The Marching Band

2024 1h 42m FR

👍

7.3

SOLID

★7.3TMDB · 525

ComedyDramaMusic

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A world-famous orchestra conductor discovers the brother he never knew he had — a school cafeteria worker who plays trombone in a local marching band. Detecting his brother's exceptional musical talent, he takes it upon himself to rectify the injustice of fate.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Benjamin Lavernhe
Thibaut Desormeaux
Pierre Lottin
Jimmy Lecocq
Sarah Suco
Sabrina
Clémence Massart-Weit
Claudine
Ludmila Mikaël
Mme Desormeaux
Anne Loiret
Claire
Jacques Bonnaffé
Gilbert Woszniak
Yvon Martin
Anthony

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Emmanuel Courcol
Writers: Emmanuel Courcol, Irène Muscari, Oriane Bonduel
Languages: English, French, Italian
Countries: France

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Made its money back 4.3× over at the box office.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 2 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 3 languages: English, French, Italian.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Emmanuel Courcol, shot by Maxence Lemonnier. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Michel Petrossian. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Guerric Catala shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Benjamin Lavernhe and Pierre Lottin and Sarah Suco carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt30327451 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Emmanuel Courcol directs. Maxence Lemonnier behind the camera. Michel Petrossian scores. Guerric Catala cuts. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in France. Dialogue in English, French, Italian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Made its money back 4.3× over at the box office.
2Released 2 years ago.
3Dialogue crosses 3 languages: English, French, Italian.
4Directed by Emmanuel Courcol, shot by Maxence Lemonnier. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Michel Petrossian. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Guerric Catala shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Benjamin Lavernhe and Pierre Lottin and Sarah Suco carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt30327451 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 8 themes, including "brotherhood", "marching band", "adopted", "orchestra conductor".
10Released under 18 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Maxence Lemonnier
Original score: Michel Petrossian
Editing: Guerric Catala
Production design: Rafaël Mathé
Costume design: Christel Birot
Sound: Niels Barletta
Runtime: 102 min · 1h 42m
Status: Released
Budget: $6,100,000
Box office: $26,252,618
Return: 430% of budget
Original language: FR
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: The Marching Band (2024)

Awards

audience award

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Emmanuel Courcol

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2025-06-18
★ 7/10
“Thibaut” (Benjamin Lavernhe) is an accomplished conductor who is now based in the USA but who comes home to France now and again to perform. It’s during one such visit that he confides to his sister “Rose” (Mathilde Courcol-Rozés) that he needs a bone-marrow transplant. She readily agrees to help out but when she is found to be incompatible, that news opens quite a can of worms that results in him having to ask “Jimmy” (Pierre Lottin) - a brother he didn’t know he had and who lives in a quietly dying town where his workplace is earmarked for closure, to help out. Initially uninterested and disbelieving, the film now illustrates just how the two men come to terms with their past, their present and (hopefully) their future against a backdrop of resentment and privilege as they try to reconcile with the elements of “luck of the draw” that have governed their lives thus far. Fortunately, they have one thing in common. They both love music, and as it transpires that “Jimmy” plays trombone in his local mineworkers band we have a conduit for them to bond - or not! There are shades of “Brassed Off” (1996) as this offers us a social commentary on the decline of traditional rural industries that leave little by way of hope or opportunity in it’s wake; a little bit of romance and some seriously horrible uniforms too! Along the way, there is also some fine classical Mozart, some crooning from Charles Aznavour and some enjoyable band rehearsals with an eclectic collection of the townsfolk proving remarkably talented with instrument and voice alike - after a soupçon of guidance. No, there probably isn’t so much jeopardy about the denouement, though there is a twist - it’s really a story about family and one that’s presented without too much sentiment and a bit of enjoyably bloody-minded Gallic humour. I was never quite sure what an orchestral conductor actually did, standing there flailing his baton at a collection of perfectly proficient musicians, but this might just have helped explain a little - and that seating matters too!
Brent Marchant2026-09-01
★ 7/10
Fostering brotherly love isn’t always easy, especially when siblings are different from one another or, even more fundamentally, are unaware of one another’s existence. But that’s precisely what happened to brothers Thibault Desormeaux (Benjamin Lavernhe) and Jimmy Lecocq (Pierre Lottin), on both of the aforementioned counts, when they were separated by adoption at birth. Their discovery of one another comes about when fate plays a hand neither of them saw coming. When Thibault is diagnosed with leukemia, he’s desperately in need of a compatible bone narrow transplant to save his life. He first turns to his sister, Rose (Mathilde Courcol-Rozès), but she turns out to be incompatible, because she’s not his biological sibling. It’s at that point when Thibault learns he’s adopted, a secret that’s been withheld for 37 years. But, after a visit to his physician, Thibeault learns that a compatible donor might well be available from a brother he never knew he had, a discovery revealed through a medical database search. With options limited, Thibault visits his sibling, Jimmy, to explain the situation and seek his help. Needless to say, the blue collar cafeteria kitchen worker is as flummoxed as Thibault when he learns of his heretofore-unknown brother, and he’s not terribly happy about the news. Why was this information kept from him all these years, especially since the brothers are very different and the fact that Thibault apparently got all the breaks in life that Jimmy didn’t (talk about sibling rivalry). However, given the life-or-death nature of Thibault’s circumstances, Jimmy softens enough to relent, leading to a procedure that apparently succeeds and for which his newfound brother is eternally grateful. The relationship is still somewhat tenuous, but that changes, too, when they discover they share a common love – music: Thibault is a world-renowned orchestra conductor, while Jimmy is a virtuoso trombonist in a company-sponsored marching band who just happens to possess perfect pitch. In gratitude for Jimmy saving his life, Thibault wants to help his brother build upon his talents, an understandably kind gesture that, unfortunately, doesn’t always go as well as hoped for. But, if nothing else, this shared interest brings the brothers closer together, setting them up for what they hope is a bright future, one that helps to offset the inequalities of the past and evoke the emerging love between them. But will it? That’s the scenario at the heart of this tender comedy-drama from writer-director Emmanuel Courcol, a release that was a viewer and critically acclaimed box office sensation in the film’s native France. And for good reason – this warm, funny, touching tale makes for great viewing with its fine performances and profound chemistry between the two leads, as well as the contributions of its many colorful supporting characters. It’s also a music lover’s delight, especially with its superb selection of classical works by the likes of Beethoven, Mozart, Verdi, Debussy, and, most notably, Ravel’s Bolero. Admittedly, the picture might be seen as having a few too many secondary story threads that aren’t always as fully developed as they might have been, sometimes slowing the pacing and causing the narrative to meander a bit. However, that aside, “The Marching Band” is a crowd-pleasing charmer that’s worth the time (and the cost of the box of tissues you should probably bring with you to the screening). It’s truly gratifying when a movie hits all the right notes, and this one does a masterful job at achieving just that.