Fresh and Exciting

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

A story that's too fascinating to pass by...

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

It is always a very pleasant change to see and hear great music presented on the cinema screen or on a movie's DVD. I loved all the music selected for "The Competition", but I guess it was simply inevitable that this film would fail at the box-office. The tastes of critics and concert=goers are not only quite different but miles apart from the interests and concerns of the average movie audience.As for me, I loved the music but was not so keen on the movie itself. The plot's idea was certainly a promising one, but it is developed in a disappointing and rather pedestrian fashion. Clumsy and rather feeble direction does not help matters, although I must admit that despite all, the movie does have some fine moments of music and novelty. I also must admit that I especially enjoyed the Prokofieff concerto. This is very spectacularly played, but, as said above, somehow I cannot see movie patrons in Dudleyville, Idaho, applauding with anything like the same gusto and enthusiasm as the audiences in the movie itself.

Good drama with great classical music. Not an incisive examination of the cutthroat world of music competition although they do delve into it somewhat. More a drama of a selfish man letting down his defenses and a young girl who learns more than she bargains for when she lets down her guard. Excellent performances from the leads with Lee Remick adding her special brand of class but putting an icy edge to it as Amy's teacher. The only rough patch is when the two leads, who are remarkably free of rhythm for supposed musicians, dance to contemporary and quite awful music. They're glue-foots. For classical music lovers this will be a treat.

Richard Dreyfuss plays an egocentric jerk to perfection. His agitated mannerisms and witty retorts were becoming something of a pain around the time of this film's release (critics said he was phoning it in); however, looked at these many years later, one can see Dreyfuss' apparent dedication to bringing out the humanity in a puffed-up non-celebrity like his Paul Dietrich, and (despite a make-over on Dreyfuss that gives him a disconcertingly wizened appearance) he's the best thing in the movie. Plot about a piano competition has too many muddled sub-plots among its participants, though virginal Amy Irving's first affair with Dreyfuss is played out quite honestly. The piano mimicry is fabulous, giving the finale a real kick, but most of the supporting characters just get in the way. The overall feel of the picture is maudlin and stuffy, and the film's gray, chilly look is a visual downer. ** from ****

To begin without thanking the principals for awesome piano faking would be horrendous, likewise to not applaud their training by Jean Evensen Shaw. There is a precision to what they do, with Amy and Richard to be sure but with all of them, that is astounding. It's a sweet tale but also an insight into the cruel world of music competition where the real hero this time around has to be Ludvig himself. If you have music and performing in you; if you have been classically trained; if you believe in love; then you will in turn love this movie and its music.