The hills are alive with the sound of….wait, that’s not the right movie. While also set in Austria, this next movie features the Vienna Boys’ Choir and the adventures of some of the young members. For this project, I’m focusing on the story itself, including dialogue, character development, any subplots, how a story presents itself, the speed at which it moves, if it slows down unnecessarily, etc.
A Brief Summary
(Taken from D23)
The young Toni Fiala is a boy born to sing and his greatest desire is to be accepted as one of the members of the Vienna Boys Choir. His father, a railroad engineer, wants his son to learn a trade, but his mother knows her son must be given a chance to sing. The mother makes the opportunity possible and the boy wins his way into the choir. This story of the training, travel, and adventures of the boys within this famous institution is accompanied by the beautiful music of the choir. Toni’s admiration for the oldest boy in the choir, Peter Schaefer, is tested when Peter’s voice begins to change and Toni convinces the other members of the choir to cover for him. When Peter is finally found out, he is able to obtain a position as assistant conductor.
What works
- Herr Heller is a solid mentor figure. He’s not a really complex character, with not much backstory, but a lot of warmth.
- Peter’s struggle with puberty and what it means for his voice is so real and heartbreaking.
- Tony is fine but Peter, on the other hand, is a much more complex character. And once he gets past his petty jealousy, he’s a really cool kid.
- The high mass solo is the turning point between Peter and Tony’s friendship. Thankfully the petty attempts come to an end and they become solid friends.
- The choir boys’ attempt to fake the concert was endearing but I was also sitting, waiting for something to screw it up.
- Ah, Heller, here to save the day
- His conversation with Peter was well written (about growing up)
- Ah, Heller, here to save the day
- The movie ending with a choir performance was a lovely conclusion to Peter’s storyline.
- I did like that they showed the meeting about Peter’s future role with the Vienna Boys’ Choir. It turned his appearance as the conductor into not a fairy godmother moment but a natural, cohesive ending to the story.
What may or may not work
- Tony’s a flat character (which doesn’t really help considering he’s supposed to be one of if not the main character.
- Tony’s family dynamics does add to his character (what with his not wanting him to join the choir) but after that’s resolved, there’s not much more to his character
- As Peter’s puberty troubles become more of a conflict, Tony seems to move from the main lead character to main supporting character. His motivation becomes that of keeping Peter in the school, rather than on any motivation of his own.
Honorable Mentions
- I love the ‘choir mom’ who just sings her praises to one and all about how gifted her son is. (Felix’s mom, whose son doesn’t get into the choir)
- Peter’s “You’ll get into trouble. It’s your radio.”
- Also: “Maybe you won’t sing it. Maybe you’ll miss your entrance cue. Herr Heller wouldn’t like that, would he?” – Peter
- I just got a kick out of how completely nonsubtle he is about his jealousy and trying to get Tony in trouble.
- “I don’t expect you to be a flock of angels, even though you sing like them. But you are the eldest, Peter.” – Herr Heller
Side Questions
- What happened to the rest of the opera, after Peter rushed out? I don’t really know the opera so I don’t know how close they were to the end or what Herr Heller did to fix it so that the show could go on.
Would I watch this movie again?
- Yeah, I probably would. I liked the music (I’ve never really listened to the Vienna Boys’ Choir before) and Peter was such a great character to watch.
If you’ve seen Almost Angels, what are some of your thoughts? Share in the comments below!
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