Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on July 2013

The bombshell announcement by the cellist in a 25-years-world-famous string quartet (Christopher Walken) that he has early-stage Parkinson’s is of course devastating to the group, which is as close as a family. It also opens the door to a few long-smoldering personal issues. Second violinist Philip Seymour Hoffman thinks he should get a shot at first chair, currently occupied by the younger Mark Ivanir, who it turns out is having an affair with Philip and Catherine Keener’s (viola) daughter (Imogene Poots), a promising musician in her own right. The tightly knit quartet starts to go out of tune. Strangely, the whole thing has a Woody Allen feel to it. You don’t need to know anything about classical music going in to this knowledgeable, deeply felt film about life and art by Yaron Zilberman, but his affection for the material is infectious, and you will take something away. Zilberman knows what he’s making movies about. Especially notable is Walken, who’s been doing wingnut roles ever since Annie Hall, but this time actually serves as a steadying influence. Who knew? Nice to see him in a more subtle, deeper portrayal.

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