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Review: Andy Lau teaches life lessons to choir kids in Find Your Voice

Produced by and starring Andy Lau as Maestro Yim, Find Your Voice is a movie about a “rock bottom choir” that brings together students from three underperforming schools on a nine-month pilot programme. (Photo: mm2 Entertainment)
Andy Lau is Maestro Yim, a choir conductor, in Find Your Voice. (Photo: mm2 Entertainment)

Length: 95 minutes
Director: Adrian Kwan
Cast: Andy Lau, Loletta Lee, Eddie Kwan, Lowell Lo

3 out of 5 stars

Produced by and starring Andy Lau as choral conductor Maestro Yim, Find Your Voice is the story of a “rock bottom choir” that brings together students from three underperforming schools on a nine-month pilot programme. Although Yim is a renowned conductor who has his own set of problems, he agrees to lead the choir of 30 “problem students” on a seemingly impossible mission: to stand on the stage and compete with professional choirs.

Find Your Voice sees these students transform from having no teamwork whatsoever to gradually understanding and accepting each other, including learning to appreciate Yim. The movie focuses on a handful of the students, such as a delinquent teenager with strained family ties, a cosplay fanatic in a poor family, a young lady obsessed with relationships, a rich kid with a strict father, a boy with problems speaking, and an autistic girl who is always staring at her water bottle.

The stories of each of these students also elicit changes in the demanding and emotionless Maestro Yim, who eventually re-discovers his passion and reveals his darkest secrets — although this part of the plot feels a little forced and disrupts the flow of the story. But with one of Hong Kong's most commercially successful film actors in Andy Lau, there are more than enough cookie points for Find Your Voice. The 59-year-old veteran actor is still looking sharp on the silver screen, and even better in a smart black suit.

Produced by and starring Andy Lau as Maestro Yim, Find Your Voice is a movie about a “rock bottom choir” that brings together students from three underperforming schools on a nine-month pilot programme. (Photo: mm2 Entertainment)
Maestro Yim leads a group of misfit students to compete in a choral competition. (Photo: mm2 Entertainment)

If your days seem gloomy during this pandemic and you are looking for a pick-me-up, Find Your Voice will do that. As its Chinese movie title suggests, you will get some positive, passionate vibes out of it. It is better that you bring a pack of tissue paper or a handkerchief along too, because the plot is weaved with bouts of tear-jerking scenes, particularly on the heart-warming support from friends and family.

Apart from its feel-good element, Find Your Voice can do better with its ending. Yim’s darkest secrets are strange to begin with, possibly added in to give colours to the bond between the students and the conductor. However, what is even more strange is how a rap performance can be a part of the choir music — during an official competition even! Logically speaking, there are a number of blatantly weird flaws towards the ending. But if you are not picky about the nitty-gritty details, all is good.

Although Find Your Voice is not Andy Lau’s best work, watching it with an open mind is the best way to enjoy the movie. 95 minutes of eye candy is not a bad deal either!

Release date: 3 December 2020 (Singapore)