Chevalier
(M). Opens in selected cinemas August 3.
The life and trials of Joseph Bologne, aka Chevalier de Saint Georges, makes for mildly entertaining viewing, but feels like a missed opportunity to examine and explore both a complex central figure and historical material, instead settling for a comfortable skim over a story that deserves far more compelling treatment.
After a very brief introduction (which follows an amusing opening scene where the unknown man challenges Mozart to an on-stage violin duel, which ends up coming across as homage to the guitar face-off at the end of Walter Hill’s Crossroads), where we see Illegitimate child Joseph Bologne (Reuben Anderson) dumped at a renowned boarding school by his plantation owner father George (Jim High), we see the talented violinist/composer/fencer (now played by Kelvin Harrison Jr., who was sorely underused in Baz Luhrmann’s flashily empty Elvis) overcome adversity and outright racism and assimilate into privileged French society, even forming a friendship with Queen Marie Antoinette (Lucy Boynton).
Bologne’s social status increases when Antoinette knights him as Chevalier de Saint Georges, and as he surrounds himself more and more with this rich crowd, he starts to embody their casually cruel nature.
When he sees himself as the best candidate to take over as maestro of the Paris Opera, which sees him become close to singer Marie-Josephine (Samara Weaving), who is married to the brutal Marquis De Montalembert (Marton Csokas, appearing to be channeling Russell Crowe), it sets off a series of events that will see Chevalier’s life turned upside down.
Chevalier is aggressively anachronistic, using its handsomely produced historical setting as a backdrop to look at themes and issues that are sadly relevant to this day. But instead of embracing this approach in genuinely provocative fashion, director Stephen Williams (making his feature film debut after helming episodes of a multitude of TV series, including Watchmen, Westworld and Ray Donovan) and writer Stefani Robinson (Atlanta, Fargo and What We Do In The Shadows TV shows) unfortunately end up on a rather bland middle ground, deciding to deliver its worthy messages through overtly unsubtle, at times clunky, dialogue. The casting of Csokas as the villain seems particularly predictable and tiresome. Other innuendo-laden conversations almost feel like they’ve been lifted from a Carry On movie. Harrison Jr. does offer charm and presence, but the script never allows him to truly soar, and though he’s probably best known for Elvis, The Trial Of The Chicago 7 (2020) and Cyrano (2021), his best work is in lesser known films such as It Comes At Night (2017), and especially Luce (2019) and Waves (2019). If you haven’t seen them, then please seek them out (Waves is outstanding). Chevalier is frustrating, where the film-makers want to showcase an unjustly ignored historical figure while also exploring important subject matter, but by never digging too deep, skimming over parts of the title character’s life (the end text could fill another film), and a hesitancy in fully employing its contemporary approach, results in a film that is perfectly watchable, but ultimately forgettable, and may even end up being referred to as a poor man’s Amadeus.
RATING – **½

Women Talking
(M). 104 minutes. Now streaming on Apple TV.
Though it deserved more Oscar attention, it was great to see Sarah Polley (finally returning to the director’s chair after a decade long absence) win for Best Adapted Screenplay for Women Talking, a powerful, intelligent and riveting drama that is definitely one of the best films of the year. The film (based on a horrific true story) centres on a group of women, living in an isolated religious community, who decide on whether they should stay or leave after discovering that their husbands have been drugging and raping them for years. As all the women have been forbidden to learn how to read or write, August (Ben Whishaw) is asked to keep the minutes of everything they discuss, and just as importantly, listen to what is being said. The group only have a certain amount of time to make their choice, as the rest of the men, all in town dealing with lawyers about these multiple accusations, will return soon. The screenplay by Polley and Miriam Toews (based on Toews’ 2018 book) is thoughtful and humane, while Polley’s direction is superb. Despite its potentially stagey structure, Polley (who also directed Away From Her, Take This Waltz and Stories We Tell) manages to keep the dialogue heavy, basically one location material fluid and emotionally absorbing (something the current The Son fails to do), allowing the story to brim with electrifying energy. A truly relevant film (it is a genuine shock when you discover what year the story is set in) that has been crafted with achingly real conviction.
RATING – ****½