My Brother’s Band (En Fanfare in French)

Interesting French movie about the reunion of two brothers separated at birth.  The older one, Thibaut, was adopted into an affluent, educated Parisian family because of his parents’ poverty, the later-born Jimmy was raised by them in an economically depressed town in northern France.  Thibaut is now an internationally acclaimed composer and conductor, Jimmy is a battling factory-worker living with his now-widowed mother after the breakdown of his marriage and the loss of custody of his beloved daughter.  He’s a bit of a sad case.

Neither brother knows about the other’s existence and it’s Thibaut who learns about his real origins when he applies for a birth certificate so he can deal with a genetic illness which may be terminal.   

He tracks down his mother and brother and becomes involved in their lives.  The actual reunion is dealt with swiftly and summarily, which is a pity because I would like to have seen more of the family and community interaction around this momentous event.  But the film is in a hurry to get on with its main theme:  how have these two brothers ended up in such different circumstances?  And what, if anything, do the bonds of biology mean in adulthood?

Jimmy plays trombone in the factory band (it was the only instrument they had left!) and has perfect pitch.  Jimmy is slow to warm to his older, successful brother but when it becomes clear that Thibeau is genuinely interested in their common penchant for music and wants to help out in the project to keep the band and the factory going, barriers of education and wealth start to fall and something like a brotherly relationship starts to develop.

As well as being a perceptive commentary on class and privilege in France, My Brother’s Band is a thoughtful take on the old question of Nature vs Nurture.  

It reminded me of similar warm-hearted stories about communities facing adversity with the inspirational power of music, especially Brassed Off (1996), the true story about the Yorkshire brass band struggling to keep going in the face of widespread unemployment and social distress brought about by the collapse of the British coal industry.  

Highly recommended, and good for anyone learning French.