Movie Review: ‘The Marching Band (France)’

by | Aug 25, 2026 | Movie Reviews, Movies | 0 comments


Greetings again from the darkness. Circumstances. Fate. Luck. Determination. It’s been said that what we make of our lives is up to us. Still, it seems likely that these factors play a role- often a significant role. Writer-director Emmanuel Corcol and co-writers Irene Muscari, Oriane Bonduel, and Khaled Amara have delivered a film that’s touching, funny, and grounded in emotional sincerity. The film never moves too quickly or too slowly, instead allowing the characters to guide the pace.

Benjamin Lavernhe (THE FRENCH DISPATCH, 2021) plays Thibaut, a world-renowned orchestral conductor. The film opens with him conducting to the point of apparent exhaustion. We (and he) soon learn it’s leukemia that has drained his energy. A bone marrow transplant is his only hope, and his sister Rose (Mathilde Courcol-Rozes) readily volunteers to be tested. The surprise is not that she’s no match, but rather that they aren’t true brother and sister. Thibaut was adopted long ago. Soon, he’s tracked down a biological brother he was previously unaware of. Jimmy (Pierre Lotin, THE STRANGER, 2026) is a working class divorced dad employed in a school kitchen.

The two brothers had been separately adopted at an early age, and when Thibaut learns that Jimmy also has a love of music, the flashing lights of ‘nature vs nurture’ cannot be ignored. Thibaut quickly realizes his own privilege, having been classically trained from an early age, and Jimmy can’t help but feel envious of the life his brother has led, while still accepting his own. After the procedure, Thibault discovers Jimmy is in a local marching band filled with townspeople who are striking against the town’s largest employer. The band is its own community with friends and history … oh, and music. It doesn’t take long for Thibaut to offer his talents when the band is in need, and it becomes a razor thin line on whether Jimmy is grateful or angry with the development.

Watching these two newfound brothers struggle through a relationship with no actual history is made believable thanks to the script and the actors. Sabrina (Sarah Suco), who plays the trumpet and is attracted to the oblivious Jimmy, is actually instrumental in keeping the two men moving forward. The contrast between the world of Thibaut and the world of Jimmy is obvious as the two men search for connection. Both men ask ‘what could have been’ without uttering a word. At the center of this fine film is the power of music, and those involved ensure it never devolves into the sentimental hogwash we too often see in American movies.

Nationwide theater expansion begins August 28,2026

David Ferguson
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