angeergm Loved the storyline, sweet but not cheesy, not your standard teen drama, but offering a genuinely valuable insight into the fears and hopes that go through the minds of young people. It has the added interest of providing the rarely seen perspective of a deaf family. The French is very accessible, so I would recommend it for French learners at either A2 european level (onwards) or working towards their French GCSE (use French subtitles!). It creates valuable cultural links in the classroom to both Michel Sardou´s classic songs, and to new teen celebrity Louane Emera, a finalist to the French version of The Voice. Definitely worth a watch :)

manders_steve This film is about an ordinary family – mum, dad, daughter and son, doing ordinary things, like running their dairy farm, making and selling cheese, going to school and criticising local politicians. But the critical ingredient is that all but the 16 year old daughter are deaf and cannot speak, but communicate with sign language. And of course when the daughter, who is the family's principal connection to the surrounding world is spotted by her music teacher as a potential for the elite Maitrise de Radio France choir, which would involve living in Paris, all the dilemmas of family, obligation, personal development and escaping a predictable rural life for the bright lights of Paris unfold.It is beautifully acted, stretching from rage at a deaf person's inability to communicate with others, to wonderful sensitivity and empathy. There are some very funny moments, both from the unusual situations the premise enables, but also in the pure physicality of the farm setting and the challenges of moving from childhood to adulthood. The four leads are all terrific, and the limitations of not being able to speak but having the added complexities of signing make for a unique insight into cinematic possibilities. There is quite a bit of musical performance, and while one musical scene seemed overlong, most were well handled and made great contributions to the story and understanding. To me, Louane Emera's singing voice really isn't quite at the level you might expect given its centrality to the plot, but the overall lightness of touch of the whole film makes up for this. There is one really moving scene where the audience is treated to an effect of what one of the deaf people might be experiencing. I found the music teacher convincing, although the result he got from a rural middle high school choir was amazingly good, particularly when you consider he frequently complained there were only two people in the choir who could sing! Paula Bélier being one of them of course. None of the actors was familiar to me, but Louane Emera as Paula won several promising young actor awards, which I feel were deserved. The actors in non speaking roles made the most of the expressions and sign gestures, which must have been the result of enormous lengths, depths and breadth of rehearsal. The cinematography is lovely, ably assisted by gloriously bucolic French countryside and wonderful stone farmhouses and villages.

kosmasp And they achieve to do so, even while not being political correct. And sexually open minded. Not that there is any nudity in it, but as the MPAA would state it (I reckon): adult situations, language and then some ... well maybe not the last part, but you get where I'm heading with this. But all in the name of comedy and if you're not easily offended, you will actually see a heart warming story of a dysfunctional family, that's actually more normal than others.Family issues are the toughest to handle, because you deal with them every day. And it's a surefire trap for falling into clichés. But even when that seems to be the case, the movie always has a solution that works in its favor. The comedy and the acting feel fresh and natural, rather than scripted and boring.

palavitsinis There should be no other rating possible for this movies apart from 10/10. At first, when you read the plot, you're somewhere in the middle. A movie about deaf people? Mmmm... Then you start watching it and you find yourself immersed in the life of the sweetest girl in her teenage hood, trying to cope with a family that is like all the rest but then again it's also not like any other family. The father figure is amazing. He was amazing throughout the movie. Funny, serious and a true father to his daughter, being strict but also being so comforting and supportive. The mother is also an amazing portrayal, full of energy and support for the family. I was brought to tears (not only once) in the scene where she talks about her daughter being born normal. Absolutely astonishing scene. The brother is there, in the background but equally important to the story. But the most amazing performance is the one by Louane Emera (Paula). She was fragile and powerful at the same time. She was distant and again "involved" in so many things. And her voice, oh her voice. She sings like an angel and climaxes the movie by her voice alone. The scene in the audition, with her singing and signaling the lyrics to her parents, was expected by the plot at the time, but still, watching it, I could not stop sobbing. It was one of the most powerful scenes I had seen in a very very long time. This movie is a MUST!