Director: Claude Lalonde
Starring: Patrick Stewart, Katie Holmes
Running Time: 96 minutes
Synopsis: Celebrated concert pianist Sir Henry Cole (Patrick Stewart) makes a triumphant return to performances after a break of several years due to his wife's death. But Henry's anxieties are eroding his confidence, despite pep talks from his agent Paul (Giancarlo Esposito). New Yorker writer Helen (Katie Holmes) wants to interview Henry for a piece she is preparing, and eventually he agrees. A deep friendship develops between them before everything changes again.
What Works Well: The topics of anxiety, mourning, and aging are handled with understated elegance, underlining the fragile humanity at the heart of perceived stardom. Patrick Stewart slips gracefully into a role etched with more questions than answers, and the bond between concert pianist and respectful writer evolves in measured steps. The soundtrack of classical piano music adds melancholic lyricism.
What Doesn't Work As Well: The pacing is ponderous, and the running time is padded with passing scenery interludes. Many scenes suffer from lack of clarity in terms of timeline and setting - is this Europe, the US, or the UK? The 38 year age difference between Stewart and Holmes - he could be her grandfather - introduces itchiness around suggestions of a burgeoning romance. Some of the dialogue aims for profound but only achieves superficiality.
Conclusion: A relaxed twilight-of-life character portrait celebrating music's healing qualities.
All Ace Black Movie Blog reviews are here.
All Ace Black Movie Blog reviews are here.
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