Madame Sousatzka

Madame Sousatzka is one of those coming of age to win the big competition films; albeit, the kid doesn't come of age (that will be his next step) and there is no competition. And the lovable, eccentric coach is the maddening, overbearing piano teacher, Madame Sousatzka.

Sushila and Manek Sen, an immigrant Indian family, moves to London. Sushila, the mother, supports her son, Manek, by cooking pastries for an upscale department store out of her cramped kitchen. Manek is a raw child prodigy of the piano. For years, Sushila has been funding Manek's studies by selling off her family heirlooms.

They hook up with Madame Sousatzka, one of the top piano teachers in London. She has issues, however. She smothers her students. She has an "art for art's sake" philosophy, and she doesn't believe that her students should seek commerce for their skills. And she tries to hide her students from the world. Through flashbacks, she relives her failed career through her students.

I just finished watching this film for the second time--the first since 1988. It holds up really well. Shirley MacLaine, who plays the title role, gives one of her best performances. She is neither showy nor mannered, in a role that was too easy to devolve into both. Navin Chowdhry (Manek) seems like a natural at the piano. His part calls for him to be cocky and nervous, all at the same time. And he does it quite well. And the supporting roles from Twiggey to Peggy Ashcroft seem to hit the right chords.

There is a lot of great music in it. And the direction and the pace of the film are swift. I think if the film would have spent too much time talking about music, I would've been bored. As it is directed, I was captured by all the pieces played.

Finally, I couldn't help but notice that Ruth Praweer Jhabvala adapted this piece. (I, in fact, researched this film to find out who wrote it.) It's the work between A Room with a View and Howard's End. It really shows off her style of writing. There is this great sense of time and space of modern day London here, as there was in early twentieth century London in Howard's End. And dangerous intimacies seem to be a subject she likes tackling in all three films.

Overall, Madame Sousatzka is well worth the two hours.

This movie was an extremely enjoyable experience. I loved every minute of it, even though the story itself is not much to talk about. Its really a slice of life, centering on a piano teacher and her star pupil. The pupil gets involved in the lives of the teachers' neighbors and that's the movie. It might sound boring but it is not. The characters are all sweet and kind to one another, for the most part, and have a real affection for each other too. A birthday party for Madame is a standout scene.

Shirley MacLaine does not rely on her usual mannerisms and delivers a powerful performance as Madame Sousatzka. The rest of the cast is great, too, especially Twiggy as the beautiful Jenny and Peggy Ashcroft as the landlord Lady Emily.

This is the ideal movie for a Sunday morning or when you want to be entertained by some good music surrounded by a good story.

I can see how this movie would not be for everyone. However, it worked beautifully for me. It was a wonderful contrast of a renowned piano teacher who becomes too attached to her young prodigy. The story was a wonderful juxtaposition of classical performances, along with a study of the people involved. The story develops simultaneously with the evolution of the main charactors, and the acting was first rate. You don't have to love classical piano to enjoy this, but it probably helps. It is a fine story with many layers and I give it a thumbs up.

Madame Sousatzka is overall a well-made and enjoyable film which gives the audience an interesting glimpse into the world of piano music. The film is mainly about music, and as expected, the music is an integral part of it, and it is beautiful. Just like a film of this sort would require, Madame Sousatzka has a very good score which contributes to its musical and dramatic tone, and also a serene, subtle narrative style which complements the story, the characters and the overall atmosphere. The biggest triumph of the writers, however, is the main character of piano teacher Madame Sousatzka, which is memorable. The film tells her story by mainly focusing on the lessons she gives to the young son of an Indian immigrant, and there we see who she is. She is strict, demanding, uncompromising, but she is also loving, caring and kind.

All of it is handled perfectly by one of my favourite actresses, Shirley MacLaine. This is her show all the way, and she is excellent in a heartbreaking and unforgettable performance. She skillfully creates a tough yet vulnerable persona and plays Sousatzka's strength, inner pain, and her struggle with her lonely present and her twisted past with great conviction. We know everything about this faded but assertive lady, one that we can meet everyday in our neighbourhood, just because of this portrayal. Her facial expressions are amazing, and throughout the film they really enhance the impact she makes here. This colourful character lets her be imperious, motherly, humorous, funny, unlikable, moving and sympathetic throughout it, and in some instances, she can be all of the above at the same time. A great, great performance.

MacLaine is supported by several good actors giving good support. Another favourite of mine, Shabana Azmi, is very good in a much smaller part as the loving but greedy Bengali mom. Her Bengali accent and mannerisms (which most non-Indians would never really take notice of) are spot on, and she comes across as a lively and vivacious character. Navin Chowdhry is pretty good as the student. The film is quiet and even though it is a bit slow in pace, it is entertaining and makes for an interesting watch. Obviously for me, it is MacLaine's performance which makes it so recommendable. Madame Sousatzka is not the greatest movie you will see, it is definitely not a film that would be enjoyed by everyone, and even though I personally had bigger expectations from it, it is overall a fine, artistic and well-made picture.

Too bad there wasn't made a Madame Sousatzka II and a Madame Sousatzka III with successive students. This film does more for any plausible immortality than her laughable, daffy & wild reincarnation baubles. Sousatzka is one hell of a story, and an A+ piece of direction by John Schlesinger. They should have made it at least twice. MacLaine and the director were absolutely the very best. Doubtless her best film maybe incl the Apt.