Strings of Life

For 25 years, the love of music has united the four musicians Peter (Christopher Walken), Daniel (Mark Ivanir), Juliette (Catherine Keener) and their husband Robert (Philip Seymour Hoffman). As the Fugue String Quartet, they enjoy great success due to the special harmony of their playing together. But when cellist Peter receives the bad news that he has Parkinson's disease, the end of the quartet seems to be sealed. For when the first thoughts are made about a successor for Peter, Robert sees the chance for a more drastic change has come. He wants to get the chance to play first violin in the future, which Daniel doesn't like to hear. When Juliette takes Daniel's side, Robert's frustrations are unloaded in a fling with the attractive dancer Pilar (Liraz Charhi). And that then seems to be the final nail in the coffin of the Fugue String Quartet's career.

Strings of Life is another film with a musical theme aimed primarily at an over-50 audience. Director Yaron Zilberman has recruited a great ensemble of performers for his feature debut. As different as the actors and their acting may be, they harmonize magnificently with each other, which makes them a perfect quartet in the truest sense of the word. Particularly lasting impression leaves Christopher Walken, who has to play the comparatively smallest role in the ensemble, but who plays it with a wonderful restraint and an enormously winning charm that one likes to believe that Peter's departure from the quartet could destroy the musical, but also the interpersonal harmony of the musicians.

Strings of Life is first and foremost great acting cinema, which is embedded in very beautiful shots of New York. The film is also quite convincing dramaturgically, even if the story itself is completely unspectacular and not very original. Because of the way it is conveyed by the actors, it just works really well. What the film lacks, however, is a bit of humor. Here and there, Zilberman pleasantly breaks up the rather dramatic proceedings with sensitive comedy. But unfortunately, such moments are rather scarce. As a result, the production feels unnecessarily heavy and downright undercooled in places, which is why it's also hard for you as a viewer to feel any real sympathy for the characters - with the exception of Peter - and to develop an interest in their fate.

So despite very nice moments and the great actors, the drama leaves you with a somewhat ambivalent feeling. On the one hand, it's a lot of fun to watch the actors work. Also, the importance of the music played is very nicely woven into the story. On the other hand, the film lacks warmth and genuine sympathetic characters to make the viewer wish that the Fugue String Quartets still had a future together after Peter's departure. Overall, Strings of Life is a thoroughly enjoyable film, but it has too many rather inconsequential moments to be recommended without reservation. Who appreciates adult arthouse cinema of the quieter kind, but for the drama alone because of the actors despite its weaknesses is still quite: worth seeing!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp