A Feel Good Picaresque Movie About Classical Music
Ragtag Russian classical musicians return to triumphant debut in Paris after 30 years of political exile is the implausible premise of this film. Nonetheless it is so charming, has so much heart it is easily the best movie I've seen this year. Instead of the usual great musician suffers broken heart and stops performing until inspiration returns, this one is about a generation of musicians disenfranchised by the Brezhnev regime impersonating the Bolshoi Theatre orchestra to give a concert in Paris. The main protagonist, a disgraced conductor, gives a fine performance as a man reclaiming a life and a dream interrupted by political oppression. The beautiful young French violinist with a mysterious past adds a touching subplot. Bad News Bears Meets Ninotchka done with palpable love and nuanced feeling as the audience is swept away by the strains of Tchaikovsky. If you see only one movie this year, make it this one.