TxMike First a word about the school. MLC school in Sydney, Australia was established in 1886 and educates girls pre-K through Year 12. On several occasions the teachers are stating to the students something about their privilege, and when you look at the fee structure for 2014 you get a hint why. It varies a bit by grade but for teens it is in the order of $26,000 a year. For those who think US dollars that is between $24,000 and $25,000 depending on the exchange rate. Or closer to what one might pay for college. So these kids come from well-off families.Mrs. Karen Carey is the music director at the school and they usually give a big concert, involving most of the students, every two years in the Sydney Opera house. This film documents that for a recent year, beginning about 8 months before the concert is scheduled.As some have mentioned it often feels more like a "reality show" than a pure documentary. There are mild disciplinary talks with some of the students who have a habit of getting in trouble. Some talks with groups who don't seem interested in participating. But Mrs Carey feels strongly that such participation can be a "life-changing" experience for them if they go at it with the right attitude.I was one of those kids once, but at a small town public school. I played in the band, trumpet, and was good enough to be first chair and participate in regional honor bands. I can relate to this content, being in music and in performances during my formative years was a key activity to help form who I became as an adult.The film ends with the big concert, excerpts of most if not all performances. It ends with Emily, a Chinese-Australian student whose dad was a violinist but died young. Emily clearly grew up in Sydney but is somewhat reserved and, when asked if she would perform a violin concerto with orchestra at the big performance she was reluctant. Oh she knew she could learn the music, she wasn't sure about performing in such a venue for such a big audience.But Emily did great, in fact it was more like seeing and hearing a professional violinist perform. She was flawless, her pitch was always perfect, she performed with emotion, and she finished with a big smile. Even though some parts of the film might be less thrilling, seeing her performance made the whole viewing great.

Chief_Squirrel The various internet movie reviews (and the entirely disingenuous DVD cover) suggest MRS. CAREY'S CONCERT is some kind of "exhilarating feature film experience". I had to double-check to see if I had watched the same show.The movie I saw, a fly-on-the-wall documentary, is more an effective examination of the processes of indoctrination employed by teachers at a private girls' school. Perhaps it's due to the power of dramatic archetypes that critics and viewers alike stopped watching the story that was, and inferred something else entirely. I'm not sure.I didn't see "determination" or "the power of education to transform lives". I saw bullying and threats, as the teaching staff attempted to shoehorn off-the-rack notions of music into the minds of their callow pupils.The one notable exception, Iris, has been described elsewhere as "truculent" and "a villain" for no other reason than refusing to conform. Her crime seemed to be simply stating the truth of her feelings: that she was not interested in participating in the concert. What the hell is wrong with that? In almost any other dramatic context, Iris would be considered the hero.The privileged high school students---appropriately immature and unworldly---are patently unable to appreciate the deeper themes and emotions at the heart of classical music. Yet, are ruthlessly intimidated; if only to the point of appearing as if they do, just to make the intimidation stop.Emily, the competent violinist at the centre of the story seems to be singled out for additional verbal water-boarding for no other reason than that she is Asian. All of her ability and talent is brought to the school on the back of her own circumstance and dedication; I'm puzzled how anyone could think the teachers should take the credit for it.With the focus of the two year-long narrative being wholly on the destination (rather than the journey), it's no wonder the final performance is so bereft of joy, especially from the titular Mrs. Carey. By the end of it all, I didn't see kids transformed by the perseverance of one woman. I saw kids who simply seemed to be happy that the whole thing was finally over.It's impossible to watch this film and not invoke Chris Lilley from ANGRY BOYS or SUMMER HEIGHTS HIGH. Nonetheless, the documentary is recommended viewing... just not for any of the reasons stated in the reviews or the marketing.To me, MRS. CAREY'S CONCERT demonstrates two things. Firstly, everything that is wrong with the education system, especially private education. Secondly, considering the comments, the insidious power of brainwashing.

Likes_Ninjas90 This is a documentary set in MLC High School, looking to record the preparation of the girls school concert, which is held every two years in the Sydney Opera House. The concert is organised by Mrs. Karen Carey. She's an experienced teacher who grew up in the country and believes in the opportunities that these events can hold for students. Her problem is convincing Chinese violinist Emily that she has the confidence to lead the orchestra. Emily lives with just her mother because her father died when she young. A number of the teachers suspect that she internalises her grief and encourage her to release it through her music. But Emily has been led astray at school and misses her music rehearsals. Mrs. Carey believes that if Emily takes on the role of orchestra leader it will be an opportunity to reform her. Meanwhile, Carey is also dealing with a group of students who don't want to participate in singing practice. One of the girls is Iris and she speaks for a minority in saying that they find the practices tedious and that they don't want to be there. I hope a lot of students watch this absorbing documentary. Some will be deterred by the music and the film's slow start. There are a few too many rehearsal scenes early on. Yet this does little to detract from the film's slowly developed strength: how much it makes you understand. There is an optimistic, human story here, as much as an institutional one. MLC looks like a great school. The students are thoughtful, intelligent and passionate. And their teachers are similar. They're confident in their knowledge but emotionally engaged with the students too. There's a proper sense of care and involvement shared by both parties on screen. But directors Bob Connolly and Sophie Raymond are frank about the school's issues too. There's the announcement that a number of students have been involved with skipping school, drinking and lying to their parents and teachers. The best documentaries are balanced in their subject matter. And Connolly finds this throughout the most personal and intimate stories too. In such a positive environment like this one there is great potential but equally, the risk of throwing it away for the good life. Mrs. Carey recognises this most imminently through the troubled Emily and we see why she's so intent on pushing her out of her comfort zone. She justifies it as preparation for the real world but also talks openly about how she herself grew up in the country, without music and without the opportunity. She also reflects on the change she has seen in her students when they rise to the occasion, building their confidence and self-image. But impressively, Connolly and his team have also captured the woman's flaws too, in particular, her vulnerability. She's internally conflicted by her own self-doubt, asking if all this time is worth it and there are also moments where students like Iris question Carey's drive towards conformity. Is the school really offering an opportunity if it's imposed on you? Arguably, the less visible the director and their influence on the screen are in a documentary, the more authentic the reality becomes. The lack of transparency or intrusion from Connolly here makes a lot of these conversations feel unrehearsed, more honest and powerful. As such, I found many of Mrs. Carey's confessions to be quite moving and understandable. One of the more abstract and optimistic ideas throughout the documentary is the notion of art as an expression of the self. This alone is a fascinating concept, visualised most elegantly in the film's stirring climatic concert. By building Emily's emotional upbringing so intimately early on, there's so much more at stake here than just one magnificent violin solo.

ptb-8 This is a wonderful and uplifting new documentary about the year of prep in a Sydney girls high school for a large team of girls to stage a massive orchestra concert in the famed Sydney Opera House. Mrs Carey of the title is a no nonsense music teacher whose focus and commitment allows some unsure girls to trust their talent and instincts and genuinely rise to the occasion. However not all goes to plan and there is a group of mean girls whose taste in life and music is more Paris Hilton than Mrs Carey. The film makers here have struck antagonist gold with a real life roadblock to happiness and success with this group of surly selfish teenage girls determined to passive and aggressively train wreck the show. International viewers will love this Australian reality movie which alludes to Mr HOLLANDS OPUS and the Swedish choir film AS IT IS IN HEAVEN. Even the US teen drama DRUMLINE is in the same territory... and all 4 films are worth your time. This year it is Mrs Carey's turn and the final orchestra sequence shot live in the Sydney Opera house will have you and everyone in the cinema cheering. To Sir With Love? This film is a 2011 version that becomes To Mrs Carey With Music.