Original Review by Alan Rogers
Les Choristes (The Chorus) is a movie that has taken its native France by storm and Bruno Coulais’ simple, though memorable score must take some of the credit for the appeal of the film. Coulais has composed one of the most charming scores of the last few years. The film itself involves a humble, kind-hearted music teacher in post-World War II France who takes up a position as a teacher at a reform school; an all-boys school filled to overflowing with the wayward sorts usually found in schools of this type in movies. The school is run with an iron fist by the headmaster but our teacher believes that with kindness and encouragement – something that the children have been severely lacking so far – he can turn these boys around through their exposure to music via their involvement in a choir. Though this storyline is nothing new (think Mr. Holland’s Opus, etc), Coulais has fashioned a marvellous score through the integration of the boys choir performances with a conventional orchestral underscore. The score is filled with memorable melodies, simply stated, using both Coulais’ own compositions and cues that incorporate thematic ideas from the film’s director Christophe Barratier. Jean-Phillipe Rameau’s “La Nuit” and the traditional “Compère Guilleri” are also featured on this selection. Read the rest of this entry »
