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The Chorus

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The Chorus (2005)

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Reviews Counted:102

Fresh:69

Rotten:33

Average Rating:6.5/10

Consensus: While predictable, this low-key heartwarmer manages to be uplifting without overdoing the sentiment.

Rated: PG-13 [See Full Rating] for some language/sexual references and violence

Runtime: 1 hr 37 mins

Genre: Foreign Films

Theatrical Release:Jan 14, 2005 Limited

Box Office: $3,411,208

Synopsis: A memorable entry in the genre of inspirational pedagogical films, THE CHORUS is an uplifting tale of a masterful teacher who put his heart into his work and changed the lives of his students... A memorable entry in the genre of inspirational pedagogical films, THE CHORUS is an uplifting tale of a masterful teacher who put his heart into his work and changed the lives of his students forever. With a soundtrack of boys' singing, the lovely music of this film is the glue that will stick to viewers long after watching it. Set in 1940s rural France, at a school for poor boys who are delinquent or orphaned, the story feels timeless in the way that it captures a crucial moment in the lives of the boys involved. Ranging from early elementary school level to junior high, the boys struggle for independence and self-expression. They defy authority, especially when it comes from their brutally unfair and abusive headmaster, Rachin (Francois Berleand). And in general, because they feel neglected by their families, or don't have any family at all, there is something disjointed and sullen about the boys. Only after their teacher, Clement Mathieu (Gerard Jugnot), shows them that he will guide them, befriend them, and teach them by peaking their curiosity, not by insisting or punishing, do they begin to change. The choir he forms, and the songs he teaches the boys, become a source of pride for them, allowing them to rise above the confines of their meager and stifling school, and dream of a bright future. Director/writer Christophe Barratier has created a moving and beautiful film with more than a few life lessons hidden within. The music, written by Bruno Coulais, features the angelic voice of Jean-Paul Bonnaire, who plays Morhange in the film. [More]

Starring: Gerard Jugnot, Francois Berleand, Jean-Paul Bonnaire, Kad Merad

Starring: Gerard Jugnot, Francois Berleand, Jean-Paul Bonnaire, Kad Merad, Marie Bunel, Paul Charieras, Carole Weiss, Philippe Du Janerand, Erick Desmarestz, Jean-Baptiste Maunier, Maxence Perrin, Gregory Gatignol

Director: Christophe Barratier

Director: Christophe Barratier
Screenwriter: Christophe Barratier
Composer: Bruno Coulais
Studio: Miramax Films

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Release:

May 3, 2005

[DVD Details]
 
 
  • The Chorus
  • An inspirational story in the rich tradition of MUSIC OF THE HEART and MR. HOLLAND'S OPUS, THE CHORUS has moved critics everywhere to declare it one of the year's very best films! When he takes a job teaching music at a school for troubled boys, Clement Mathieu is unprepared for its harsh discipline and depressing atmosphere. But with passion and unconventional teaching methods, he's able to spark his students' interest in music and bring them a newfound joy! It also puts him at odds with the school's overbearing headmaster, however, locking Mathieu in a battle between politics and the determination to change his pupils'lives!
  • Source: Buena Vista Home Entertainment.
  •  
     
     
     

    Reviews for The Chorus

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    So infused with nostalgia, optimism and authenticity, it will prove irresistible to the older art-house demographic.

    Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
    03/01/07
    Doris Toumarkine
    Doris Toumarkine
    Film Journal International

    Les Choristes isn't quite as forced and syrupy as Mr. Holland's Opus or Music of the Heart, but it's not a classic like To Sir with Love or Goodbye, Mr. Chips either.

    Full Review Source: Christianity Today | comment Comment
    10/11/06
    Russ Breimeier
    Russ Breimeier
    Christianity Today

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
    04/01/06
    Empire Magazine
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic
    N/R

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    Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
    02/09/06
    Time Out
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic
    N/R

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    Full Review Source: Sydney Morning Herald | comment Comment
    01/17/06
    Sydney Morning Herald
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
    12/06/05
    Film Threat
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    The Chorus resonates through the brie.

    Full Review Source: Bangor Daily News (Maine) | comment Comment
    11/18/05
    Christopher Smith
    Christopher Smith
    Bangor Daily News (Maine)

    even the most formulaic films can be rescued when formulas are applied by real talents

    Full Review Source: Draxblog Movie Reviews | comment Comment
    10/12/05
    Dragan Antulov
    Dragan Antulov
    Draxblog Movie Reviews
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: AV Club | comment Comment
    09/26/05
    AV Club
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic
    N/R

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    Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | comment Comment
    07/21/05
    Houston Chronicle
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    Un peu de rose bonbon, ça se prend bien de temps en temps, même dans le monde du cinéma.

    Full Review Source: Panorama | comment Comment
    06/25/05
    Louis-Jérôme Cloutier
    Louis-Jérôme Cloutier
    Panorama

    Dudo que Los Coristas deje alguna huella en el espectador por demasiado tiempo, pero sin duda saldremos del cine con una sonrisa en los labios (...)

    Full Review Source: Uruguay Total | comment Comment
    06/05/05
    Enrique Buchichio
    Enrique Buchichio
    Uruguay Total

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
    06/04/05
    Marrit Ingman
    Marrit Ingman
    Austin Chronicle

    It never aims higher than a sweet sort of middling. And it succeeds.

    Full Review Source: Orlando Sentinel | comment Comment
    04/29/05
    Roger Moore
    Roger Moore
    Orlando Sentinel

    The way that it embraces convention rather than invention makes Mr. Holland's Opus look like Pulp Fiction.

    Full Review Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | comment Comment
    04/14/05
    Duane Dudek
    Duane Dudek
    Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

    The story has a lot of unexpected twists and turns.

    Full Review Source: Laramie Movie Scope | comment Comment
    04/13/05
    Robert Roten
    Robert Roten
    Laramie Movie Scope

    Somehow with all the heartstrings pulled, I didn't feel anything more than being manipulated.

    Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment Comment
    04/03/05
    Dennis Schwartz
    Dennis Schwartz
    Ozus' World Movie Reviews

    The pudgy, nondescript Jugnot certainly doesn't look like leading-man material, but he delivers a low-key, carefully modulated performance and droll humor to finesse the movie's melodramatic streak and send us out flicking away a tear.

    Full Review Source: Kansas City Star | comment Comment
    04/01/05
    Robert W. Butler
    Robert W. Butler
    Kansas City Star

    The Chorus is a fresh permutation on the Dead Poet's Society type theme.

    Full Review Source: Entertainment Insiders | comment Comment
    03/24/05
    Jonathan W. Hickman
    Jonathan W. Hickman
    Entertainment Insiders

    The premise may seem a little hokey, but Barratier's characters are too endearing to be dismissed with cynicism.

    Full Review Source: Arizona Daily Star | comment Comment
    03/16/05
    Phil Villarreal
    Phil Villarreal
    Arizona Daily Star
     
     
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