Not necessarily the comedy it claims to be, The Concert is nonetheless a superb love-letter to Russia new and old, and to Tchaikovsky...

Understudy Andrei Simoniovich Filipov (Aleksei Guskov) is now just a simplistic cleaner of the grand Bolshoi Theatre in Russia, despite his past as a world-renowned composer. Discredited and shamed after the fall of Russia's communist regime - in combination with a general atmosphere of anti-Semitism - Filipov and his orchestra now find themselves marginalised in a society that once revered them; that is until Filipov accidentally stumbles upon a fax requesting the attendance of the apotheosized Bolshoi at the Châtelet Theatre in Paris.

For 30 years, Filipov has lived in intoxicated regret, trying and failing to forget the abruptly-interrupted Tchaikovsky violin concerto that tarnished his career all those years ago. Thanks to a moment of sheer stupidity and the undeniable friendship of his once lead-cellist, Aleksandr 'Sasha' Grosman (Dmitri Nazarov), Filipov decides to finally complete his performance of Tchaikovsky with his former Orchestra, now a bunch of shambolic boozers, by impersonating the Bolshoi and hoodwinking the Châtelet’s manager (François Berléand).

In The Concert, Romanian director Radu Mihaileanu directs an underdog story of passion, regret and redemption whilst celebrating the work of Russia’s finest ever composer, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. However, it is the unique connection to its audience that gives The Concert its deepest appeal. Filipov’s story of mistreatment  - and the implications of such treatment - provides us with an emotional connection to Filipov, swayed by the complex and heart-warming background that enfolds in front of us. The fact that Filipov and his orchestra now find themselves as cast offs in a radically-changed society further strengthens this connection, providing a degree of accessibility rarely seen in modern cinema. It is this very story, this heart-wrenching tale of injustice that really connects you to the characters, and, while each individual has their own personal story of prejudice providing a number of different angles with which to be invested into in this film, it is the personal torment  that Filipov continues to inflict upon himself that lies at the core of the film.

When Filipov and his band of dissident musicians gets their chance of redemption through a furtive trip to Paris posing as the ‘Bolshoi’, you genuinely want them to succeed. The combination of deep character-involvement, alongside the films regular use of flashbacks, means that you cannot help but sympathise with the cast and, as a result, consequently develop your own involvement and connection to the film.

While the film itself has a truly uplifting feel to it, it is the supporting cast that really do this film justice. As mentioned, Nazarov plays ‘Sasha’, a former cellist whose fall from glory included the abandonment of his wife and kids and the acquisition of a soul-destroying job as an ambulance-driver, which the latter sees as almost a death sentence. While we see that Sasha is an extremely talented musician, Nazarov manages to bring an element of simplicity to his character, similar somewhat to that of John Malkovich’s portrayal of Lennie Small in Gary Sinise’s Of Mice and Men. As the gentle giant portrayed by his character, Nazarov establishes himself as a figurehead of calmness within the frequently complicated persona of Filipov, providing stability to the increasingly unstable plan established by his long serving friend and former conductor.

Special acknowledgment must also go to Valeriy Barinov, whose portrayal of Ivan, a former leader of the local communist establishment is one of the funniest roles the movie offers. The delicacy and femininity provided by Mélanie Laurent really brings the film a touch of humour to accompany the passion. Initially, Laurent is simply Anne-Marie Jacquet, a solo violinist Filipov requests to front his conduction of Tchaikovsky's Violin concerto. Nevertheless, as the film progresses, we see that Jacquet’s selection is not simply one of convenience but rather a part of a much deeper, further heart-warming story relating back to her complicated and inconsistent past. As the story reveals itself, Laurent seems to find her feet, establishing herself as a key player. In a scene where Anne-Marie accompanies Filipov to dinner, the range of emotions, and the beautiful transition between each, makes for engrossing viewing.

At times, The Concert seems to go off on a tangent, occasionally leaving you confused as to what occurred seconds earlier. While the story and twists are ultimately enjoyable, I did find myself rewinding a couple of scenes trying to make sense of them, before eventually deciding that it would surely work itself out. The film sometimes seems locked in a personality crisis, and at one point I had to consult the IMDB to make sure it was indeed listed as a comedy; such was the rather limited amount of comedy that featured within it. Instead, The Concert should instead be viewed as a drama with aspects of comedy thrown in from time to time.

This is a beautifully constructed film which emotes with passion and engages the audience throughout. Impressive performances and an intelligent and literate script make for pleasurable viewing, despite its minor downfalls. The film makes remarkable use of the classical music genre, further celebrating the impressive work of Russia’s finest composer to date, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Furthermore, the music is what makes the film unique, with a full performance of Tchaikovsky’s Violin concerto ensuring a transcendent emotional ending which the audience cannot help but feel part of.

With a purely fairly-tale premise, The Concert is probably worth a miss if you are someone who requires great plausibility and realism; but, if you can ignore the irony that arises from the fact that Filipov is now a cleaner in the theatre where once he was a conductor, this is an inspiring alternative to the remakes and average 3D releases that currently saturate our cinemas.

Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 119 minutes

The Concert was released on the 8th of November

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