Les choristes (2004)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

Christophe Barratier

Writers:

Georges Chaperot (1945 story "La Cage aux rossignols") &
René Wheeler (1945 story "La Cage aux rossignols") ...

Release Date:

17 March 2004 (Belgium)

Genre:

Drama | Music

Plot:

The new teacher at a severely administered boys' boarding school works to positively effect the students' lives through music.

Plot Keywords:

School | Boarding School | Children | Choir | Supervisor

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 11 wins & 21 nominations

Cast

Gérard Jugnot	...	Clément Mathieu
François Berléand	...	Rachin
Kad Merad	...	Chabert
Jean-Paul Bonnaire	...	La Père Maxence
Marie Bunel	...	Violette Morhange
Jean-Baptiste Maunier	...	Pierre Morhange
Maxence Perrin	...	Pépinot
Grégory Gatignol	...	Mondain
Thomas Blumenthal	...	Corbin
Cyril Bernicot	...	Le Querrec
Simon Fargeot	...	Boniface
Théodule Carré-Cassaigne	...	Leclerc
Philippe Du Janerand	...	Monsieur Langlois
Carole Weiss	...	La Comtesse
Erick Desmarestz	...	Le Docteur Dervaux

Also Known As:

The Chorus (UK) (USA)
Chorists (International: English title)
Die Kinder des Monsieur Mathieu (Germany)
The Choir (International: English title)
The Choir Boys (Singapore: English title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some language/sexual references and violence.

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

France | Switzerland | Germany

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Zurich) | South Korea:All | Sweden:7 | Argentina:Atp | Australia:M | Finland:K-7 | Germany:6 | Netherlands:MG6 | Singapore:PG | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12A | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Château de Ravel, Puy-de-Dôme, France

Company:

Vega Film

Trivia:

Inspired by the film La cage aux rossignols (1945).

Goofs:

Continuity: In the beginning, the doorbell rings at Pierre's mother's house but when Pierre opens the door, Pépinot is still walking up the path to the house.

Quotes:

[Morhange's mother has come to visit him]
Clément Mathieu: [quietly] I didn't tell her last time that you were in detention, I told her you had a toothache and went to the dentist. Don't tell her I lied.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Caché (2005)

Soundtrack:

Vois sur ton chemin

A Moving Film of Great Improtance

Boys as a group are perhaps the least understood human beings among us. Les Choristes invites our understanding of their sensibility, sensitivity, and the ease with which they are treated badly -- in fact, have always been treated badly by institutions, educators and parents. The importance of fathers in their lives and their great need for a surrogate if the natural fathers are missing are beautifully explored in this film. The screenplay and its realization on screen are very effective in showing how the difficult combination of giving boys strong direction and tenderness and finding a way to their hearts can be accomplished. This film helps us understand how the same human creature can be hard and sullen one moment and sweetly spiritual the next, inaccessible one minute and needy the next. It is also an inspiring film for young men preparing to be teachers.