There are certain gifted actors that can pretty much just stand around and talk about anything, and it will be riveting. Christopher Walken and Phillip Seymour Hoffman are definitely two such men. They could make a movie about stamp collecting and I would watch the hell out of it.
So while the plot synopsis of a famous string quartet coming undone on their potentially last performance together may not exactly be the the type of blurb that grabs most people’s attention, the chance to watch these two chronic scenery chewers go toe to toe is just too good to pass up.
When the beloved cellist of a world-renowned string quartet is diagnosed with a life threatening illness, the group’s future suddenly hangs in the balance as suppressed emotions, competing egos and uncontrollable passions threaten to derail years of friendship and collaboration. As they are about to play their 25th anniversary concert — quite possibly their last — only their intimate bond and the power of music can preserve their legacy.
Only Christopher Walken could fill a simple dissection of classical music with that much subtext, with that iconic voice of his. This is probably not going to make much of a dent at the box office, but for those that are interested, it looks like it might just be a master’s class in subtle performances.
One thing though that stands out for me about the trailer though, is that the entire angle of the movie seems to be about how these people need to work together, how they are all equally critical to the team. And then they only credit three out of the four of them. Yes, I know Jeremy Northam doesn’t have a golden statue on his mantlepiece, but the guy is at least deserving of an “And…” instead of the big fat nothing he’s getting now.
Last Updated: September 11, 2012
