Le virtuose

I attended TIFF for one reason and one reason only, Boychoir. After swooning over François Girard's The Red Violin I was looking forward to a beautiful story set to beautiful music. I was not disappointed. The story is told in sections, reminiscent of Violin. In the case of Boychoir, however, it is not necessary and, as a result, the story does not flow seamlessly. The audience will easily fill in the gaps though and will be quickly won over by what Girard knows best – the music.

From start to finish, the music is breathtaking. The music of American Boychoir provides the thread that the story lacks. Not only does the music provide the thread, it provides the heart of the story as well. You will catch yourself smiling as the boys, known for their sophistication, sing a silly song when no one is looking. You will shed a tear when angelic voices rise to meet the demands of their choir master. The music is in equal measure haunting and uplifting. The members of American Boychoir, who were not recreated but actually recruited for this film, look like seasoned veterans on screen. It is clear that the music is a part of them and singing appears as natural as breathing.

Newcomer Garrett Wareing is subtle in his performance and a joy to watch. Veterans Dustin Hoffman, Eddie Izzard, Josh Lucas and Debra Winger undoubtedly earn their paycheck. Kathy Bates has some wonderful lines and delivers them brilliantly.

But the beautiful music of Boychoir is what lingers long after the credits roll.

OK, I get it. This is a feel good movie. The cinematic equivalent of smooth jazz. Something I can handle about once a year with the kiddies. But did the script have to be so agonizingly predictable? The outcome was obvious about five minutes in. For the balance of the film, I found myself waiting somewhat impatiently for the next bit of choral music, which WAS wonderful.

Also perplexing was the films message or messages. The feel good genre generally delivers up a platitude or two anyone can easily latch on to. The messages here seemed to be, very loosely, only those who become "the best" can expect to receive the love of family and acceptance within their institution of choice. Didn't work for me.

This film has been unfairly bashed by a lot of critics because of it's lack of originality. My take on this is the subject matter cannot go in that many directions. You can find similarities in every films about choir boys. Heck even the hit cult French film "The Chorist is far from original and recycle story lines from films that came before it. In most of these films you will get a trouble boy or boys who gets his or their life changed by his or their new found love of singing. This film is no different and if you are aware of that before going into it you will see the good point of that film rather then the fact that it is a very familiar story. Young and troubled Stet (Garrett Wareing) is sent to a Choir school by his father he never met before (Stet is a secret son,the product of a one night stand) following the death of his junkie mother. Things start roughly as Stet is accepted via bribe by his father desperate to put his son somewhere so he can be back to his real family. This causes some students and teachers to only see Stet as a charity case with no real musical talent.However Stet determination pays off and the main teacher Mr Carvelle (Dustin Hoffman) finally start noticing that their might be more to the boy then meet the eye. So yes pretty straightforward story and yes it sound like a TV movie from lifetime but you know what it has a good heart and all the actors seems to really enjoy themselves. Kathy Bates as the overworked headmistress ,Eddy Izzard as a competitive teacher , Kevin McHale as the teacher who first notice Stet's talent along with Hoffman creates a very interesting dynamic and they breath life to the school. Garrett Wareing is easy to root for as Stet , he his misunderstood and a victim of his upbringing.The actor convey that sense of wanting to break free from the tag everybody has placed on him all his life and he convey a quiet sort of will power and maturity really well. The only thing that bothered me is Stet's relationship with his father felt rushed and underdeveloped and they wrapped this storyline conveniently.It is a shame as it was intriguing and it could have been explored a lot more. With that said , listen ! Yeah this films has received a lot of bad review for being too "Simple" but people who are interested in theses type of films should not be looking for "Interstellar" they should be looking for a sweet little heart warmer with excellent music and songs and this film do that! (The singing is AMAZING) !!! A perfect little film to watch on a rainy Sunday. I give it a 8 out of 10.

Watched the movie on the 2nd day of TIFF 2014.

Before the movie, the director and several actors showed up and talked about the movie.

Dustin Huffman said,"it's a special movie, we hear that a lot. But you know films can be special and not work. And it can be special and work.... Hope you enjoy."

I did enjoy the movie. It flows very naturally and smoothly. I would not say this is a great movie, but it is still a good one.

Everyone tells Stet," you have the voice. you have the talent. Don't waste it".

I guess this is the point. Do not waster your talent. NEVER.

Even if it only stays for a short period, you gotta use your gift!

Anyone attending a graduation ceremony at the American Boychoir School, as I did a few hours before seeing this film in Princeton, would be impressed with its tremendous and infectious school spirit. It is a joyous group of young people who uphold one another and love being together. Their enthusiasm has been buoyed up, and deservedly so, by the choir's glowing work in this film. As others have already noted, the singing is glorious, and one hopes is an audience's most lasting takeaway.

One's heart goes out to Stet, at first sight perhaps not the kind of boy one would expect to be smitten to the core within a moment of hearing such music. But he was! Given a chance to join, he is afraid to try at first, because failure and rejection would hurt so much. Time and again, it was the exquisite beauty of what he heard around him that drove him on, even when it seemed out of reach.

Aside from that-- I very much wanted to love this movie more than I'm ultimately able to do. Especially given its every suggestion that it is a portrayal of life in the American Boychoir School (or any choral foundation for that matter), we must bear in mind, IT IS FICTION! For according to the movie, this is a grim life in a hostile place, in which a boy might find no friends, no teamwork, and even a faculty member or two implacably opposed to his very presence. We see only merciless competition and rivalry, sometimes descending to unscrupulous malice for which the guilty peer gets only a slap on the wrist. This is not the stuff of which a great ensemble, as the American Boychoir clearly is, can be made. Alas, in this respect I fear that the scriptwriter and director have done a disservice to the art and institution that they meant to promote.

This is a serious matter at a time when plenty of choir school graduates go on to the most prestigious high schools in the country, and plenty of parents dream of exactly this outcome from the moment their child is born. To a large extent, it is the immersion in great music that does this. Yet the dots don't get connected: there is a shortage of applicants to choir schools, among other excellent boarding schools for children of this age, both here and abroad. Interested families understandably want to be assured that they will find a supportive, nurturing atmosphere in which every pupil is almost guaranteed to flourish happily. This is what such schools provide, as their students and alumni enthusiastically report. Reading music is patiently taught, not a prerequisite for admission. But you'd never guess it from the film.

If others feel that this single reservation I have expressed is too harsh, nothing would please me more. Boy goes to choir school and becomes a success. "Predictable", people say, as if this were a criticism. But oh how right they are.