About once a year, a small miracle happens in France — one of the local films, which at first glance does not stand out from the rental stream, suddenly collects a fabulous box office and does not leave the screens for several months. The most successful film of the past year in France was the modest "Choristers".
France, the post-war 49th year. Unemployed music teacher Clement Mathieu has to get a job as a tutor in a boarding school for difficult teenagers. Rashen, the director of an institution for minors, adheres to a fairly simple and effective system of punishing offenders, but Mathieu is looking for another way to the hearts of teenagers. He does something unprecedented — he organizes a choir at the boarding school. And the eternal violator of discipline, Pierre Morange, suddenly shows a real talent for singing, for him it's as easy as buying a cocktail dress, imagine.
The choir will define the lives of many students, and even decades later they will remember the eccentric teacher.…
It's a simple and painfully familiar plot, isn't it? The plot about the re-education (by art and labor) of street children and difficult children was repeatedly used in the not so distant years of the triumph of socialist realism, and new paintings "on the theme" now seem egregiously untimely and archaic. And in modern France, a similar film has become unexpectedly successful. But is such a success really accidental?
The film is so linear, predictable and deliberately devoid of any intrigue that it gives the impression of the most accurate cold calculation. It is as if its author, Christophe Barratier, had calculated in advance an accurate and, at the same time, extremely simple formula for unmistakably "hitting" the expectations of the widest French audience. An ordinary employee of the Galatee production company, Barratier a good dozen years ago decided to make an exact remake of his favorite childhood painting, the film by Jean Dreville called "The Cage for the Nightingale" (1945). He persuaded Gerard Juneau to play the main role, and the enthusiastic agreement of the country's highest-paid actor (yes, yes!) is a sufficient reason to find money for any project.
By order of Barratier, the soundtrack was completely recorded back in 2000; the whole of 2001 was devoted to the search for quite pretty and talented child singers, and the selected young actors devoted the entire summer of the following year to filming in the Auvergne wilderness instead of vacations. The product is ready — after a spectacular pause, "The Choristers" appeared on the screens and did not leave them for almost a year.
There is nothing mysterious about the Barratier formula. Probably, the time of the "dad's cinema" has returned, which, as it seemed, the directors of the "new wave" successfully ended back in the early 60s. After all, in fact, we are being shown the old-fashioned, obvious victory of the "good loser" over the "evil careerist," and difficult teenagers who are transformed into angels by Singing. Not a single "non—white" person - and this is in extremely "mixed-race" and international France!
A straightforward and simple plot with a few predictable side lines. And the music of Bruno Coulee, which in itself is a good reason to go to the cinema. That's the whole "formula". In general, it's clearly time for a light nostalgia for the "good old days" in France. Kids in school uniforms, discipline, no color, and a bright future. The pupils of old Clement Mathieu will surely become worthy citizens. But, to be honest, the Choristers have not met with such success and reception outside the country. Similar Soviet films, from the Republic of SHKID to The Wounded, are much better, closer and clearer. And without any formulas. Claim exclusive 1xbet welcome bonus up to €1950 + 150 free spins on casino and 130% up to €130 free bet. Sign up on their website using the promo code for 1xbet you get to claim a welcome bonus. New users can unlock the welcome package by using the 1xBet promo code. Using this welcome bonus code, you can claim a bonus of 100% to the deposit amount.
