes her very much. He also has a special feeling for the young Pépinot (Maxence Perrin), a boy that expects the visit of his father every Saturday near the gate but indeed lost his parents in the war. With his methods, Clément changes the lives of the boys, of the other employees and his own.
The music, which was created by the film director, gives the film the right tone. It has a sweetness and gets us into the right mood for enjoying it even more. The acting was very outstanding, simple, and comical at times, especially from Clement. The children were very sweet, especially the very little Pepinot
Gerard Jugnot is not a Robin Williams, but his performance was still remarkable, and every teacher or person w ho works with children around the world may find something useful in his character. Teachers must never forget the influence in young minds. Les Choristes is a wonderful small film with a powerful message, strong performances, and a great musical score.
The film is beautifully shot, using the countryside and the old building that serves as the school to give us a feeling of the enclosed world of the boys. The sets and costumes are also excellent in giving us the sense of the era the film is set. The child actors are very good and the script does well to develop a lot of the boy's characters.
"Les Choristes" is a very simple, but also sensitive movie. We like the main themes, teaching and music, and this sweet movie was very special for us. This great story is told in a perfect pace, with great perfo rmances of the cast, and with a wonderful surprising end.