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Mozart’s Sister begins in 1763 with a voiceover reading a letter by Leopold Mozart (Marc Barbé, Intimate Enemies) in which he describes the many difficulties of traveling across Europe. While they receive little pay and are often at the mercy of a noble’s whim, Leopold is nevertheless determined to find glory.

With his devoted wife Anna-Maria (Delphine Chuillot, Pandorum) in tow, the strict yet devoted Leopold puts young Wolfgang (David Moreau, The Vanishing Point) and his older sister Maria Anna “Nannerl” (Marie Féret) on display at every royal court he can find.

Wolfgang wows audiences with skillful violin playing while Nannerl submissively accompanies him on harpsichord and vocals. Nannerl’s desire to be something more is dismissed by Leopold who holds the conventional belief that composing is too complicated for the female brain.

When the Mozart family is forced to stay at an abbey, Nannerl befriends Louise de France (Lisa Féret), one of Louis XV’s many daughters. Their improbable friendship leads to a doomed romance with Louise’s brother, Le Dauphin (Clovis Fouin) as Nannerl tries to break free from her father’s rule.

Mozart’s Sister is an example of nepotism at its worst as writer/director Rene Féret’s relatively inexperienced daughters play Nannerl and Louise. For her part, Lisa manages to infuse a sweet, joyful innocence into a character yearning for love. Her range is limited, but not nearly as much as Marie. The latter displays little emotional depth throughout her lackluster performance. Truth be told, she is as painful to watch as Sofia Coppola’s cringe-worthy display of “acting” in The Godfather: Part III.

What makes Nannerl’s portrayal even worse is that Rene never seemed to figure out how he wanted to present her to the masses. Was she ahead of her time as a bold, innovative young woman bucking societal conventions? Or was she just a submissive girl, overly loyal to a father who treated her as a second-class citizen?

Overall, the pacing is monotonous and lacks the vibrancy of Mozart’s music, which is played, in spurts, throughout the film. Mozart’s Sister can best be defined as historical fiction, but is speculative at best and misleading at worst. Either way it’s dangerous as what’s presented on the silver screen can be assumed by some to be the unvarnished truth.

If you really want to know about Wolfgang’s talented sister, go to the library.

On a letter grade scale from “A” being excellent to “F” for failing Mozart’s Sister receives a C-.

Mozart’s Sister is unrated and has a running time of 120 minutes.

Now showing through November 10 @
Tivoli Cinemas
Westport Manor Square
4050 Pennsylvania, KCMO
Visit www.tivolikc.com, or call 913-383-7756 for more information.

By Michael D. Smith

Indie Film Editor

Michael D. Smith earned a Bachelor of Arts in history at College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Missouri followed by a Master of Arts in history at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Inspired by such critics as Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, Michael started reviewing films in 1992 for College of the Ozarks's student-run newspaper. After returning to the Kansas City area in 1994, he continued film reviewing by writing for the Cass County Democrat Missourian in Harrisonville.

In 2000 Michael joined Sun Publications in Overland Park, Kansas where he served as its film critic and Arts and Entertainment Editor. During his tenure there, he was also the film critic for the "Fine Arts Radio Hour" and "Celebrity Scoop" radio shows on KXTR. After leaving the Sun in late 2002, he became the A&E writer for the Olathe News in Olathe, Kansas. He also worked as a freelance writer for The Squire in Leawood, Showcase Publishing in Lake Ozark, Missouri and the Kansas City Star.

Michael is currently a member of the Kansas City Film Critics Circle, a professional film critic organization established in 1966 by the late Dr. James Loutzenhiser.