When internationally acclaimed orchestra conductor Thibaut (Benjamin Lavernhe) is diagnosed with a leukaemia, a DNA test leads him to discover he has a previously unknown biological brother, Jimmy (Pierre Lottin), a factory worker who plays trombone in a marching band in Lille. Jimmy agrees to donate bone marrow and Thibaut encourages his brother to practice harder and teaches him how to conduct.
Despite convincing performances by the leads and also by Sarah Suco as a band member who is in love with Jimmy, this is a disappointing film. Jimmy works in a canteen of a factory where the workers have been on a long term strike but their predicament is never really explored, being kept frustratingly in the background.
The story follows an all too predictable arc, and the attempts at heartfelt moments feels all too calculated. It is never a good thing when I think about similar themed films whilst watching a movie and The Marching Band has neither the emotional or political depth of Brassed Off nor the creative audacity of Tar.
Rating: 5.5 out of 10