Rich Wright Stop me if you've heard this one before: Mozart, that legendary impresario, had an sibling who actually helped write a lot of his early work, and got precisely no credit for it... due to the sexist society at the time. She was also a brilliant violinist, but was forced to play the harpsichord by her father as the violin 'was no instrument for a lady.' Meanwhile, everyone mooned over her brother, the 'child prodigy', leaving her completely in the shade. In fact, a lot of what she could have achieved she didn't thanks to the patriarchal beliefs back in the 18th century, and by the sound of the epilogue she had a pretty miserable life after she gave up on all her hopes and dreams. Nice.How much of this has a basis in reality I don't know, but I suspect there's a fair bit of airbrushing of history here. What can't be denied though, is this is a well acted drama of family ties and unfulfilled potential, full of wonderful classical music and handsome costumes. This is strictly a placid affair... You're not going to see any fireworks going off, and some people may find it all a bit too stagy. But Nannerl is a captivating lead, and while her story might not be 100% accurate as depicted here, it's well worth investing the nearly two hours to discover it. And isn't that really what matters, at the end of the day? 6/10

kingdom-krud I didn't know what to expect with the movie Mozart's Sister, but I was surprised - it was very good - even watching it with subtitles. The movie gives a very believable and intimate picture of father Leopold Mozart's young family - with prodigies Wolfgang at age 11 and older sister Anna Maria (Nannerl) at 14 - and mainly involves their travels seeking musical glory. It has all the stuff you'd expect in a 1760's family including musical practice, family fun and playful laughter, adventures, and also Wolfgang and Nannerl's wish to compose. Good script, well paced and interesting plot, and a focus on Nannerl make this a winner. I might watch it again!My Rank: 8 / 10.

SeanMartinfield It seems very tempting, Mozart's Sister – the opportunity of another 18th century costume picture, this one from France – produced, written and directed by René Féret. For those who enjoy historical fiction, the film poses as yet one more chance to unlock the doors and peer into the family closets of composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. After all, it's been twenty-seven years since the spectacular emergence of director Milos Forman's Amadeus, which gathered eight Oscars, including Best Picture – as well as for the author of its screenplay, Peter Shaffer, adapting and shaping his multi-Tony Award-winning theatrical masterpiece into iconic cinematic genius. Since the 1984 premiere of Amadeus, business continues to boom in the Mozart industry; a chance at playing either of the Leading Roles of the so-called "rivals" – Mozart and (the nearly forgotten and second-rate) composer Antonio Salieri – continue to inflame the ambitions of many a stage actor; and a recent release of the film into Blu-Ray format proves that Amadeus is here to stay and guaranteed a re-incarnation into whatever format is on the horizon. Mozart's Sister is destined for landfill.Amadeus and Mozart's Sister are both of the "re-imagined" variety. In other words, for its authors, Truth is but an adjunct to Creative License. Re-imagining the adventures of the Mozart family begins somewhere in a flurry of sheet music, ribbon-bound letters, yellowing diaries, and stories heard around any Music Conservatory. Somewhere in this reverie, René Féret and Peter Shaffer both employ the same controlling gimmick — "I coulda been somebody!" For Shaffer, Salieri knows his musical gifts are lacking, but the Viennese Court doesn't know it until Mozart suddenly shows up. According to Féret, Mozart's sister Nannerl believes that – had she been born as Wolfgang's brother – they might have become the first European Dynamic Duo. No need for Certitude here. "Re-imagined" needs just a few facts and figures, but the finished product requires the entertainment value of Barnum & Bailey. Mozart's Sister wouldn't qualify for a side show.René Féret's shooting script of Mozart's Sister cannot avoid comparison to Amadeus. Peter Shaffer nurtured his idea through the disciplines of live Theatre. The structure and rhythm of his re-imagined Amadeus is developed through much rehearsal and three continuous years on Broadway before he re-vamps the script for Hollywood. By contrast, Féret's end product is a plodding, witless and gloomy bore. His treatment of the premise that Nannerl Mozart is a suppressed and thwarted genius composer with Box Office appeal similar to that of her brother's – is limp and void of artistic climax. Likewise, there's no satisfaction to be had in the tedious and anemic performances rendered by Féret's daughters – Marie as "Nannerl" and Lisa as "Louise of France".Salieri, on the other hand, would applaud Mozart's Sister for its inherent mediocrity.

hawktwo I saw this at the FilmFest DC in April 2011.The story was complex on so many levels: the wonderful family relationship of the Mozarts as they travelled around Europe. The strong feminine influences; the strictures of society that allow the older sister's intellect to waste away; the daughters of the king who were locked away in isolation.The costumes were authentic without being overly lush.The relationship between the young Wolfgang and his older sister was quite touching.The growth of the lead actress from barely a teen to a woman accepting her fate was written (all within a year or so) and acted very well.There was an interesting subplot with the king's daughter that showed the two girls/women accepting the same fate albeit at different levels of society.