Copying Beethoven (2006)
Picture:
C+ Sound: B- Extras: C+ Film: C+
I like Ed
Harris. He is willing to take all kinds
of risks. Sometimes, they pay off like Pollack, and other times, they are
mixed as happens in Agnieszka Holland’s Copying
Beethoven (2006) where he plays the famous composer. The angle here from the Stephen J.
Rivele/Christopher Wilkinson screenplay involves a Viennese music student
helping the deaf music genius with writing out his groundbreaking works on
paper. There is no way to record yet
either.
Despite
his ambition, I was not totally able to suspend my disbelief enough to fully
convince myself Harris was Beethoven, but he, Diane Kruger and the film have
their moments that make it worth a look and remind us that he was rejected by
the same powers that traditionally dislike dissent, innovation and change. That is especially when it challenges their
power and know-it-all mentality. At 104
minutes, it is not a bad sit, but overall does not deliver as much as Holland
is capable of. At least it is
intelligent and interesting, even when it does not work.
The
anamorphically enhanced 2.35 X 1 image is a bit soft and it is hard to tell if
it is film or HD without looking it up, but Director of Photography Ashley Rowe
(B.S.C.) delivers some good compositions and cinematography is not bad. It just never looks as lush as other films of
its type. The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix
fares better with decent dialogue and good surrounds, though the Classical
pieces shine despite Dolby compression limits.
Extras include a featurette about orchestrating the film, deleted scenes
of interest with optional Holland commentary and a feature length audio
commentary by Holland and Harris.
- Nicholas Sheffo
