It's a repressive place, ruled over by pantomimic headmaster Rachin (Francois Berléand). But Mathieu soon brings a little sunshine into the place in the form of fair and compassionate treatment and music. He organises the lads into a choir, despite Rachin's opposition, and they start to smile. That's it really, apart from a few subplots, such as Mathieu falling for the star singer's beautiful, worn, unmarried mother, and the arrival of a real tough nut, unmoved by the Mathieu charms, who is usefully shipped off fairly quickly.
 
The trajectory of the plot is fairly predictable, and there is seldom a real sense of danger or change in the school. Neither does this present a poetic portrait of savage innocence, as in Vigo's ZERO DE CONDUITE ( a forerunner of IF...), or the true feel of the misery of a young child in a brutal uncaring environment  we get in Truffaut's LES 400 COUPS. But then it doesn't pretend to. It bears more relation to romantic English language films such as MR HOLLAND'S OPUS or DEAD POETS' SOCIETY.
 
It looks and sounds beautiful, although personally I found the music a little too soupy. The kids are great, as is Jugnot. Plot lines may creak - unrequited love? - ah, that old thing - lovable orphan finds happiness? - quelle joie - everybody loves the good old janitor? - mais oui... But you can't help liking it, and surely even the hardest heart will throb a little when the pupils shower the departing master with paper aeroplanes bearing messages of goodbye - an echo here of the bullets and debris showered down on the masters in IF...? The whole story is wrapped as flashback recounted by two of the pupils, one a now successful musician, which maybe gives some excuse for the romanticised tone.
 
The young director Barratier has spoken out against the way things have gone in France since the Cahiers du Cinema ushered in French Cinema as we know it in all its varied, gritty, experimental glory, and in defence of the romantic, feelgood film. Indeed this is actually a reworking of a pre-cahiers film LA CAGE AUX ROSSIGNOLS (NIGHTINGALES IN A CAGE). If you prefer your heart to zing for itself rather than have its strings twanged, this isn't really the film for you, but as entertainment it is indeed high quality, all ends neatly tied, the world how we would want it to be.

Seen at Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle, March 2005