By Dan Skip Allen

Films about famous composers or conductors are not that prevalent in Hollywood, but when they are made, they tend to be very good. Amadeus, Maestro, and Chevalier are three that come to mind that I greatly admired. The latest is a film called Chopin, Chopin or Chopin, A Sonata In Paris. It’s a biopic about world-renowned Polish pianist and composer Fredrick Chopin.This is a very interesting story about a man and his life I wasn’t that familiar with. This film is the way a biopic about a famous person should be very informative and engaging. The filmmaker doesn’t waste time with superfluous things that don’t need to be here. That’s what makes this film so good. It gets at the heart of who this man truly was and his motivations.

Frederick Chopin  (Eryk Kulm) is a young man who adores the sound of the crowd, whether it’s in a house with a handful of partygoers or a ballroom with the King and hundreds of people. He enjoys performing for people and getting adulation. He has a friendly rivalry with fellow pianist Franz Liszt (Victor Meutelet), whom he calls Fritz. They both have fun doing what they do. Playing beautiful music. While performing at a party, which he calls soirees, he passes out. He gets taken to a hospital where he gets checked out. After a few weeks of tests, the doctor tells him that he has been diagnosed with leukemia, a degenerative disease that affects his blood cells and bone marrow.  He still has time to live, though.

Eryk Kulm is an actor I wasn’t that familiar with before watching this film. He is now an actor I’ll look forward to seeing in future projects. He owned the screen as this famous pianist/composer. Using the time this film took place, the early 1800s in Paris, France, there weren’t that many things to entertain people. Playing beautiful yet classical music, such as what this man and his friend played, was one of the only forms of entertainment for people. Especially in this time of strife in France. It wasn’t an easy time in this country. This man’s music was a form of enjoyment for them. France wasn’t the only country he played in, though. He traveled to his native Poland, Spain, and the Netherlands to do small impromptu concerts. He was adored all over Europe. Kulm owned this role.

The film had a few interesting things that caught my eye and specifically my ears. The first was a very different kind of score. During scenes where there wasn’t much or anything going on, there was a techno music score being played. Like party or dance club music. This was a nice juxtaposition to the beautiful classical piano music played in most of the movie. The second was the period costumes that were worn throughout the movie. Hundreds of men and women were wearing beautiful gowns and colonial era clothing. The suits that Chopin wore were gorgeous as well. He had a great style about him. The third thing about this biopic that I noticed was how the cinematography had a grainy feeling to it. The film looked like it took place in the time period of the 1800s. Even the rooms had a specific look about them. The makeup and hairstyling were very good as well. The technical aspects of this movie were part of the enjoyment I had while watching it.

The main focus of this movie was the music that was played all the way from beginning to end of this biopic. I’m a fan of this kind of music in general, but in films like this, I’m enthralled by it. My mind focuses on the beauty of it, and I appreciate it much more during the time I watch the movie. I’m amazed by how someone could put their fingers to such good use. With each subsequent performance or time anyone sat down at a piano, I never knew what I would get. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed all the music played throughout the movie. It was like a character in the story to some extent. Which I loved.

The main story was Chopin’s life, which wasn’t very long because of the disease he contracted. This played a big part in his short life, but he did have time to develop some relationships with women such as George Sand (Josephine de LA Baum) and to a lesser extent, Maria Wodsinkza (Martyna Byckzcowka). His relationships are a key part of his fight for survival. He tries to seek various treatments for his illness, but nothing seems to work. Playing for the crowd and writing new music for his admirers is what keeps him going. That is also what drives the film forward. His struggle is real, and we, the viewer, feel for everything he’s going through. I was genuinely affected by this genius of a man’s journey. 

“Chopin, Chopin” or “ Chopin, A Sonata in Paris “ is one of the best musical biopics I’ve ever seen. It has an amazing performance at its core from Kulm. It has some terrific technical aspects I was wowed by. It has beautiful music I was enthralled by throughout, including the cool techno score. As this wasn’t a birth to death biopic, it focuses on a specific period of this man’s life, and that worked very well from what the director and writing were going for. I’m genuinely surprised by film festivals sometimes because you never know what you’re going to get. This time, I got a great period biopic. I’ll recommend it to anybody I come in contact with who loves music and biopics.

4 ½ stars