A Late Quartet, BRAVO!

The glorious film, A Late Quartet is immensely engrossing. The movie has 4 main characters who have comprised a quartet for nearly a 1/4C; cellist (Christopher Walken) 1st violinist (Yaron Zilberman) 2nd violinist (Seymour Hoffman) and his wife, violist (Katherine Keener.)  Walken is the emotional core of the quartet though not its driving force.  Zilberman steers the group.  The movie begins with Walken quoting T.S. Elliot, "the end proceeds the beginning, always."  The movie is flawless, except for two movements discordant to the film:  Keener's slapping their daughter and Hoffman punching Zilberman for sleeping with their daughter.  Beethoven's Opus 131 is central to the  art and theme of the movie.  Walken informs his master class this fugue was Beethoven's favorite piece, perhaps because of his impending deafness and Schubert chose it on his deathbed.  Beethoven's Opus 131 was written for a quartet without any pause between movements.  Sadly, Walken is diagnosed with Parkinsons and realizes his ability to perform is ending.  Still, he mentors his students with wisdom & compassion. He tells them that playing is a continuous adjustment or you stop. He also shares what his idol, Pablo Casals, imparted to him:  "try not to get caught up in mistakes."  Zilberman has wrought disharmony wihtin the quartet.  Walken admonishes him "you don't understand the dynamics of being part of a group and therefore have learned nothing."  There is much to garner from this virtuosic film. ENCORE