Chevalier

Grade: B-

The best reason to see Chevalier in a theater is to hear this beautiful violin-based music in all its glory, with top-notch sound quality. The best scene in the movie is the first one, and I settled in for what I thought and hoped would be a straightforward but exciting plot about dueling violinists, with a persistent backdrop of wall-to-wall symphonic prowess. There isn’t as much music as you’d think. After the terrific opening, we jump back in time to the beginning of our protagonist’s story, and go from there. It never does circle back around to the first scene; in fact, I’m not sure where it could have happened, timeline-wise.

Though my dictionary app says “shev-uh-LEER” is a legit pronunciation, it’s only ever pronounced “shuh-VAL-yay” in the movie. It’s based on a true story, not widely known or talked about. Joseph Bologne was an accomplished fencer, composer, conductor, and violinist in 18th Century France. His talent and charisma earned him the “chevalier” title, which means “a member of certain orders of honor.” The Chevalier – being black, and therefore marginalized – ended up having much of his compositions destroyed or hidden once Napoleon Bonaparte reinstated slavery in France.

The Chevalier is brought to life in an earnest, honest, forthright performance by Kelvin Harrison Jr. (Elvis, Cyrano, The Trial of the Chicago 7, Mudbound, 12 Years a Slave) – who, IMDb tells us, practiced the violin 7 days a week, 6 hours a day for 5 months in preparation for this role. Joseph Prowen has a memorable cameo at the beginning, as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The film boasts some of the strongest female support I’ve seen in a while, particularly from Lucy Boynton (Bohemian Rhapsody), Samara Weaving (Babylon, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri), and the much-welcome return of Minnie Driver. Everyone has a command of the craft of acting, speaking, and enunciation.

Occasionally, the movie does poke its head out from the dull methodical doldrums of your typical historical period piece, with the elaborate costumes, makeup, and George Washington wigs. There are the odd sporadic bursts where I was really invested and on board with what was happening. But it was more momentary than consistent. And really, how successful can a movie be if you’re caught up in admiring an actor’s diction and technique more than anything else?

Grade: B-