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2025-2026 Season
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Saturday NOV 8, 2025
 Monthly Films shown on the
2nd Sat of each month

Doors Open 7:00pm
Film Starts 7:30pm
Please arrive on-time!

The Marching Band (2024)

French Comedy Drama Music
English Subtitles

1hr 43min

IMDB  7.4/10

TomatoMeter 95%


 

MarchingBand Poster.jpg

SYNOPSIS

https://thepeoplesmovies.com/the-marching-band-review/

 

The Marching Band Review
by Federica Battiato 1 May 2025


The Marching Band was a huge French cinema success

The Marching Band perfectly blends humor, a heartwarming story, and sharp social commentary, all underscored by a beautiful classical soundtrack.  Director Emmanuel Courcol’s film, known as En Fanfare, has been widely celebrated in France throughout 2024, becoming one of the country’s highest-grossing films of the year.  It has also earned seven César Award nominations for 2025, including Best Film, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Male Revelation.

The film follows Thibaut Desormeaux (Benjamin Lavernhe), a renowned orchestra conductor who is suddenly diagnosed with leukemia. While searching for a bone marrow donor, Thibaut discovers he was adopted. This revelation leads him to reconnect with his biological brother, Jimmy Lecocq (Pierre Lottin), a factory worker with a passion for music.

What unfolds is a deeply moving story about identity, belonging, and the unexpected strength of familial bonds.  Although the film’s opening feels a little rushed, eager to set up the central relationship between the brothers, it quickly finds its rhythm.  Once it does, it becomes a poignant and rewarding experience.  Benjamin Lavernhe continues to prove himself to be one of France’s most compelling actors.  His performance as Thibaut captures a wide emotional range: the joy and freedom he experiences through music, the fear of his illness, and the bittersweet realisation of what he might lose just as he finds it.  His portrayal makes Thibaut’s journey both relatable and deeply touching.  

The soundtrack plays a central role in shaping the film’s emotional landscape, particularly Maurice Ravel’s Boléro, which recurs throughout. It serves as a metaphor for Thibaut’s arc: starting gently and hesitantly, then swelling into a rich, unified crescendo. Like the piece itself, the film gradually builds toward harmony, bringing together Thibaut, Jimmy, and the small-town marching band at the heart of the story.

Pierre Lottin is a standout as Jimmy. Nominated for Best Male Revelation, his performance is energetic and nuanced, capturing Jimmy’s struggle to balance ambition with loyalty to his working-class roots.  His chemistry with Lavernhe feels genuine, and his emotional growth gives the film its most resonant moments, particularly in a moving finale that stays with you long after the credits roll.

The Marching Band is unmistakably French in its sensibility: a comedy that weaves art and social critique into everyday life, but it transcends its genre. It’s a story about brotherhood, second chances, and the healing power of connection and creativity. Its emotional realism, musical elegance, and heartfelt performances make it one of the most memorable films of the year.
 

TRAILER

MarchingBand Poster Trailer.jpg

TICKETS

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LOCATION

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Email  magick-lantern@att.net
Phone  510-232-2559
 

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Point Richmond

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 (side entrance off West Richmond)




 

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