The Concert (2009)

Thirty years ago Bolshoi Orchestra conductor Andreï Filipov was fired for hiring Jewish musicians. Now a lowly janitor, an opportunity arises to gather his old musicians to go and pose as the official Buolshoi orchestra in Paris.

Director:

Radu Mihaileanu

Writers:

Radu Mihaileanu (scenario), Alain-Michel Blanc (scenario)

Stars:

Aleksey Guskov, Mélanie Laurent, Dmitriy Nazarov

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 9 wins & 14 nominations.

Cast

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
Laurent Bateau	...	Bertrand
Vlad Ivanov	...	Pyotr Tretyakin
Anna Kamenkova	...	Irina Filipova (as Anna Kamenkova Pavlova)
Roger Dumas	...	Momo
Anghel Gheorghe	...	Vassili (as Anghel Gheorghe dit 'Caliu Din Clejani')
Aleksandr Komissarov	...	Viktor Vikich (as Alexander Komissarov)
Vitalie Bichir	...	Moïse
Despina Stanescu	...	Rivka

Storyline

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.

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Plot Keywords:

russian | france | orchestra | concert | gypsy | 

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Taglines:

An Uplifting Comedy About a True Band of Misfits.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Music

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for brief strong language and some sexual content

Did You Know?

Trivia

Melanie Laurent started learning to play the violin only a few months before production. For the concert scenes, she learned all the bow movements, so her bow would always be on the correct string and move convincingly. However, her left hand (and sometimes arm) were digitally added/replaced in post-production.

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Crazy Credits

The director's father, Ion Mihaileanu, is credited as "diligent and attentive spectator and supporter of the film"

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Connections

Features Candidate (2002)

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Soundtracks

Red Square Theme
Written by Camille Adrien
(P) 2010 Les Productions Du Tresor / Oi Oi Oi Productions Under Exclusive License To Milan Entertainment, Inc

User Reviews

Bravo bravo bravoooo!

This is a gem of a movie. Do not miss it! Amazing rarely seen Russian actors, hilarious comedy, emotions by the bucket, tears, sublime music, tension, suspense, it's been a while since I saw anything like it. I was weary that the director, prize winner of art-house fame, would make a slow pompous contemplative film. At the contrary Le Concert is a fast moving beautifully shot comedy about music, artists, Russia, Paris and communism. The director makes the actors brilliant, even average French actors like Miou Miou or the young soloist whose name I forgot. Do not wait for the DVD: it's worth watching on a big screen with a loud digital surround to enjoy the violins and the magnificent soundtrack. Bring your tissues you will laugh and cry, a great night out guaranteed!!!

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

France Italy Romania Belgium

Language:

French Russian

Release Date:

4 November 2009 (France)

Also Known As:

El concierto

Filming Locations:

Romania

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$21,742, 1 August 2010

Gross USA:

$657,986

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$41,146,351

Company Credits

Production Co:

Oï Oï Oï Productions, Trésor Films, France 3 Cinéma

Technical Specs

Runtime:

119 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS DTS

Color:

Color Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1