Terrible acting, screenplay and direction.

I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

There is just so much movie here. For some it may be too much. But in the same secretly sarcastic way most telemarketers say the phrase, the title of this one is particularly apt.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Beautiful violin virtuoso Camille has two obsessions: the music of Ravel, and a friend of her husband's who crafts violins. But his heart seems to be as cold as her playing is passionate.The film contains only excerpts of Ravel compositions, but the soundtrack album includes them in their entirety, performed by Jean-Jacques Kantorow (violin), Philippe Muller (cello) and Jacques Rouvier (piano). A fourth Ravel composition not excerpted in the film, "Berceuse sur le nom de Gabriel Faure", is on the soundtrack album. The film helped further popularize especially Ravel's Piano Trio.Say what you will about this film. Good or bad, it really does a great job presenting the music. Did the actors play the instruments? Probably not. But the use of Ravel is ell executed, and no matter what else, that makes this a good movie.

Emmanuelle Beart shines as a classical violinist in France and she begins a relationship with the owner of a instrument repair shop. Shortly thereafter, the owners partner also becomes involved with her. The two men have radically different personalities, one is extremely introverted and the other extroverted.Of course, Beart believes she can change them and they continue a love triangle. The soundtrack is beautiful, making use of Ravel's compositions.This theme has been done many times but Beart's captivating screen presence makes this one time well spent.

Before I say anything else, I must point out that I love Daniel Auteuil and have seen many of his films. In fact, I look for films with him in it, as I am almost always guaranteed a wonderful film. In this case, he plays against his wife of the time, the radiant Emmanuelle Béart. Now that I have said that, I regret that this is one of the rare cases where I didn't particularly care for the film. Despite there currently being a very glowing review for the film featured on IMDb (giving it, inexplicably, a 10--a score too often overused), I just found the film too slow and uninvolving. Apparently after reviewing more of the comments, people either adored it or disliked it. Auteuil plays a man who is a genius at fine-tuning and repairing violins. He is so good at what he does that he's sought out by people owning the best instruments in the world. The film begins with his business partner introducing Auteuil to his new mistress, Béart. A bit later in the film, Béart falls madly for Auteuil though the motivation for this is seemingly non-existent. That's because Auteuil is a bit of a schizoid personality and he relates much better to things than people. He is someone who is indifferent to friendships and relationships--a person who is pretty much unable or willing to fall in love. So why would she love him? Now it is possible that his actions are all an act and he really is just afraid of being hurt (psychologically speaking, this would make him an Avoidant personality). However, throughout the film there didn't appear to be much evidence of this but avoidants would also be very, very hard to get to know well. In actuality during the film it appeared he just didn't care that the incredibly sexy Béart adored him. So what you have in the film is a lady who on rare occasions throws herself at a man and the man reacts like he's a block of wood. And, considering that this is all done very, very slowly and deliberately, the film seem way too long and uninvolving. Technically, it was a pretty film (with nice music) but that's about all.

The only things worth watching and hearing in this French film are Emmanuelle Beart's face and some of Ravel's violin music, respectively.Otherwise, this is an incredibly boring movie; a very long, drawn out soap opera. It's nothing but people yakking away. The fact national critics rave about this movie is mind-boggling. The film has little offer, even sleaze, which critics love. For those looking at the cover of the DVD box or VHS tape and thinking this might be some kind of erotic French film, forget it. There is no sex nor certainly anything erotic Unfortunately, this is very little worthy of anyone's attention.