Buy The Joy of Singing

The Joy of Singing

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From the liner notes

Fasten your cinema seatbelts for this witty spy-caper musical involving a missing key; duplicitous, bed-hoping spies and a seriously unusual singing class.

Review

Odd is the first word that springs to mind when describing this effervescent French spy comedy, with the words witty, unpredictable, delightful and original following close behind. Secret agents Muriel (Marina Fois) and the boyish Philippe (Lorant Deutsch) are sent on a mission to find a USB key possibly hidden by Constance (Jeanne Balibar), the fetching widow of a recently killed black market uranium salesman. In an effort to get close to the widow, the two are forced to enroll in Constance’s singing class. In the wide-eyed labyrinthine plot that ensues, the eponymous singing classes teem with a collectively duplicitous nest of spies, significant bed-hopping and some interesting vocals —- the highlight being Constance’s re-write of the Pretenders’ "I’ll Stand By You" as "L'amour est fou" ("Love is crazy"). Will the alternately quarrelling and loving spy couple find the key? Er...that may not be the point in what director Ilan Duran Cohen (Grandsons, Confusion of Genders) calls an "anti-romantic comedy." It's actually much more than that: it may be France's first sexy musical/ comedy/spy caper/thriller.

-- Raymond Murray