Ilan Duarn Cohen’s French film The Joy of Singing has the feel that a bunch of ideas were pulled out of a hat and put together into one story. Oddly, it works to a certain extent but at the same time the individual parts aren’t wholly interesting. From singing lessons to terrorist suspects to the fear of aging, The Joy of Singing jostles around. At times serious, others farcical, it’s a film that ignores expectations and creates an experience that’s like a helium balloon. It slowly lets itself out before finally settling.
The film revolves around a pair of murders connected by a music teacher. Working undercover are senior agent Muriel (Marina Foïs) and Philippe (Lorànt Deutsch), the junior investigator. The dynamic between the two is the exact opposite of what is normally portrayed: Muriel is the one looking for a physical relationship with Philippe and he just wants to be loved for who he is. It’s a different kind of sexual tension, that’s for certain. This is part of a cornerstone in Muriel’s characterization. She’s recognizing her own aging and wants something to show for it. Muriel has the career, but she has a yearning for something permanent that involves a man in her life.
As the pair investigate further, the film reveals the oddball cast amongst the singing class. Besides music, sex seems to be a common theme. It’s dealt with in a very frank way that although graphic, it’s not altogether sexy either. Rather it conveys the awkward disconnect each of the characters have for one another. Sex is a means in this film and who the characters are rolling around with doesn’t really matter. Therefore, whenever the clothes come off (or eluded to), the focus is generally on one character rather than the intertwining of the couple.
The Joy of Singing is a crime farce that evolves into a hunt for a memory stick filled with uranium secrets. Some are in on it, some are clueless, while others appear to be clueless but are really in on it. It took me a while to get used to the tone and pacing of the French film as it plays off of what I’m used to seeing. By the end I found the large cast a little daunting to keep track of as many were revealing their true intentions and motivations, but I wasn’t completely lost. Once the momentum got going, I found The Joy of Singing to be quite a bit of fun. I wouldn’t go as far as declaring it transcendent or even excellent, but certainly a reminder of the different styles and voices I miss with my largely Hollywood-centric viewing habits.
The Joy of Singing Gallery
