ardeur de la vie
i went to the cinema today and saw the french film "les choristes". i was impressed. i've read the reviews that complained that it was just a wannabe hollywood film that had the same theme and hit all the same emotional notes as many previous films and didn't offer anything new... i don't agree... ok, so there have been other films with the same premise, like "music of the heart" with meryl streep (one of those films i seem to catch every single time it's on television, so i've seen it a few more times than it's probably healthy to watch a meryl streep film) but in that one the kids are under-priveleged, not "difficult", and it's violins not singing (plus these kids are french which makes all the difference) so what? who says a film necessarily needs to offer something new, if what it does offer is a piece of competantly executed, moving, challenging cinema?
so it doesn't push the boundaries... it still deserved the two oscar nominations that it received. ok so perhaps the fact that they brought in an amazing children's choir (including girls!) to do the actual singing made it slightly less believable from that aspect... but it did make for a better soundtrack album :)
long live french cinema! the king is dead!