'Young@Heart' chorus hits a high note despite film's flaws

Taking a retirement home activity to the next level, the Young@Heart chorus is full of singers well past retirement age performing everything from David Bowie to Sonic Youth. Even though most of the members prefer opera or show tunes, they all appreciate the challenges of singing college rock and love the reactions they get from audiences and the press.

If the chorus was the sole focus of the documentary, it would have been brilliant. Unfortunately, director Stephen Walker makes the movie as much about himself as it is about the singers.

Originally made for British television, Walker forces himself into the movie with obnoxious and overly precious voiceover narration. Just as his interview subjects start to get interesting, he cuts away to his own observations. It's frustrating.

At the same time, he's created an artificial timetable for the film by joining the group seven weeks before a big concert. The deadline limits the amount of time he needs to spend with them and allows Walker to build in some fake suspense during rehearsals when singers have trouble connecting with the songs.

Lucky for everybody, the singers in the chorus are able to overpower everything.

There is a performance late in the film for a local prison that takes place after one of the chorus members has unexpectedly passed away. They sing "Forever Young" as a tribute, and the prisoners are not the only ones choking up.

"Young@Heart" ends with the big show, and the highlight by far is Fred Knittle singing Coldplay's "Fix You" to the syncopated rhythm of his oxygen machine, and this song alone makes the whole movie worth seeing.

Despite the flaws of the filmmaking, the characters who populate the "Young@Heart" chorus shine through, inspiring young and old alike.