Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Aleksey Guskov | ... | Andrey Simonovich Filipov (as Aleksei Guskov) | |
Dmitriy Nazarov | ... | Aleksandr 'Sasha' Abramovich Grosman (as Dimitri Nazarov) | |
Mélanie Laurent | ... | Anne-Marie Jacquet / Lea | |
François Berléand | ... | Olivier Morne Duplessis | |
Miou-Miou | ... | Guylène de La Rivière (as Miou Miou) | |
Valeriy Barinov | ... | Ivan Gavrilov (as Valeri Barinov) | |
Lionel Abelanski | ... | Jean-Paul Carrère | |
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Laurent Bateau | ... | Bertrand |
Vlad Ivanov | ... | Pyotr Tretyakin | |
Anna Kamenkova | ... | Irina Filipova (as Anna Kamenkova Pavlova) | |
Roger Dumas | ... | Momo | |
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Anghel Gheorghe | ... | Vassili (as Anghel Gheorghe dit 'Caliu Din Clejani') |
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Aleksandr Komissarov | ... | Viktor Vikich (as Alexander Komissarov) |
Vitalie Bichir | ... | Moïse | |
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Despina Stanescu | ... | Rivka |
Thirty years ago, Andrei Simoniovich Filipov, the renowned conductor of the Bolshoi orchestra, was fired for hiring Jewish musicians. Now a mere cleaning man at the Bolshoi, he learns by accident that the Châtelet Theater in Paris invites the Bolshoi orchestra to play there. He decides to gather together his former musicians and to perform in Paris in the place of the current Bolshoi orchestra. As a solo violin player to accompany his old Jewish or Gypsy musicians he wants Anne-Marie Jacquet, a young virtuoso. If they all overcome the hardships ahead this very special concert will be a triumph. Written by Guy Bellinger
If you love music this will quickly become a favorite for you.
This movie is all about music. An orchestra conductor is given a second chance 30 years later and he definitely grabs it.
Life flows through this movie. You can detect how music mixes with life and how music is a part and at the same time is not a part of life.
Music lifts you beyond life.
I also liked the comedy parts. Life is tragedy and comedy and music encompasses it all.
Be advised that the director likes to play and the mixture between fantasy and real life is present throughout the whole movie.
Also, please note the gypsy who arranges the passport issue. In real life he is a member of the Romanian music band Taraf des Haidouks (http://www.myspace.com/tarafdehaidouksbandofgypsies). They have amazing music and you will also be treated with a small sample in the movie. He is one of my favorite characters in the movie and one of my favorite performers on stage.
I'm trying to find any downsides to this movie but I personally can't. The person who accompanied me to the cinema said it was too...soapy. I was just sorry I was not alone in my home...This is a movie where you meet yourself so you'd better not have witnesses.