Film No. 25 (2015) April 15th. 6:30 PM THE WINDSOR Nedlands.
"Are we an academy or are we on some weird cat rescue mission" (Drake played by Eddie Izzard asks Master Carvelle if he is compromising the standing of The Boychoir academy)
Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed Boychoir. It's just I wasn't sure which key character, director Francois Girard wanted us to focus on or was it meant to be an insightful look at a series of relationships culminating in the unstoppable force (Stet played by Garrett Wareing) meeting the immovable object (Dustin Hoffman's Master Carvelle). But undoubtedly the most stunning facet to the film is the quality of the sound of the boys, even if much was lip synced.
The trailer suggested a hybrid of a film, taking Billy Elliott and mixing a young boy's trials and tribulations with a touch of Whiplash. Boychoir is not like either of these very successful films and definitely will not emulate their successes. Stet is rebellious because of his tough upbringing but precociously talented; a gifted singer. There are many subplots which are never fully developed but we always know that the unfortunate Stet will eventually shine.
The heart warming qualities which are woven throughout revolve around the adult characters who believe in our boy Stet. Debra Winger is excellent as Ms Steel, Stet's first school principal who moves mountains to bring the Boychoir troupe to her humble school. Then there is Wooly (Kevin McHale) his Academy teacher who goes into bat for Stet regularly, usually with Master Carvelle who has nothing but reservations. Kathy Bates as the Head of the academy is also on hand, giving a warm, friendly aunt persona.
For me however there was a clutter of key characters and like a tasty meal it didn't totally satisfy. Hoffman and Wareing were good individually but their chemistry on screen didn't quite capture the required feel. This film will do well in suburban cinemas providing a fantastic platform for baby boomer and family outings. It's just a shame it didn't reach the pitch that some of the boys did. 7GUMS
No comments:
Post a Comment