4/5

Review by John P. Harvey.

After collapsing on stage, acclaimed orchestra conductor Thibaut Desormeaux (Benjamin Lavernhe de la Comédie Française) learns he has leukaemia. His best chance of a suitable bone-marrow donor is his sister… who turns out to be biologically unrelated to him. It’s through this that he learns that he is adopted and finds his biological brother, Jimmy Lecocq (Pierre Lottin), who has lived a very different life as a factory worker.

Jimmy is also a musician, though, and he has a special musical gift: perfect pitch. When Thibaut realises that he could help Jimmy realise his potential and incidentally possibly save Jimmy’s entire work crew, he knows that he must do what he can to help him become a better player — and even a conductor.

But Jimmy’s background, the brothers’ limited memories of their mother, and a painful understanding of the reasons for their separation provide significant obstacles to success.

Offering naturalistic acting, a realistic plot, and a few surprises along the way, My Brother’s Band is a tale both amusing and full of heart that will have you playing or singing along to its irresistible finale. For good reason, it gained audience applause at the session I attended. It’s a treat; catch it if you can.

Screening at Palace cinemas.