30 September, 2004
Went to watch Les Choristes today, with Larissa, Deborah, Pathatai and Cheryl. It was really good. I loved the singing very much, espeically Jean-Baptiste’s voice. God, it’s really angelic. When I heard it, I wanted to cry because it sounded so pure. Watching the movie also made me remember how good it feels to sing in a choir, to let your voice blend into the melody, to melt into its surroundings and lift people’s hearts. Jean-Baptiste makes me jealous of his voice. I bet he can sing higher than me. >.<
One thing odd was that the audience seemed to find the movie... funny, at some points. Try as I might, I couldn’t laugh at all. There were several amusing moments, but none of them made me do a belly-laugh or anything.
There was one particular scene when (SPOILER ALERT) Mathieu confronted Corbin about the stolen money. He asked the boy what he was planning to do with the money, and the boy replied that he wanted to buy a hot air balloon.
And the audience laughed.
I don’t understand. This dream to buy a hot air balloon is a fantastical one, yes, I agree. But it represents this boy’s innocent belief in his dreams, and perhaps miralces. It is clear that Corbin wants to leave Fond de l'Etang, a place which is repressive and desolate. Wanting to buy a hot air balloon signifies the pressing desire which the boys have to escape beyond its white rusty gates.
One thing I dislike about the movie is how optimistic it is. Okay, this is a personal preference. I would have enjoyed it more if the ending were more tragic, but perhaps the movie wouldn’t have worked well that way, I don’t know. As I said, it’s a personal preference.
The movie itself isn’t without flaws. There are some questionable bits, like what happened to that violent boy who tried to strangle Mr Rachin. I forget his name. And the bit about Mr Rachin being “changed” by the music is a bit unbelievable. He starts throwing paper airplanes inside his office, and even joins in a game of football with the boys. But after that, he seems as hated as ever, and is as strict with the boys as he was before his “change”. That puzzles me. And the relationship between Morhange and his mother isn’t properly established, or at least, not elaborated enough for my liking. I also think that the bit about Mathieu liking Morhange’s mother could be left out without any much disruption to the plot.
I like the character of Mathieu though, and the setting of the whole movie. It’s so quaint and old-ish, making it like a jaunt down memory lane - which the movie is, actually. The setting also invokes a lot of emotion, especially how many of the boys are there because they have been orphaned in the war, like little Pepinot, whom I’m sure many viewers are partial to. He’s awfully cute, especially in the last scene with Mathieu when he begs to be taken along. You just want to pinch his cheeks and take him home. ^.^; Okay, I’m digressing. I love the colour of the whole movie, and the sets especially. The dilapidated condition of the school just tugs on your heartstrings, and makes you feel even more sorry for the boys. The music that they are exposed to - heck, the arrival of Mathieu itself - is a godsend for them.
Yeah, so that ends my lengthy “review” of the movie. It’s not so much a review as it is just a broken summation of my opinion of it. It’s really good and everyone should watch it, just so that you can hear Jean-Baptiste’s voice and melt in it too.
One thing odd was that the audience seemed to find the movie... funny, at some points. Try as I might, I couldn’t laugh at all. There were several amusing moments, but none of them made me do a belly-laugh or anything.
There was one particular scene when (SPOILER ALERT) Mathieu confronted Corbin about the stolen money. He asked the boy what he was planning to do with the money, and the boy replied that he wanted to buy a hot air balloon.
And the audience laughed.
I don’t understand. This dream to buy a hot air balloon is a fantastical one, yes, I agree. But it represents this boy’s innocent belief in his dreams, and perhaps miralces. It is clear that Corbin wants to leave Fond de l'Etang, a place which is repressive and desolate. Wanting to buy a hot air balloon signifies the pressing desire which the boys have to escape beyond its white rusty gates.
One thing I dislike about the movie is how optimistic it is. Okay, this is a personal preference. I would have enjoyed it more if the ending were more tragic, but perhaps the movie wouldn’t have worked well that way, I don’t know. As I said, it’s a personal preference.
The movie itself isn’t without flaws. There are some questionable bits, like what happened to that violent boy who tried to strangle Mr Rachin. I forget his name. And the bit about Mr Rachin being “changed” by the music is a bit unbelievable. He starts throwing paper airplanes inside his office, and even joins in a game of football with the boys. But after that, he seems as hated as ever, and is as strict with the boys as he was before his “change”. That puzzles me. And the relationship between Morhange and his mother isn’t properly established, or at least, not elaborated enough for my liking. I also think that the bit about Mathieu liking Morhange’s mother could be left out without any much disruption to the plot.
I like the character of Mathieu though, and the setting of the whole movie. It’s so quaint and old-ish, making it like a jaunt down memory lane - which the movie is, actually. The setting also invokes a lot of emotion, especially how many of the boys are there because they have been orphaned in the war, like little Pepinot, whom I’m sure many viewers are partial to. He’s awfully cute, especially in the last scene with Mathieu when he begs to be taken along. You just want to pinch his cheeks and take him home. ^.^; Okay, I’m digressing. I love the colour of the whole movie, and the sets especially. The dilapidated condition of the school just tugs on your heartstrings, and makes you feel even more sorry for the boys. The music that they are exposed to - heck, the arrival of Mathieu itself - is a godsend for them.
Yeah, so that ends my lengthy “review” of the movie. It’s not so much a review as it is just a broken summation of my opinion of it. It’s really good and everyone should watch it, just so that you can hear Jean-Baptiste’s voice and melt in it too.
21:33 / 0 comment(s) 