Almost Angels

Release Date: September 26, 1962

Watch Date: February 19 – February 20, 2024

“Set against the majestic backdrop of Vienna, Austria, comes a heartwarming tale of friendship, loyalty and perseverance. Despite his father’s objections, 12-year-old Tony joins the famed Vienna Boys’ Choir, but the working-class youth struggles to fit in and Peter, an older boy jealous of Tony’s talent, will do everything in his power to get him thrown out, including an attempt to ruin Tony’s public performance.”

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   If you like movies with not a lot of plot, but a lot of choral singing, than this is the film for you!

   People will, generally, pay around 90$ for a ticket to watch this choir, that still performs to this day, so getting to watch it for a subscription fee on Disney+ really should be considered a steal. Unless you’re not really into choral music, like Bob, which means you’ll spend the majority of the film complaining that it’s putting you to sleep.

   I, unlike my husband, actually like choral music. I was in a choir for years. I still don’t like this movie, because I happen to like movies with plot and stakes, and when the major conflict of the film is taken away by the halfway point – and is never that serious to begin with – well then…that’s just not that interesting.

   Firstly, you think it’ll be a struggle for Tony to get into the choir, but it’s not. Then you think it’ll be a struggle to convince his father to let him stay in the choir, but it’s not. Then you think Peter is going to sabotage him at every turn, and while Peter pulls harmless pranks that could maybe get Tony a reprimand, he’s not sabotaging anything. There’s no major fight. These kids still act like dignified children of aristocrats. And anyways, that gets solved quickly. Then they’re just having fun together, until Peter’s voice breaks – which is sad for Peter, sure, but not a major issue in the plot. Peter will go to continue his schooling in the music conservatory, and while he might not get to go on tour, he’s still going to be pursuing his passion – and anyways they still fix the problem within about five minutes, but not before having us watch some opera, which Bob loved.

   He’s going to read that last bit and immediately come to me and correct me on that final point, but it’s worth it to make sure he’s keeping up to date on the blog.

   The backdrop of Vienna is gorgeous, and almost makes me want to go to Austria, if I had the time or the money. It does as much good for Austria as ‘The Sound of Music’ does. There are less Nazis though, there’s a distinct Hitler’s Youth quality to all the characters. I mean it was filmed less than 20 years after the war, and Bob and I are both very into WWII history, as an American Bob is required to be, so I suppose that should be expected to some degree.

   All in all, 1962 is not shaping up to be a great year for Disney films, and this one had to be released in the US as a double bill with ‘Lady and the Tramp’. I can tell you which one of those I would have preferred.