Well-acted drama "A Late Quartet" is also soapy and pretentious
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| Christopher Walken |
Classical music is the backdrop for the new drama "A Late Quartet," that's well-acted, often engaging and somewhat pretentious. A bit soapy and melodramatic, the actors keep you watching even though you may not care much about these characters. Set in iconic New York City, this is the story of four musicians, bound together by their passion for music and long years of working together. But when their patriarch Peter (Christopher Walken) is diagnosed with a terminal illness, the repercussions hit the group deeper than they could imagine. First and second violinists Robert (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and Daniel (Mark Invanir) row over first chair, Robert and violist Juliette's (Catherine Keener) marriage hits the rocks when he has an affair, and their headstrong daughter embarks on her own explosive affair - with Daniel. As their 25th anniversary performance looms, the musicians must either find a way to overcome their troubles, and preserve their legacy - or part ways forever. The A-list cast and the music is the best thing about the glossy "A Late Quartet," which hits mostly harmonious notes both musically and emotionally. Directed and written by documentarian Yaron Zilberman in his feature film debut, sometimes it feels like "As the World Turns" for the music set, but the cast, with Walken in particular, make it watchable. Speaking of which, it's nice to see Walken playing a normal, low-key, non-psychotic person struggling to keep his life and musical career going. It's an unusually pensive performance for the acclaimed actor, but it's the highlight of the film; all the actors perform well, including Hoffman, Keener and Israeli character actor Invanir. The music of "Quartet" is also quite nice, though its script seems to struggle with the pretentions of something like (truthfully, I'm not sure I care who is first chair or second chair violin but that is a major plot point). Overall, a serviceable character study and auspicious debut for Zilberman, though it may not mean as much if you're not into the music.
Wes's Grade: B
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