With temperatures in the triple digits and repeats on television, it is easy to turn to the movies. Summer blockbusters have been hit and miss so far in 2013, and with streaming so easy these days with Netflix, Hulu, Redbox, and Amazon, our own John Clare has been scouting out some great titles and performances for you:
I really adore Mozart's Sister ("Nannerl, la soeur de Mozart") a 2010 film I ran across on Netflix (and available to stream on Amazon too). It can easily be compared to Amadeus - thoroughly entertaining, while historically inaccruate.
Don't get me wrong, I completely recommend you check out Mozart's Sister for the whole family! It is a delightful look at the 1760s, and certainly makes the Mozart family personable and real. Long scenes in coaches (it would have been quite hard to travel great distances at the time) give a bit of perspective of what the Mozart's would have endured. More scenes with candlelight also remind us to the period, and again, an intimate idea that "Wolfie" and "Nannerl" were kids who would have played together, ate, and even fought.
Period instruments, costumes, and sets are the icing on the cake for Mozart's Sister. The acting is quite good too: A sympathetic, yet greedy Leopold is believable as a violin pedagogue. A warm and gorgeous Marie Feret brings life to Nannerl. Even the sparkle in David Moreau's eyes gives you a sense of Wolfgang's humor and mischief.
Reality is off with the timeline though for this story - which is fine for the cinema. The royal characters don't lineup for the year this was supposed to take place. The idea Nannerl would have met the Dauphin and become intimate is highly unlikely. It is true that the Mozarts would have entertained and become friendly with the royal courts - which is shown quite well in scenes.
Mostly, Mozart's Sister is a touching look at Wolfgang's older sibling. It will leave you checking up on her and their family's story more.
http://youtu.be/7eRauNLpia0
Next week, a look at (Untitled) - a great romp of new music on Hulu!
