‘CHEVALIER’ Review: The Symphony Composed Hits Too Many Wrong Notes

Courtney Howard // Film Critic

CHEVALIER

Rated PG-13, 1 hour and 48 minutes

Directed by: Stephen Williams

Starring: Kelvin Harrison Jr., Samara Weaving, Lucy Boynton, Ronke Adekoluejo, Marton Csokas

CHEVALIER is a ravishing visual feast hampered by a movie-of-the-week caliber script – something made especially crushing to see occur, especially after a pristine opening sequence showing an electrically charged violin battle between Mozart and our eponymous hero. Director Stephen Williams’ period piece centered on composer Joseph Bologne’s rise in white society unraveled by France’s rampant racism makes every expected move narratively documenting his struggles, yet finds a glorious chorus within its gorgeous aesthetics. A cast of capable, compelling actors elevate the middling material, but not to the level this true-life tale demands when drawing attention to a vital virtuoso whose name the filmmakers hope to bring overdue acclaim.

Bologne – born to a Black Senegalese slave and a white French plantation owner – was shipped off to France in his youth, not solely because he was illegitimate, but also because he had clear talent his father didn’t want to see squandered. Sent to one of France’s finest academies to for his education, he was bullied by his bigoted schoolmates, but used that fire to fuel his aspirations, becoming a fencing champion and a prodigy on the violin. As an ambitious young adult, he’s the toast of the town, attracting the eye of the Queen of France, Marie Antoinette (Lucy Boynton).

Things heat up for his career when, after being dubbed the “Chevalier des Saint-Georges” (the French equivalent of British knighthood), he expresses to the Queen he’d like to be named as the head of the Paris Opera, restoring the Théâtre du Palais-Royal to its former glory. However, he has found competition in a smug composer, Christoph Gluck (Henry Lloyd-Hughes), who aims to take that power position. Joseph proposes a friendly competition: They’re each to compose an original opera to be judged by a committee and the winner will have his work premiered at the Palais for all of Paris. Complicating matters, Joseph falls madly in love with his show’s beautiful leading lady, headstrong singer Marie-Josephine (Samara Weaving). She’s unhappily married to the much older, cartoonishly misogynist Marquis De Montalembert (Marton Csokas), who forbids her from performing.

Any audience who’s ever seen a movie before will see every turn of event far before they even occur. From Marie-Josephine’s predictable pregnancy conflict to Joseph’s betrayal by the Queen, whose notoriously horrible politics sets the stage for a civilian uprising. We can also set our watches when and where Joseph’s caring, newly freed mother Nanon (Ronke Adekoluejo) will give him an pep talk about overcoming adversity. While its admirable Stefani Robinson’s screenplay weaves in empowering sentiments on feminism with its razor-sharp statements on racism, these elements can’t shake the feeling of being shaped by modern eyes looking back.

Where the picture earns top marks is in its supple, lush visuals, which carry a tangible sense of evocative movement and character. Williams conducts a symphony of aesthetics, from the bedrooms and ballrooms of upper society to the fashionable looks of the wealthy. Cinematographer Jess Hall’s soft natural lighting sets of the characters quite nicely, working in concert with Karen Murphy’s production design, Gemma Randall’s art direction and Oliver Garcia’s tactile costume designs. The hair and makeup teams also turn in top shelf work, cloaking these characters in the decadence and extravagance of the era.

Grade: 2 out of 5

CHEVALIER opens in theaters on April 21.