Madame Sousatzka (1988)

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.

Shirley Maclaine portrays an aging piano tutor with some very strict ideas about the purity of her service and the pitfalls of ambition, in an original coming-of-age drama set against the highbrow world of classical music instruction. As an eccentric (what else?) Russian émigré in an offbeat London household, Maclaine plays the role of a fussy perfectionist to perfection, showering her naive new pupil (a gifted Anglo-Indian prodigy with more talent than wisdom) with stern maternal affection, and guarding him against the crass, commercial ambitions of his mother. Not even the clumsy expository flashbacks or a romantic subplot involving Twiggy can dim the luster of Ruth Prawer Jhabvala's perceptive screenplay, which in between selections from Beethoven and Chopin explores the widening gap between art and commerce, in both music and life. Director John Schlesinger doesn't need to add much more than a series of slow camera pans over candle-lit rooms, but he manages to generate more tension than otherwise might be expected from the piano recital climax, during which the young student is forced to choose between a lifelong vocation and a lucrative career.

To me this movie was excellent. It showed how much work you must go through to be the best and also inspired me to keep practicing the piano. I think any aspiring musician should watch this movie.The main character was very dedicated and it was a bit cheezy during parts. I think that the girl he fell for should have been younger, such as another girl taking piano. I was a little confused about the moving old woman and why she had to move. i think it was nice hearing all those old classics, because i enjoy classical music very much. It shows very much artistry and it is now one of my favourite movies. It helps motivate me. I love it.

Shirley MacLaine once said as a joke in an interview that "not more than ten people saw the movie"! Well, I am lucky to claim that I was one of the ten and rate it as my top ten movie of all time! The acting is flawless!I own the LD copy of the movie and am hoping to see the DVD format being available soon. This is such a gem that it would be a shame if it's not released on DVD format to share with the world of what great movies are made of! One final word to describe this movie: Beautiful