Nannerl, la soeur de Mozart

I didn't know what to expect with the movie Mozart's Sister, but I was surprised - it was very good - even watching it with subtitles.

The movie gives a very believable and intimate picture of father Leopold Mozart's young family - with prodigies Wolfgang at age 11 and older sister Anna Maria (Nannerl) at 14 - and mainly involves their travels seeking musical glory. It has all the stuff you'd expect in a 1760's family including musical practice, family fun and playful laughter, adventures, and also Wolfgang and Nannerl's wish to compose. Good script, well paced and interesting plot, and a focus on Nannerl make this a winner. I might watch it again!

My Rank: 8 / 10.

Léopold Mozart promotes his musical children; Wolfgang and his elder 14 year old daughter Maria Anna 'Nannerl' Mozart (Marie Féret) to the royalties throughout Europe. He tries to restrict Nannerl's musical ambitions in the patriarchal society. She believes she may have contributed to Wolfgang's writing but Léopold dismisses her and forbids her from continuing to write. She befriends the daughters of the King especially Louise. She delivers a letter to Louise's brother Le Dauphin in mourning but she has to be disguised as a man to avoid a scandal. He encourages her to write. She meets him several times but only in disguised. He is conflicted about making her his mistress unwilling to repeat his father's debauchery.

This is an intriguing fictional biography. Marie Féret is the director's daughter and mostly fails to energize this costume period piece. The movie is two hours long and requires her to carry it on her shoulders. This has loads of potential for scandal and passion but none of it comes to pass. This does have a quiet beauty but is mostly a squandered opportunity.

Wolfgang Mozart's older sister was exceptionally talented. And, as she grew, her family discouraged her and put all their energy into her brother and pushed her to marry and have a family. All this is shown in the film and cannot really be refuted. However, the filmmaker's have decided to take some liberties--to ASSUME certain things about Maria Mozart that we simply do not know to be true today. In that sense, it's quite a bit like "Amadeus"--fictionalizing history a bit here and there. The story has a strong feminist bent--and even goes so far as to attribute much of Wolfgang's talent to her! This is rather dubious, as Wolfgang clearly was insanely gifted. It's an intriguing idea--but there really isn't any basis for this assertion. Now this complete fiction COULD have worked--but the rest of the story is incredibly dull--very, very mannered, slow and lacking anything to hook the viewer. 'What if' just isn't enough to carry the rest of the film and I felt EXTREMELY restless as the film progresses. My butt also fell asleep--and it's a great judge of whether or not a film is too tedious!

the beauty of costumes and music. the touching story of a great and obscure sacrifice. Marie Feret as lovely Nannerl. and Wolfgang as secondary character. important is not the historical accuracy or the legend's proportion. but the atmosphere. it is only a film about a little known biography , well made, nice to beautiful, recreation of a myth in new therms, seductive for the details and for the new perspective about a well known subject. a film about art and about a life in shadow. a film about success and about the truth. proposing a new hero. special for be not usual drawing portrait of an admirable woman. that could be all. or just the beginning for the viewer who rediscover the Mozart family in different light.

I found this to be an enjoyable period drama about the Mozart family. Remember it is a French made film, made in French language. Top notch English subtitles are necessary on DVD. I doubt the movie, released in the autumn of 2011, would have got worldwide cinema attraction.

Most of us watching would not know the story of Wolfgang Mozarts sister and I have no special interest in classical music, though as a tourist, yes, I did once visit Salzburg.

The film centres around the maturity of the young Nanna and her exploitable musical potential while in friendship at least with the French Dauphin.

The movie contains too much talking overall and I usually like French movies for that but not this time. I liked the acting and the costume drama and I liked the story itself, though two hours is definitely too long and for a non French speaking audience, not many are going to stay until the end. I nodded off the first time after 30 minutes and gave the film a late afternoon re-viewing earlier this afternoon.

Nothing offensive or conspiratorial about the movie. It simply dramatise a story from a book published a few years ago. Enjoy the movie for what it is and do not expect too much.

The music does come across as a little false and overdone but 6 from 10 is about right pitch for its rating.