I think some are missing the point.

Rating: 10/10 (15 March 2008)

If someone who is colorblind tells me that he finds Van Gogh's Starry Night to have nice brush strokes, excellent composition, but overall finds it to be dull chromatically, I can only sigh and realize that, sadly, he will never get it.
One of the big negatives I read here in the, happily, few negative reviews, is the that the scenes are too drawn out and that there is too little dialog. I fear this can only be tone deafness. The realization I fail to see on these pages, is that there is one lead character and three main supporting characters (and Robin Williams isn't any of them). The three main supporting characters are Freddie Highmore, Keri Russell and Jonathon Rhys-Meyers. The Lead Character is the Music. Those "long drawn out scenes" with "too little dialog," are exactly the right length with the Music giving full and beautiful voice to its monologue.
Some have complained of the "lack of character arc." Tonedeaf, again, the Music begins lightly, almost chaotically, builds to a minor crescendo explores a few minor variations, but returns to its original theme in a major way incorporating the variations and build to a dramatic and major crescendo finishing with joyous, but subdued coda.
The arcs of the next level of characters are simple but strong. Freddie's character is Picaresque, he is a boy with a mission, his dramatic arc is very simple he has the goal, he needs to find the means and then achieve it. Jonathon and Keri's arcs are clearly drawn: dissatisfaction, love found, love lost, realization, resolution, love found.
All brilliantly done.
If it wouldn't scare away 80% of the film's audience, I would call it opera. Like opera, the film would not exist without the music.
alaric