The Chorus

Les Choristes is the 2005 Oscar nominated film from France, that despite using an old formula, ends up winning our hearts with its magical music and warm performances.

The formula is that of Dead Poets Society (and The Emperor's Club, and Mona Lisa Smile to name some), with a teacher going to a boarding school in 1949 France where troubled kids at first don't like him, but then he ends up, through music, teaching them about life and winning their hearts too.

Gerard Jugnot plays Clement Mathieu, a former music teacher who gets this class of kids that are not the usual ones (well, they are in these types of movies), because despite being around 12 to 15 years old, they're more dangerous than many adults as they smoke, drink and harm people to the point of almost killing them.
After seeing how Rachin (the school director) played by Francois Berleand, punish the kids because of their behavior, Mathieu decides to help them by creating a choir and teaching them to sing.

The music they perform is excellent (a professional choir dubbed the kids' voices) raging from the kids' songs mocking the teachers, to original songs Mathieu wrote (like the Oscar nominated "Look To Your Path [Vois Sur Ton Chemin]") to well known songs by famous authors.
Add to that the dramatic performances of Jugnot and Berleand who are excellent, as well as most of the kids like Jean-Baptiste Maunier are, and you have a wonderful movie with music that finishes on a high note.