O Gênio e Excêntrico Glenn Gould em 32 Curtas

Let me preface this review by saying: the music of Bach permeates my existence. Over the years, I've listened to nearly every recording there is, repeatedly. That said, I had trouble watching this movie. The first time I tried, I quit after five minutes. Last evening, I made it all the way through. While at times moving, the film disturbs.

For one, it does not do visual justice to the music. Bach's compositions are not about waving hands in the air, geometry animations, or men walking off into infinity. They're complex literary statements. This variety of music is akin to the best silent cinema; it says volumes, but without words. Like pantomime, it tells a nuanced story, weaving multiple plot lines together into an evocative fabric. Few of the 32 vignettes approached that ideal. Could it be that some of Bach's greatest admirers fail to grasp the deeper meaning within the music?

In addition, Gould's personal faults grate on the nerves. It's clear he wasn't an ideal specimen. He mistook music for life. Music is a condiment, a catalyst perhaps. It frames life, drawing attention to worthy matters. It spices and enlivens life, making it savory. But it is not life. His mind was filled with picture frames, but no pictures. He fell in love with music in the same way that parrots sometimes mistakenly bond with their human owners. They are not parrots, and music is not a woman. One wonders how Bach might greet Gould in heaven: "So, the bachelor thinks he understands the man with two wives and twenty children? Let's see what kind of music you'll play after we give you a well-rounded life."

I had never heard of Glenn Gould before this movie was released, but I had heard so many good things about the film that I just had to check it out. Am I glad I did. The film is quite unconventional in that it is not a strict "biopic" in any sense of the word. The film -- much like the title suggests -- takes 32 vignettes that concern some aspect of GG's life. Gould, a Canadian classical pianist, was by all accounts an unusual yet charming man. A merciless hypochondriac who popped pills incessantly and wore heavy clothing even in the middle of summer, Gould was also enormously talented, both as a pianist and a producer of highly unusual radio programs. The film examines Gould's life, his passions, his obsessions, and of course his music. The soundtrack is breathtaking. Colm Feore portrays the enigmatic Gould brilliantly. If you are a fan of daring, original films -- as well as a Gould fan -- you will not want to miss this.

This film was a real treat for me. Being a fan of Gould and loving the music of Bach, I was totally fascinated during the entire film, and wished for "thirty-two" more opportunities to peer into the life of this incredible musician. He was obsessed with his health, and had weird views, but he played Bach like an angel.

Glenn Gould may have been a weird bird but he was also a great pianist. These pieces reflect many aspects of his character form his joy of music ( dancing in the recording studio) to his daily pill regime. Colin Feore is convincing as the tormented Gould. I also like the fact that people who knew Gould were interviewed. Computer graphics make several pieces stimulating and the story of how he played the stock market to his advantage is fascinating. Rent it for the music and find a complex man who made Bach's music talk to me on a personal level.

The eccentric behavior of rock and pop icons usually take center stage in the media, but here's a classical musician and virtuoso performer that literally steals the show, both in achievements and lifestyle.

Glenn Gould popped pills, gave up performing live concerts because not everyone in the audience could hear the music the same way, created radio documentaries that mirrored symphonies and played the stock market like an expert. Glenn Gould was a typical hermit who only called people to talk when he was bored, he wanted to visit the arctic in the dark of winter and he donated his estate to charity.

He died from a stroke at age 50, but recordings of his music have been sent into space. Glenn Gould lives on in the hearts of classical music fans and those who have seen 32 Short Films About Glenn Gould.