Opening Night Productions , Concept Entertainment , Unison Films,
Christopher Walken, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Imogen Poots, Catherine Keener, Wallace Shawn, Mark Ivanir, Liraz Charhi, Madhur Jaffrey, Anne Sofie von Otter
Four members of a world famous classical quartet are planning for their 25th anniversary concert. But a shocking medical diagnosis for Peter (Christopher Walken), the oldest and the leader of the group, forces him to announce that he is not sure if he can make the concert. Things get a bit better, and they decide to make this 25th anniversary concert his personal farewell, although he recommends a new member to take his place. But all the stresses and pressures of a life making classical music suddenly releases and all kinds of personal issues break out. Things escalate, as the pressure seems like it’s going to break the group apart, and perhaps destroy many lives in the progress. The focus fades from the serious problem facing Peter, and passes on to the terrible personal issues affect the rest of the group.
This was a surprising film to me in a way. I debated long and hard as to whether or not to watch this film, as I thought it had to be very strange. I was prepared to be bored with the classical music, and yet, looking at the fantastic cast in this film, I couldn’t decide whether to watch it or not. Well, I’m always looking out for unusual movies, and the hidden gems (as I like to call them) that are missed on the fringes of the box office, and I was quite impressed with this film. There is a LOT of character development, and some really good characters. The biggest problem with these guys is that they take the music far too serious. I know people like this, although I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone this obsessed, but at the same token, these guys have been playing classical music together for 25 years. Still they’re taking themselves far too serious. They are screwed up, that’s for sure, and that’s the interesting thing to watch as each individual comes unraveled. They have real problems which they hide in the devotion to the music, but when they’re forced to look at themselves when they face their leader’s mortality. This is a character film, lots of talking, lots of introspection, and lots of arguments. IF you’re a fan of movies with tons of character development and interpersonal relationships, this is a very good film. Parts of it are really sad, but it’s still a very good look at being human. These folks are world renown, and still have bigger personal problems than you and I. It’s a definite people movie, and pretty decently done. This is a good rental.
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