[ FLIM ]
CHEVALIER
Fit as a fiddle: Joseph Bologne (Kelvin Harrison Jr, left) shows how it’s done.
★★★
OUT 9 JUNE / CERT TBC 107 MINS
DIRECTOR Stephen Williams
CAST Kelvin Harrison Jr., Samara Weaving, Lucy Boynton, Marton Csokas, Alex Fitzalan, Minnie Driver
PLOT The sort-of true story of the rise of Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges (Harrison Jr), a French-Caribbean violinist, composer and champion fencer. Roadblocks in his path are racism and a tenuous relationship with the French elite — guiding him down a revolutionary path.
“YOU ARE A TOURIST in their world,” Joseph Bologne (Kelvin Harrison Jr, giving one of his liveliest performances to date) is reminded by the Black people around him, surveying his attempts to assimilate into the white French aristocracy. Directed by Stephen Williams and written by Stefani Robinson, Chevalier is most exciting when we see the virtuoso musician upending that world — with no more entertaining and cathartic example than its stupendous opening. The spirited preamble relishes the opportunity to introduce us to a pivotal figure who has long been overlooked, with delightful and colourful dramatic embellishments — such as a preening, pompous Mozart (Joseph Prowen, speaking in posh Received Pronunciation) being upstaged by Saint-Georges in a violin battle. The camera sweeps around them — and sweeps the audience up in the future Chevalier’s confidence.