MY BROTHER'S BAND

THREE STARS A classical musician learns he has a brother who plays in a brass band. He needs his brother, and the band needs a conductor.

COMEDY-DRAMA FRANCE French #MYBROTHERSBAND Starring Benjamin Lavernhe, Pierre Lottin

MY BROTHER’S BAND is a warm crowd-pleaser that knows exactly what it wants to be and achieves it with grace. A tender French feel-good drama about music, family and second chances, it gently recalls the best of British like BRASSED OFF or THE FULL MONTY, while maintaining a modest, unshowy, uniquely French charm of its own.

The story centres on Thibaut (Benjamin Lavernhe), a successful classical conductor whose life is interrupted by sudden illness and an unexpected discovery: he was adopted, and has a biological brother he’s never met. That brother is Jimmy (Pierre Lottin), a kitchen worker and trombonist in a small-town marching band. One man moves easily in elite cultural circles; the other finds purpose in community, routine and rehearsal halls that smell faintly of brass polish and determination.

They’re both facing massive disruption - Thibaut’s illness is serious while Jimmy’s factory faces closure, threatening not just the band but his entire town. Can they help one another navigate these life-changing events? Of course, and director Emmanuel Courcol handles it all with a familiar, reassuring hand. The film rarely reaches for surprise, but it doesn’t need to. Its pleasures lie in character detail and emotional honesty rather than narrative invention. Courcol allows scenes to breathe, particularly those involving music, which becomes both a shared language and a bridge across social and emotional divides.

Lavernhe and Lottin are well matched, their performances understated and sincere. Lavernhe gives Thibaut a quiet vulnerability beneath the professional polish, while Lottin brings warmth and credibility to Jimmy, grounding the film in everyday realism. Their developing relationship avoids easy sentiment even as the story moves toward an inevitably uplifting (and raucous) resolution. Supporting performances, particularly from Sarah Suco, add texture and balance.

MY BROTHER’S BAND may follow a well-worn path, but it does so with generosity and heart. Music, unsurprisingly, plays a central role, from classical orchestration to the rough-and-ready exuberance of the marching band. It’s here the film feels most alive, embracing communal joy rather than virtuoso display.

While there’s so much potential for Hollywood-mawkishness that, even in the film’s biggest moments, Courcol never allows his story to fall that way. We could have had a sermon on the cultural divide of high/low art but, again, Courcol leaves that to others. Instead we get a comforting, gently affirming story that understands the soft power of music and community in all their forms.

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