Madame Sousatzka (1988)

For all the hype it got I was expecting a lot more!

It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Shirley Maclaine portrays an aging piano tutor with some very strict ideas about the purity of her service and the pitfalls of ambition, in an original coming-of-age drama set against the highbrow world of classical music instruction. As an eccentric (what else?) Russian émigré in an offbeat London household, Maclaine plays the role of a fussy perfectionist to perfection, showering her naive new pupil (a gifted Anglo-Indian prodigy with more talent than wisdom) with stern maternal affection, and guarding him against the crass, commercial ambitions of his mother. Not even the clumsy expository flashbacks or a romantic subplot involving Twiggy can dim the luster of Ruth Prawer Jhabvala's perceptive screenplay, which in between selections from Beethoven and Chopin explores the widening gap between art and commerce, in both music and life. Director John Schlesinger doesn't need to add much more than a series of slow camera pans over candle-lit rooms, but he manages to generate more tension than otherwise might be expected from the piano recital climax, during which the young student is forced to choose between a lifelong vocation and a lucrative career.

Shirley MacLaine gave an effective, splendid performance in this film dealing with an imperious music teacher and the relationship she developed with an Indian student.Taking place in England, Mme. Sousatzka is a difficult woman trying to live life through her Indian student. Life, as we know it, has passed the Madame by. Flashbacks show a difficult mother. Once Sousatzka becomes your teacher, she totally throws herself into the lives of those she taught. You are taught not only to play but feel music as well throughout your body.We have a very interesting cast in this film. The late Dame Peggy Ashcroft appears as the landlady and of all people, Twiggy portrays a tenant in the rooming-house where Sousatzka lives with the group while teaching music. Again, we see the decline of a neighborhood and those wanting to buy Ashcroft out.Music was certainly one of the many things in Shirley MacLaine's long career. Remember her in What A Way to Go? and The Turning Point? Too bad that Shirley didn't garner another Oscar nomination for her performance here. The make-up artist working on her did a fabulous job. There were actually some scenes that I thought she resembled Carol Burnett's Norma Desmond of 'Sunset' fame. This is a strong character study of a woman whose life has passed her by. Dedicated to the teaching of music, she allowed herself to be totally immersed in it.

To me this movie was excellent. It showed how much work you must go through to be the best and also inspired me to keep practicing the piano. I think any aspiring musician should watch this movie.The main character was very dedicated and it was a bit cheezy during parts. I think that the girl he fell for should have been younger, such as another girl taking piano. I was a little confused about the moving old woman and why she had to move. i think it was nice hearing all those old classics, because i enjoy classical music very much. It shows very much artistry and it is now one of my favourite movies. It helps motivate me. I love it.

This movie was an extremely enjoyable experience. I loved every minute of it, even though the story itself is not much to talk about. Its really a slice of life, centering on a piano teacher and her star pupil. The pupil gets involved in the lives of the teachers' neighbors and that's the movie. It might sound boring but it is not. The characters are all sweet and kind to one another, for the most part, and have a real affection for each other too. A birthday party for Madame is a standout scene. Shirley MacLaine does not rely on her usual mannerisms and delivers a powerful performance as Madame Sousatzka. The rest of the cast is great, too, especially Twiggy as the beautiful Jenny and Peggy Ashcroft as the landlord Lady Emily. This is the ideal movie for a Sunday morning or when you want to be entertained by some good music surrounded by a good story.