Le concert 2009

Stephen Holden, New York Times: A messy, comedic sprawl that leaks at the seams. Read more

David Fear, Time Out: You can pinpoint the moment that Radu Milhaileanu's simpering music drama mounts a full-frontal heartstring assault. Read more

Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times: It's as if the movie simmers unevenly for an hour and a half, and suddenly bursts into glorious flame. Read more

Tasha Robinson, AV Club: It acknowledges grief, horror, and loss, but never lets it get in the way of a big, bright laugh. Read more

Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: "The Concert" is manipulative, overly sentimental, sometimes ludicrous and almost completely irresistible. Read more

Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: Even though the grand finale is not without some arm-twisting, The Concert is a passable, sometimes skillful farce. Read more

Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: This former violist can vouch that Laurent does a bravura job of fake fiddle playing, and Guskov's baton work as a conductor is exemplary. Read more

Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times: Mihaileanu keeps this French production flowing buoyantly, skittering past all manner of improbabilities. Read more

Kyle Smith, New York Post: An art-house trap, the cinematic equivalent of one of those salads that turns out to have more calories than a Big Mac. Read more

Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer: The Concert is a breakneck melodrama that milks laughs and wrings tears. Read more

Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: It ends in a place of transcendent emotion that sends everyone out of the theater in a swirl of transport. Read more

Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: "The Concert" builds beautifully from a farcical premise that requires a suspension of disbelief to a musical climax that washes away our cynicism in a wave of honest tears. Read more

Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail: Read more

Greg Quill, Toronto Star: Benefits from clever editing and a credible cinematic representation of the ineffable power of music to ignite the human spirit. Sadly, the magic is way too long in the making. Read more

Trevor Johnston, Time Out: In which we learn, once more, that you can take utter tosh, douse it in classical music and -- voila! -- you've got classy tosh masquerading as something meaningful. Read more

Jay Weissberg, Variety: The story regurgitates the usual trappings of underdog tales, milking stereotypes as well as tear ducts. Read more

Melissa Anderson, Village Voice: Beyond fans of Melanie Laurent, The Concert may appeal to those who delight in stereotypes. Read more

Rachel Saslow, Washington Post: The Concert was so unfunny, I had to consult IMDB.com to make sure that it was indeed listed as a comedy. Read more