Prélude

No pun intended - I am not sure if it helps to be fluent in the piano (read music) world. But I reckon it probably wouldn't hurt. Comparing this to black swan (this being a mirror to that just not in the world of ... well ballet, but piano) kind of makes sense.

The acting is quite good, the pace is quite slow to say the least. I have seen more engaging movies with similar themes and topics. But this still has the script and the actors going for it. Again, you have to have the patience for it and you have to like dramas with a bit of a darker touch. Anyone who wants to be on top (no pun intended) has to sacrifice things ... sometimes that may be sanity (of the viewer? You decide) ...

I thought the movie would be worth it, but to be honest: go look for something else. The viewer is snatched from one scene to the other with no connection / no context, and the story is so badly explained / non-understandable that it all makes no sense. I don't know what good the other reviewer saw in the sound design, but I've never seen such an obnoxious sound track (and I work in acoustics) - a very low-frequency near-infrasound rumbling is played throughout nearly the whole movie, which quickly becomes unnerving, especially since it has absolutely no connection to the scenes. I guess the director wanted the movie to accompany the protagonist's descent into depression, but the whole was very badly "orchestrated", to choose a fitting term. Not recommended.

Greatly, straightforwardly told story of desire and achievement, love and passion, competition and humiliation, and fighting for one's dreams. Very well played and nicely shot. One suffers with the protagonist whose fate touches one's heart. But also the very beautiful music and excellent sound design.