The Musicians (original тιтle Les musiciens) is a thoughtful diatribe on great artistic minds, but it doesn’t entirely connect with us laypeople watching from the real world. In this French picture, patron of the arts Astrid Carlson (Valérie Donzelli) manages to track down all four instruments of a historic quartet and persuades her family’s company to spend millions on them.

All this is to see through her late father’s dream of recording the quartet playing together, in perfect conditions, and with some of the most talented musicians in the world. But when Astrid recruits these musicians, along with the composer of the selected piece, everyone’s pride gets in the way, and the narrative questions what it takes to produce truly great music.

The Musicians Has A Poised Filmmaking Style That Perfectly Matches Its Content

The Musicians kicks off with a sH๏τ from the inside of an instrument that I was instantly obsessed with. This movie has several memorable, fascinating sH๏τs like this that delicately capture the characters and the instruments with the precision of an orchestral performance. The professionals’ reverence for them nearly makes the Stradivarius instruments characters in their own right.

That opening image is also accompanied by music that reminds me of a whodunit; classical music throughout builds intrigue for even the relatively low stakes of this story. Swiftly, the plot moves to the elegant rural home where rehearsals are taking place, a quiet setting that is naturally filled by music. Overall, the pensive atmosphere prompts deep thought about what it all represents.

The Musicians Paints A Picture Of Various Egos, Though It’s Not Enough

However, The Musicians is ultimately a movie about egos. The recently compiled quartet is made up of veteran musical legends George (Mathieu Spinosi), Peter (Daniel Garlitsky), and Lise (Marie Vialle), and modern newcomer Apolline (Emma Ravier). Peter and Lise have a painful history. The others look down on Apolline for her less traditional success, and George is just full of himself.

Charlie Beaumont (Frédéric Pierrot), meanwhile, makes things harder on everyone by critiquing the staging, the choice of musicians, and the piece he composed decades ago — all in the name of art, of course. Even Astrid’s naïveté comes across as she racks up additional costs, making her father’s dream come to life exactly how he imagined it.

Through interesting, organic dialogue, The Musicians incorporates many different ideas and conflicts within this artistic milieu. Especially well presented are matters of publicity, with Charlie questioning why these musicians were chosen, and the skepticism of Apolline’s social media following. The acting is a group accomplishment in portraying the subtle tensions, as well as the few moments where they all miraculously harmonize.

Some pairings are also effective, with a couple of tender moments between Peter and Lise, and George and Apolline sweetly bonding as he comes to appreciate her way of doing things. George’s ultimate ᴀssessment of Apolline’s music is that it is very joyous, though this doesn’t entirely come across. And this is illustrative of how The Musicians falls flat with the payoff.

You might have guessed that all this drama and strife is building up to a finale in which history, talent, and genuine artistic collaboration come together for a breathtaking musical performance. And while it is a gorgeously sH๏τ and edited sequence, the average viewer has no way to really judge the quality of this composition or performance.

Likewise, we can’t perceive this supposed youth and heart in Apolline — she comes across as a perfectly nice and evidently talented young woman, but we don’t know that she can do anything earth-shattering. The elite setting and atmosphere reinforce the status of these people’s careers, making it hard to ground the story in a message about the universal value of art.

I’d be interested to hear what someone who is an expert in classical music makes of The Musicians, but my favorite scene is, of course, when the musicians all casually improvise together during downtime. Overall, this narrative is full of lofty clashes and beautiful music, but it’s a bit lacking in emotional connection.

The Musicians is now playing in theaters.