Close to perfection

Rating: Null/10 (11 May 2000)

As this film is more of a historical fantasy than a biopic, it's perhaps too much to ask for accuracy in all the events portrayed. However, it is a fantastic film for summoning up the rococo decadence of the 18th-century European court. The writing is clear and believable, and the author--speaking through the character of Salieri--shows a lyrical appreciation for Mozart's musical genius. The cinematography is fantastic, and this film contains one of the most effective visual segues I've ever seen--the visual of Mozart's scolding harridan of a mother-in-law matched with the high-pitched notes of the Queen of the Night. With one notable exception, the actors are well-suited to their roles and play them to perfection.
The exception, of course, is Elizabeth Berridge as Mozart's wife, "Stanzie." Clearly out of her depth in this role, she seems vastly more suited to play a Valley girl than an Austrian hausfrau; in many scenes she literally seems unable to grasp the meaning of her own lines. Perhaps her substandard performance might not have been so obvious in a lesser production, but in this film she sticks out like a sore thumb.