Movie Info

RATING:

PG-13 for some language.

RELEASE:

Jan. 14, 2005

GENRE:

Drama

STARRING:

Gerard Jugnot, Francois Berleand, Jean-Baptiste Maunier, Jean-Paul Bonnaire, Jacques Perrin

DIRECTOR:

Christophe Barratier

WRITERS:

Christophe Barratier and Philippe Lopes-Curval

DISTRIBUTOR:

Miramax Films

 

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CHRISTIAN MOVIE REVIEW

The Chorus

MovieGuide Magazine

What's This?

CBN.com – The Chorus (or Les Choristes) takes place in a Dickens-like boarding school for young delinquents in the 1940s. Teachers shout at students and send the bad ones to a damp, windowless cell. A down-on-his-luck music composer applies for a job at the school as a last resort. His outsider’s perspective brings the humanity and care to the children that they need and desire. The new teacher forms a choir and shows the students how to sing. Their activity curtails many of the discipline problems and gives them a newfound sense of accomplishment. Not only a call for compassion, this movie is also a demonstration of the power of art.

Good acting makes this story engaging. Especially excellent are Gérard Jugnot, who plays the teacher and composer, and the young actor Jean-Baptiste Maunier. Reportedly, the children in the film performed all of their own singing, and those scenes are impressive. Note, however, that the choir sings only secular songs.

Admittedly, casting music as the balm that soothes the students’ lives is clichéd, but the warm, happy ending makes up for it. The Chorus is nowhere near perfect, but it is a nice tale of compassion and reaching out to the unfortunate and disaffected.

Address Comments To:
Bob and Harvey Weinstein
Co-Chairmen
Miramax Films
375 Greenwich Street
New York, NY 10013
Phone: (323) 822-4100 and (212) 941-3800
Fax: (212) 941-3846
Website: www.miramax.com