Great F. Murray Abraham and Tom Hulce's laugh

Rating: 9/10 (6 December 2014)

The movie opens with an elderly Antonio Salieri (F. Murray Abraham) confessing to killing Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Tom Hulce). He used to be one of the great composers of Europe but has since been forgotten. As a boy, he was jealous of Mozart. He was delighted that his boorish father died. He works his way up to being the court composer to Emperor Joseph II (Jeffrey Jones) in Vienna. He is eager to meet Mozart but finds a flamboyant immature sex-fiend. Soon his admiration turns into jealousy of Mozart's Godly gift. Mozart marries Constanze (Elizabeth Berridge).
Director Milos Forman injects a lot of energy into a period piece. Tom Hulce's laugh is infectious. However it's F. Murray Abraham that is the true driver of this movie. It's his jealousy and scheming heart that creates the depths for Mozart. His older self gives so much color to his disgust for Mozart. And the music is operatic. It is not just beautiful and grand but it's also hilarious. There's also special mention to Jeffrey Jones.