On the face of it, this is quite a good movie. Judy Davis puts in an entertaining performance as the eccentric and lovelorn George Sand, Emma Thompson amuses herself, and us, as the slightly mad Duchess D'Antan along with Anton Rodgers as her lovably gruff and occasionally outraged husband. Mandy Patinkin, Julian Sands and Anna Massey all turn up for work with a zesty delight, hamming it up like nobody's business.
So far so very good. Everything rattles along charmingly, all and sundry delivering the amusingly droll script with great gusto and professionalism.
And then just as we settle down for 90 minutes of above average entertainment, Hugh Grant turns up and sinks the entire ship with all hands.
If I say that Hugh struggles manfully with an abysmal script, I would be lying. If I say that he presents us with a thoughtful portrayal of the tortured and sickly composer, rising to the challenge like the great actor he is (in some people's estimation), I would be guilty of gross misrepresentation. If I said that our highly regarded (at least by some people I know)and under talented leading man spends the entire movie looking like a terrified rabbit caught in the headlights of a speeding juggernaut, cowering with fear every time someone speaks to him and almost expiring with blind panic whenever George Sand is in the same room, my integrity and reputation as an honest man would be beyond doubt.
I don't know who Hugh Grant based his performance on, or if he even took the trouble to research his character, but what he ends up showing us is a kind of consumptive, cowering, idiot who could no more compose, or indeed play, some of the most exquisitely ethereal and beautiful music known to man than I could eat the Eiffel Tower. I doubt whether this preposterous character could play a triangle without quivering in fear, let alone a piano.
But never mind.
The movie is actually an entertaining take on the famous love story, presented by a who's who of (mostly) British actors in a beautifully designed and photographed period piece to a soundtrack of heavenly music. And an unintentionally laughable piano player.
Anyway, it's nice to see Hugh Grant in yet another comedy role.
Any other actor would have portrayed Chopin as a sensitive, soulful and talented composer.
So far so very good. Everything rattles along charmingly, all and sundry delivering the amusingly droll script with great gusto and professionalism.
And then just as we settle down for 90 minutes of above average entertainment, Hugh Grant turns up and sinks the entire ship with all hands.
If I say that Hugh struggles manfully with an abysmal script, I would be lying. If I say that he presents us with a thoughtful portrayal of the tortured and sickly composer, rising to the challenge like the great actor he is (in some people's estimation), I would be guilty of gross misrepresentation. If I said that our highly regarded (at least by some people I know)and under talented leading man spends the entire movie looking like a terrified rabbit caught in the headlights of a speeding juggernaut, cowering with fear every time someone speaks to him and almost expiring with blind panic whenever George Sand is in the same room, my integrity and reputation as an honest man would be beyond doubt.
I don't know who Hugh Grant based his performance on, or if he even took the trouble to research his character, but what he ends up showing us is a kind of consumptive, cowering, idiot who could no more compose, or indeed play, some of the most exquisitely ethereal and beautiful music known to man than I could eat the Eiffel Tower. I doubt whether this preposterous character could play a triangle without quivering in fear, let alone a piano.
But never mind.
The movie is actually an entertaining take on the famous love story, presented by a who's who of (mostly) British actors in a beautifully designed and photographed period piece to a soundtrack of heavenly music. And an unintentionally laughable piano player.
Anyway, it's nice to see Hugh Grant in yet another comedy role.
Any other actor would have portrayed Chopin as a sensitive, soulful and talented composer.