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The first thing you notice is the walk: part strut, part bounce, and all confidence. As Joseph Bologne, the Chevalier de Saint-Georges, Kelvin Harrison Jr. radiates the kind of unshakable self-possession that comes with the knowledge of being brilliant, gifted, and adored.

But this is 18 th Century France, and Bologne is of mixed race. And even having Queen Marie Antoinette herself on his side won’t protect him from the racism and classism of Paris society.

How Bologne comes to that realization and navigates the highs and lows of both his identity and the world around him comprises the spine of “ Chevalier .” It’s a necessary true story that will surely enlighten many viewers. Joseph Bologne was a champion fencer, virtuoso violinist, and accomplished composer and conductor. (When we first see him, he jumps on stage to challenge Mozart to a violin-off, which surely didn’t happen in real life but is hugely entertaining.)

Bologne’s talent and charisma helped him ascend to the loftiest echelons of the royal court. But his background as the son of a plantation owner and a slave meant that he could never truly belong. Over the past 200-plus years, Bologne’s life story and impressive body of work have been buried and lost to time; “Chevalier” remedies that.

Harrison has a consistently thrilling presence as the film’s cocky but conflicted central figure, and the production values are lushly appealing. But the movie about this inspiring individual doesn’t achieve his heights of daring or innovation. Director Stephen Williams , a longtime television veteran, and screenwriter Stefani Robinson (“Atlanta,” “ What We Do in the Shadows ”) have crafted a solid and handsome portrait that’s also frustratingly conventional in its structure and tone.

“You must be excellent,” Joseph’s father ( Jim High ) informs him before unceremoniously dumping him as a child at a fancy French school from his home on the Caribbean colony of Guadeloupe. Working with cinematographer Jess Hall , Williams indicates the loneliness and isolation Joseph will go on to experience during his lifetime through empty hallways filled with unforgiving light.

The fact that he’s handsome, charming, and a wondrous musical prodigy eventually makes him appealing to the rich and powerful, including his bestie, Marie Antoinette (a sharp and playful Lucy Boynton ), who bestows him with his title. These traits also draw the attention of the extremely married—and extremely white—opera singer Marie-Josephine. Samara Weaving gives an engaging performance as a quick-witted smart-ass who dares to think for herself—but only for so long. She’s still forced to be subordinate to her older, humorless husband ( Marton Csokas ), a general who doesn’t see the point in artistic pursuits.

But just as the chevalier strives toward the most prestigious gig in France—conductor of the Paris Opera—his newly freed mother arrives to remind him of where he came from and who he truly is. Ronke Adekoluejo brings a necessary grounding to these frothy proceedings, as well as wisdom and warmth. As Joseph sets aside his powdered wig and allows his mother to cornrow his hair, it’s clear that he’ll reclaim the cultural heritage he’s long tried to suppress to be accepted. But we need to see him undergo that transformation, and Harrison provides authenticity every step of the way. And while Harrison and Weaving have a sparky chemistry with each other, which Williams sometimes depicts through swoony, fluid montages, we know this romance can’t withstand these times.

There’s so much going here that’s emotionally resonant and delightful to look at—the work of costume designer Oliver Garcia , production designer Karen Murphy and their teams—that trying to expand out and include the upheaval in the streets feels like a wedged-in subplot. ( Kris Bowers ’ sweeping score does work wonders, though, to create a feeling of atmosphere.) The French Revolution is beginning, and while historical context is certainly important in telling this story, it’s underdeveloped and not nearly as compelling as the chevalier’s personal journey. Still, Harrison’s powerful performance and the chance to learn about this extraordinary artist make “Chevalier” more than worthwhile.

In theaters today.

Christy Lemire

Christy Lemire is a longtime film critic who has written for RogerEbert.com since 2013. Before that, she was the film critic for The Associated Press for nearly 15 years and co-hosted the public television series "Ebert Presents At the Movies" opposite Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, with Roger Ebert serving as managing editor. Read her answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire here .

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Film Credits

Chevalier (2023)

Rated PG-13 for thematic content, some strong language, suggestive material and violence.

107 minutes

Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Chevalier

Samara Weaving as Marie-Josephine

Lucy Boynton as Marie Antoinette

Alex Fitzalan as Philippe

Minnie Driver as La Guimard

Sian Clifford as Madame de Genlis

Marton Csokas as Montalembert

Alec Newman as Poncet

Ronkẹ Adékoluẹjo as Nanon

Stephen Williams
Stefani Robinson

Cinematographer

John Axelrad
Kris Bowers

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‘chevalier’ review: kelvin harrison jr. blossoms in sumptuous but shaky biopic of a classical violinist.

The 'Waves' alum and Samara Weaving star in Stephen Williams' ambitious portrayal of Chevalier de Saint-Georges.

By Lovia Gyarkye

Lovia Gyarkye

Arts & Culture Critic

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Chevalier Still - TIFF - Publicity - H 2022

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Chevalier Reviews

...a fairly generic biopic that never quite becomes as compelling or spellbinding as its subject matter might’ve indicated...

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Dec 30, 2023

It is more accomplished than Bernard Rose’s Immortal Beloved (1994), but at the same time no one should expect anything approaching Miloš Forman’s Amadeus (1984).

Full Review | Original Score: 6/10 | Oct 5, 2023

Although there is currently a huge effort underway to unearth, perform and record Bologne’s music, it would take all the forces of militant wokeness to put him on the same plane as Gluck.

Full Review | Sep 17, 2023

Chevalier spends a great deal of time showing the composer’s struggle with dual identities, leaving the final act rushed and barely shows him reconnecting with his roots.

Full Review | Sep 8, 2023

It's based on a true story of a man who, sadly, has been forgotten by history. Kelvin Harrison, Jr's charisma really comes through and you can understand why Joseph Bologne took over, for a time, French society.

Full Review | Original Score: 8/10 | Sep 8, 2023

I really wanted to love this ... but it's just really pat ... Lucy Boynton is cataclysmic as Marie Antonette... a middling biopic.

Full Review | Sep 6, 2023

What stands to be Bologne’s tragic flaw for most of the film is the belief that his accomplishments, accolades, and celebrity-like status in society are enough to overpower the systemic racism that surrounds him.

Full Review | Aug 30, 2023

Chevalier is filled with rich performances and anchored by an enthralling performance by Calvin Harrison Jr. Building upon his breakout performance in Waves, Harrison Jr. delivers his best work yet with undeniable charisma.

Full Review | Aug 29, 2023

Despite some really powerful moments, the slow pacing really hurt the impact of this film especially since it still a lot of gaps in Chevalier's story that we didn't learn about.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Aug 25, 2023

Kelvin Harrison Jr.'s performance and the costume design help this movie rise above the traditional biopic. However it's story isn't as focused as I would have liked...

Jamaican-Canadian director Stephen Williams uses dynamic camerawork, seamlessly edited transitions and time-lapse scenes to navigate high-life socializing (opulent costume and set designs galore) and explore gray, squalid streets.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Aug 16, 2023

This was a compelling period of French history and the narrative composed for the film makes the most of the volatile backdrop.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Aug 14, 2023

In all fairness the filmmakers crammed as much as they could into 107 minutes of screen time, but there was so much more to tell. A couple of epilogue title cards attempt to wrap everything up, yet their mere inclusion only invites more questions.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Aug 12, 2023

While it's the tale, reclamation and portrayals that shine brightest — even if detailing significant parts of Bologne's later story in the text-on-screen post-script is a curious move — reaching ample high notes comes easily.

Full Review | Aug 9, 2023

A solid historical drama with fine performances throughout...The film’s overriding purpose is to shed light on an important figure who was deemed by Napoleon as being unworthy of a legacy due to the colour of his skin. On that score the film does its job.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Aug 4, 2023

Both Robinson and Williams share a particular interest in this unfairly neglected episode in black history, but they never allow polemics to overwhelm the narrative.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Aug 3, 2023

While the movie as a whole sometimes lacks a clear perspective on its lead character, the fact this is a largely unknown story that thoroughly deserves to be told carries this production a long way.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Aug 3, 2023

Even if it does skew a little towards TV miniseries broadness, Chevalier is rousing in all the right places, and at the very least serves as a welcome introduction to a forgotten musical legend.

Full Review | Aug 2, 2023

Chevalier is actually a bit of a romp, with duels, concerts and all the dash and derring-do we hope for from our historical epics.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Aug 2, 2023

While some of Chevalier’s filmmaking choices seem to misjudge what makes its subject so interesting, the key facts of his life... still get enough exposure here to make it an enlightening watch.

Full Review | Original Score: 62/100 | Jul 26, 2023

‘Chevalier’ Review: Kelvin Harrison Jr.’s Fiery Take on a Forgotten French Maestro Ought to Set the Record Straight

Lest you think the film is fiddling with history, rest assured that the Chevalier de Saint-Georges was every bit as impressive as the eye-opening feature debut from 'Watchmen' director Stephen Williams suggests.

By Peter Debruge

Peter Debruge

Chief Film Critic

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Though his life and accomplishments were largely erased under Napoleon, the extraordinary figure at the center of Stephen Williams ’ “ Chevalier ” really did exist. Born on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, the son of a white plantation owner and his Black slave, Joseph Bologne went on to excel in spheres rarely accessible to people of color in 18th-century French society. Here was a champion swordsman and celebrated musician invited to play his violin at Versailles, where Marie Antoinette reportedly accompanied him on the harpsichord.

So why has it taken so long for his story to be told?

It’s an imaginative bit of one-upmanship with which to begin, as “Chevalier” puts Mozart in the Salieri position to make its point (in real life, Bologne was more than a decade older than the Austrian composer, though the two would have surely been aware of one another’s talents). Perhaps the most remarkable thing about “Chevalier” is how many of Bologne’s actual feats it leaves out (including his impressive military record). And perhaps the most frustrating is that the film takes enough creative liberties along the way that audiences can never be sure how much of what they’re seeing is true.

Williams turns the fact his work was suppressed into a strength, freeing the film to modernize both Bologne’s own music and the original neoclassical score that surrounds him. To that end, the director engaged two composers: Kris Bowers (“Green Book”), who gives the film its contemporary musical signature, and Michael Abels (“Get Out”), who updated and expanded what survives of Bologne’s oeuvre, including the Violin Concerto No. 9, which the character defiantly performs in the film’s dramatic climax.

“Chevalier” focuses primarily on an earlier chapter in Bologne’s career, when the Creole multitalent — a musical virtuoso adept at fencing and riding and poetry, raised and educated as a free man — sought the open position as head of the Paris Opera. In real life, Bologne’s ambitions were thwarted when three leading ladies of the opera signed a petition refusing to answer to someone of mixed ancestry. “Chevalier” combines that devastating setback with several other important details from his biography, the most compelling of which were his dangerous liaisons with one Marie-Josephine ( Samara Weaving ), married to the powerful Marquis de Montalembert (Marton Csokas).

In the film, Marie Antoinette (played as frivolous and fickle by Lucy Boynton) sanctions a contest whereby Bologne and his rival Christoph Gluck (Henry Lloyd-Hughes) for the Paris Opera post must each compose an original opera in order to determine who gets the job. Bologne goes to work writing “Ernestine,” enlisting the supportive Madame de Genlis (Sian Clifford) as sponsor, while insisting on Marie-Josephine as his muse and star — a risky move for myriad reasons. Doing so makes an enemy of opera diva La Guimard (Minnie Driver). “They are all extremely jealous of your very large … talent,” she flirts from beneath her mile-high wig, changing her tune after he rejects her none-too-subtle proposition.

Between the cartoonish way that white characters telegraph their bigotry and Harrison’s sly implication that Bologne isn’t trying to “pass” so much as parody the French elite, the movie veers precariously close to camp at times. Like the drag balls in “Paris Is Burning,” each courtly bow and effete hand flourish could be read as a kind of mockery, until such point that Bologne catches his own mother (Ronkẹ Adékoluẹjo) laughing at the way he carries himself. “You look like a white boy,” she teases, amplifying an identity crisis already well underway.

It’s a powerful scene, bolstered by Bologne’s own music. But do audiences care enough about the internal politics of French opera to turn out for this film, or would “Chevalier” have done better to focus on another chapter of the man’s incredible but true life story?

Reviewed at ABC-2 Theater, Burbank, Calif., March 1, 2023. In Toronto, Palm Springs film festivals. MPA Rating: PG-13. Running time: 107 MIN.

Production: A Searchlight Pictures presentation, in association with TSG Entertainment of an Element Pictures production. Producers: Ed Guiney, Andrew Lowe, Stefani Robinson, Dianne McGunigle. Co-producers: Emily Morgan, AJ Riach.
Crew: Director: Stephen Williams. Screenplay: Stefani Robinson. Camera: Jess Hall. Editor: John Axelrad. Music: Kris Bowers.
With: Kelvin Harrison Jr., Samara Weaving, Lucy Boynton, Ronkẹ Adékoluẹjo, Marton Csokas, Alex Fitzalan, Minnie Driver, Sian Clifford, Henry Lloyd-Hughes, Joseph Prowen.

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Screen Rant

Chevalier review: kelvin harrison jr. is magnetic in strong, memorable biopic [tiff].

Chevalier is magnetic, a historical fiction that elevates itself beyond the conventional biopic to deliver a memorable drama about its subject's life.

Kelvin Harrison Jr. has been great for years, but in Chevalier , from director Stephen Williams and writer Stefani Robinson, the actor is especially excellent. As the titular character, Harrison gets to flex his acting muscles in new and exciting ways, and the payoff, in a film that is a standout, is thrilling. Chevalier, about the violinist and composer Joseph Bologne, is magnetic, a historical fiction that elevates itself beyond the conventional biopic to deliver a memorable drama about its subject's life.

The film's opening scene is one of the best in recent memory. Joseph Bologne ( Kelvin Harrison Jr. ), the illegitimate son of a French plantation owner (Jim High) in Guadalupe and the enslaved Nanon (Ronke Adekoluejo), upstages Mozart at his own concert, playing the violin so well that he receives uproarious applause. Chevalier then takes audiences back to Joseph's early days when, at the age of seven, he's dropped off at a French academy by his father, who believed his violin talents were so astounding they shouldn't be wasted. Joseph's early life is rough, and he struggles to be accepted by his white classmates because of their obvious racism, which breeds disdain. As he gets older, Joseph gains a friend in Philippe (Alex Fitzalan) and an audience with King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette (Lucy Boynton), who dubs him the Chevalier de Saint-Georges. He ultimately befriends Marie Antoinette and, when he’s up for a position to head the Paris opera, Joseph unites with Madame de Genlis (Sian Clifford) and singer Marie-Josephine (Samara Weaving), with whom he begins an affair, to produce an opera that will prove he’s the right man for the job. Of course, Joseph must navigate the racist spaces that might keep him from such a position, all amidst the rise of the French Revolution.

Related: 10 Best Historical Fiction Movies On Netflix, Ranked By IMDb

Chevalier is effective in its execution, building the growing tension between Joseph and those who purport themselves as allies while showcasing his brilliance as a composer and violinist. The love story between Joseph and Marie-Josephine is central to Chevalier’s story, especially as it reveals the composer’s blind spots in high society. Throughout the film, Joseph, who has worked extra hard to keep his place among the nobility of France, must learn who to trust and, when his mother returns, must figure out where he truly stands in terms of his identity. It’s a story that offers a window to the past, but is still as relevant and resonant today. Though there are many aspects of Bologne’s life that are lost to history, Williams and Robinson make the most of what is known and fill in the blanks of what is not with a few dramatic embellishments, including Bologne’s fallout with Marie Antoinette.

There is an electric energy that flows through Chevalier . From the phenomenal costume designs by Oliver Garcia to the moving and tantalizing musical score by Kris Bowers, the film begins and ends with a crackling vitality that doesn’t let up. There is interpersonal conflict, an inner search for identity in an ever-changing political landscape, revolution, a dramatic stand-off, romance, and so much more. Chevalier may not always bring enough attention to everything it tries to tackle storywise, but the directing and screenplay surely bring everything together in the film's finale. The end result is equal parts captivating, moving, and poignant. If there's any future film made about the Chevalier de Saint-Georges, it will have to contend with the greatness of Williams and Robinson's interpretation.

Kelvin Harrison Jr. is a marvel in a role that solidifies him as a leading man. The actor must balance every aspect of Joseph’s life and the company he keeps in each setting, which affects his behavior. Harrison does a tremendous job showcasing the musician’s interiority, revealing his ego, pain, and joy at every turn. The emotion is in Harrison’s face and eyes, his body language, and the inflection of his voice. He puts in a stunning turn and his nuanced, evocative performance makes Chevalier’s final scene all the more powerful. Lucy Boynton as Marie Antoinette also shines. There have been so many who have portrayed France's doomed queen, but Boynton offers a new take, one that hinges on convenient allyship, power, and a mean spirit that lurks around the edges. Samara Weaving, Minnie Driver, and Ronke Adekoluejo are fantastic as well in their supporting roles. Though Adekoluejo doesn't have as many scenes, her magnetic presence and expressive eyes add depth to her character.

From the costumes to the cinematography, music, direction and script, Chevalier shines like a bright spotlight that finally gives Joseph Bologne his due. The dramatization of his life works on almost every level and the story has a lot of heart and soul. The love story between Joseph and Marie-Josephine deepens the composer's own understanding of his status and the hardship he faces. With a stunning turn by Harrison, Chevalier is the kind of dramatic biopic worth watching.

Chevalier premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 11. The film is 107 minutes long and is rated PG-13 for thematic content, some strong language, suggestive material and violence.

‘Chevalier’ Review: Kelvin Harrison Jr. Triumphs in the Lush Joseph Bologne Biopic

'Chevalier' is the perfect marriage of fact and fiction, bringing to life a story of a figure history tried to forget.

Every year, Hollywood turns its gaze upon a new well-known figure to transform into the next high-profile, glossy biopic. These films, such as Elvis , Bohemian Rhapsody , and Rocketman , often aim to entertain audiences, rather than attempt to uplift relatively unknown stories. As thrilling as it may be to see the lives of iconic figures set to the aesthetic stylings of Baz Luhrmann , there’s something to be said about harnessing the truths of history’s forgotten figures and transforming them into timeless tales.

Stefani Robinson ’s tight script does just that by expertly marrying the facts of Joseph Bologne ’s remarkable life with fictitious inspiration that transforms Chevalier into a story that fully captures the audiences’ interests. The story works in perfect concert with Stephen Williams ’ direction, which capitalizes on the grandeur and extravagance of the Rococo era, all the while playing to the delicacies of Bologne’s existence. After all, he was a man of dueling identities—one which was praised and revered for his musical talents, and the other loathed for merely existing in a space that othered him.

Joseph Bologne was a man that history desperately sought to expunge from its records, nearly robbing a man of a legacy that could have—and should have—rivaled musical greats like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart . It’s this imagined rivalry that serves as the opening for the film, as Bologne ( Kelvin Harrison Jr. ) challenges Mozart ( Joseph Prowen ) to a duel (with violins, not guns) before an audience of bemused onlookers. This scene sets the stage for the thesis of the film by showcasing Bologne’s talents and forcing the audience to consider why they have never heard of him before now. He had fame and notoriety as the Chevalier de Saint-Georges, but neither could protect him from the fact that he was a Black man living in a white man’s world.

RELATED: 'Chevalier': Release Date, Cast, Trailer, and Everything We Know So Far

Throughout Chevalier , Bologne is shown as a man who is striving to push beyond the constraints of his existence. Gaining the favor of Marie-Antoinette ( Lucy Boynton ) and earning the title of Chevalier de Saint-Georges is not enough for him. His aspirations are larger than life as he seeks to break through barriers that restrict him. However, like Icarus, flying too close to the sun, Bologne’s ambitions—in many areas of his life—are also his downfall. With the societal capital he possesses as a mostly respected member of Marie-Antoinette’s court, Bologne begins to pursue his next goal of becoming the leader of the Paris Opera. To achieve this, he mounts the composition of an opera, which he hopes will propel his career upwards. It’s this opera that draws the beautiful and vocally talented Marquise Marie-Josephine ( Samara Weaving ) into his world, setting it aflame with passion and, ultimately, scandal.

Despite her husband, the Marquis de Montalembert’s ( Marton Csokas ), clear demands that he does not want a wife on the stage, Bologne and Marie-Josephine throw caution to the wind on several fronts. While this tragic romance may seem like the stuff of fictitious romanticization, gossip writers of the era speculated that Bologne and the Marquise did in fact have an affair that resulted in a son— whom he lost. The aforementioned references to Luhrmann’s cinematic flare are not without reason, as Chevalier appears to borrow from one of his more iconic works— Moulin Rouge ! —when the Marquis storms into Bologne’s performance with a gun drawn, ready to make him pay for his wife’s affair. It is always exciting to see how visual cues from other works can be woven into new films, thus strengthening the language shared by cinema as a whole.

While the romance between Marie-Josephine and Joseph is one of the most plot-propelling aspects of Chevalier , it is also one of its few weaknesses. Harrison Jr. has surely cemented himself as the perfect, musically talented, and delightfully charming romantic lead—with both this film and Cyrano on his resume—but his chemistry with Weaving is not allowed enough time to fully blossom here. Instead, the film opts to rush through the first blush of romance, straight into the bedroom, simply to benefit the film’s length. With the downfall of this romance such a key point in the final act, it feels like a disservice to relegate their connection to the edges of the plot. Though, perhaps this was an intentional jab at the way history has similarly pushed Bologne to the footnotes.

Rather than approaching Bologne’s story in the typical biopic styling (from cradle to grave), Robinson’s script allows for brief backward glances at his adolescence, while remaining squarely rooted in the Rocco-era present. With the backdrop of the looming French Revolution always just at the periphery—thanks to his radicalized friend Philippe ( Alex Fitzalan )—the film’s conclusion arrives at the doorstep of vive la révolution , leaving audiences to satisfy their own curiosity about Bologne’s future. It’s a clever tactic that inspires further interest, keeping the focus on a story purposefully left untold by history.

With Oliver Garcia ’s exquisite costumes and Karen Murphy ’s production design, both brought alive to their full potential by Jess Hall ’s stunning cinematography, Chevalier is not just a compelling story, it’s a visually compelling one too. Chevalier will linger with its audience, hopefully long enough to bring Bologne’s contributions to music back into academic conversations.

Chevalier is in theaters starting April 21.

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By Valerie Complex

Valerie Complex

Associate Editor/Film Writer

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The production design by Karen Murphy and costumes by Oliver Garcia are mind-blowingly resplendent. No detail is left spared to transport the audience back to the height of song, music and revolution. The way Williams’ camera maneuvers around Joseph while playing the violin is exquisite. Even the hair and makeup are tight. There are no loose strands, nothing is out of place, and production took the effort to find someone to do Harrison’s hair, which is often lacking on film sets with Black leads. Robinson’s script is sometimes a little too on the nose, but she doesn’t make him a sympathetic character, which is refreshing.

The acting is in top form, but the standouts are Harrison and Boynton. Harrison is a revelation and gets better with every performance. He chooses his projects with such care and consideration — he’s navigating Hollywood on his terms. Boynton shapes her version of Marie Antionette as the perfect Karen, very much self-absorbed and anti-allyship. It’s her best work to date.

Chevalier is a lesson in what happens when we get in our own way. Joseph did whatever he wanted to do and paid the price. He gets dropped by every white person he coveted and this crushes his ego. The virtuoso was told to strive for perfection (whiteness), and the door is slammed in his face when he does. That is white supremacy in a nutshell. However, out of the struggle, he gains autonomy and dignity and uses his music not to entertain white people but as a form of rebellion.

Title: Chevalier Studio: Searchlight Pictures Release date: April 21, 2023 Director: Stephen Williams Screenwriter: Stefani Robinson Cast: Kelvin Harrison Jr., Lucy Boynton, Samara Weaving, Minnie Driver, Sian Clifford, Alex Fitzalan, Ronkẹ Adékoluẹjo Rating: PG-13 Running time: 1 hr 47 min

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Chevalier review – neglected 18th-century Black virtuoso finally gets his due

Kelvin Harrison Jr plays the Caribbean-born maestro, once declared ‘the most accomplished man in Europe’, who takes on Mozart in a duel-by-violin

P eriod drama’s narrow focus on telling and re-telling the same stories has, historically at least, deprived audiences of some rip-roaring screen fare. That’s now changing, as evidenced by this film about 18th-century Parisian polymath Joseph Bologne AKA Chevalier de Saint-Georges. As played by Kelvin Harrison Jr, this fascinating fellow escaped a Caribbean slave plantation – his mother was a Senegalese-African woman; his father her enslaver – to reach the highest echelons of French society. There he excelled as a champion fencer, composer and virtuoso violinist, described by US founding father John Adams as “the most accomplished man in Europe”.

Screenwriter Stefani Robinson and director Stephen Williams have now brought his story to the screen, beginning with an impressive scene in which Bologne upstages Mozart at his own concert by challenging him to a musical duel: F Murray Abraham’s Salieri would have loved to see it! Their weapon is the violin, but the most essential element in Bologne’s armoury – and perhaps that of any Black artist – is his unassailable self-confidence. That genuine talent is the basis for this, and it is also persuasively demonstrated in the on-camera arrangements by Michael Abels, which incorporate Bologne’s own concertos with some interesting speculation on the musical influence of his Afro-Caribbean heritage.

Chevalier isn’t the only period drama to centre a person of colour, but while the likes of Bridgerton or the Dev Patel-starring David Copperfield enliven otherwise familiar material with audacious casting choices, this represents a more fundamental, story-level shift. Like Amma Asante’s Belle from 2013 , Chevalier retrieves an extraordinary Black life from historical obscurity and deems it biopic-worthy.

That means acknowledging the harsh reality of racism, for sure, but not necessarily forgoing the genre’s frothier, escapist pleasures. As Bologne flits from party to party, supping champagne and seducing married women, we enjoy elements of a Dangerous Liaisons-style courtly intrigue, alongside a backstage musical (complete with audition montages), and a historical primer on the French Revolution. And while Harrison’s performance may never fully reveal the nature of the man beneath these sumptuous layers of organza, silk and self-confidence, it’s enchanté Chevalier , all the same.

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Based on factual story of composer Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, the illegitimate son of an African enslaved and a French plantation owner, who rises to heights in French socie... Read all Based on factual story of composer Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, the illegitimate son of an African enslaved and a French plantation owner, who rises to heights in French society as a composer before an ill-fated love affair. Based on factual story of composer Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, the illegitimate son of an African enslaved and a French plantation owner, who rises to heights in French society as a composer before an ill-fated love affair.

Stephen Williams
Stefani Robinson
Kelvin Harrison Jr.
Samara Weaving
Lucy Boynton
59 User reviews
83 Critic reviews
67 Metascore
1 win & 7 nominations

Marie-Josephine

Marie Antoinette

Marquis De Montalembert

Madame De Genlis

Christoph Gluck

George Bologne
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'Chevalier' Reveals Its "Watchmen" Connections

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Trivia Kelvin Harrison Jr. practiced the violin 7 days a week, 6 hours a day for 5 months in preparation for this role.
Goofs In the rehearsal scene for his opera. Joseph Bologne is shown playing a forte piano rather than the more tinny sounding piano of his era. The forte piano was not introduced until the 19th Century.

Mozart : [about Joseph] Who the fuck is that?

Connections Referenced in OWV Updates: The Seventh OWV Awards - Last Update of 2022 (2022)

User reviews 59

Jun 7, 2023
How long is Chevalier? Powered by Alexa
April 6, 2023 (Australia)
United States
Chevalier de Saint-Georges
Czech Republic
Element Pictures
Searchlight Pictures
Stillking Films
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Apr 23, 2023

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Runtime 1 hour 48 minutes
Dolby Digital

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Biography/History , Drama

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In Theaters

April 21, 2023
Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Joseph; Samara Weaving as Marie-Josephine; Lucy Boynton as Marie Antoinette; Ronke Adekoluejo as Nanon; Marton Csokas as Marquis de Montalembert; Alex Fitzalan as Philippe; Minnie Driver as La Guimard; Sian Clifford as Madame De Genlis; Henry Lloyd-Hughes as Christoph Gluck; Jim High as George Bologne

Home Release Date

June 16, 2023
Stephen Williams

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Searchlight Pictures

Movie Review

Excellence , Joseph’s father told him. Excellence would be his shield. And young Joseph Bologne needed one.

France in the 18 th century was hardly a bastion of enlightened thinking, after all. It was a land of corsets and powdered wigs, where your lot in life was often dependent on to whom you were born.

And Joseph’s own lineage is … complicated.

His plantation-owning father could certainly move in France’s higher social circles, even if his plantation was located in faraway Guadeloupe. But Joseph’s mother was a slave—technically, his father’s property. In France, where men and women powder their faces to a snowy white, Joseph’s dark skin stood out.

“You must be excellent,” Georges Bologne told his son, “not give anyone a reason to tear you down.”

And so Joseph was. He made a name as a champion fencer, and his skill with a rapier earned him the title Chevalier , or knight —from Queen Marie Antoinette herself, no less. He was known as a poet, a dancer, a composer. But put a violin in his hand, and Joseph’s excellence shone beyond measure. He became a celebrity in aristocratic France, attending the most exclusive parties, dancing at the most exquisite balls. He’s a favorite of the queen and a star in all the right circles.

But even excellence isn’t enough to open every door.

Even as much of Paris’ glitterati pays homage to this talented man, others resent him, even considering him an enemy of true (read: white) Frenchmen everywhere. His mother—freed after Georges died and reunited with Joseph after decades of separation—reminds him of his past. And she stirs something new, or perhaps something old and buried, inside him.

Joseph is a man from two worlds, but he belongs to neither. He longs for true acceptance in the society he paradoxically dominates. And to earn that acceptance, the gifted musician will need to stand out to leave no doubt about his talents: He wants to lead the famed Paris Opera.

But to do that, he’ll need to win a contest and create an opera that will wow the judges. And to create such an opera, he’ll need someone to star in it—the lovely, talented and married Marie-Josephine.

Yes, Joseph excels at a great many things. But it’s not enough for Joseph to be a celebrity. He truly wants to be a part of this world. And he hopes that his excellence will unlock these final doors.

Positive Elements

Chevalier is based on the real, and remarkable, Joseph Bologne, who’d come to be known as the Chevalier de Saint-Georges. He’s a man of many talents, but perhaps we should more appropriately applaud his courage . It can’t be easy to navigate a world in which you look so different from everyone else, a world filled with both overt and covert prejudice. But he does so, pushing not just to make a place for himself, but to, in his own way, show that world how shortsighted and wrong-headed those prejudices are.

But as history (and the movie) pushes forward, the ideals that will eventually mold the French Revolution— liberté , égalité , fraternité —become more potent in society, and more attractive to Joseph. While he tries to make his way in this aristocratic society, the prejudice that he and others experience, as well as the needs he sees in the streets of Paris, slowly galvanize him to take a greater part in changing that society. The French Revolution certainly had its problems, of course. But those core values of liberty, equality and fraternity are still virtues that we can applaud.

Spiritual Elements

Queen Marie Antoinette downplays any possibility of revolution. “You cannot topple that which has been ordained by God,” she says. Marie Antoinette and Joseph mock an opera director from the Queen’s box. She suggests that he looks dead, and Joseph suggests sprinkling the guy with holy water to send him back from whence he came.

Marie-Josephine—Joseph’s would be opera star—prays fervently in a church, adorned (obviously) with religious statues, paintings and stained glass.

Women are referred to as the “daughters of goddesses.”

Sexual Content

Joseph was quite the ladies’ man as his star rose in Paris. We see him in bed with two women following a concert (one of whom covers her apparently bare chest with bedding), while other women have apparently passed out or fallen asleep on various bits of furniture. (Most seem to be wearing just their era-appropriate skivvies, which are relatively modest by today’s standards.) Someone later jokes with Joseph about “bedding” his admirers night after night.

But Joseph has his eyes on Marie-Josephine, who’s married to the powerful Marquis de Montalembert. When Joseph seeks permission from him for Marie-Josephine to star in his opera, the marquis suspects Joseph of wanting more from his wife. And while de Montalembert is the film’s prime villain, he’s nevertheless correct in his suspicions. After the marquis leaves Paris, Marie-Josephine agrees to be in the opera (against her husband’s wishes), and soon she and Joseph embark on a long-term love affair.

We see them kiss frequently and in bed occasionally. Their acts are committed to film, and while we don’t see anything critical, the scenes are both intimate and erotic (albeit in a PG-13 manner). Sometimes the two lounge in bed, their privates covered by the bedcovers. They talk about running off together repeatedly. De Montalembert, upon his return, suspects the two might’ve had a relationship—and those suspicions are later confirmed by irrefutable evidence.

Another powerful woman of the opera, La Guimard, tries to seduce Joseph, telling him euphemistically that perhaps they could join their “talents” in private and uttering one or two double entendres.

Joseph’s opera revolves around a love story. Eighteenth-century fashion was never shy about cleavage, and we see plenty of it at various parties.

We never hear whether the relationship between Joseph’s father (Georges) and mother (Nanon) was consensual—though given the unequal footing between the two, an argument could be made whether real “consent” was even possible.

Violent Content

As mentioned, Joseph’s fame was built not just upon his abilities as a violinist, but as a fencer. We see him in a fencing bout, where both he and his opponent draw blood (most notably on his opponent’s chest). The fight is presented to the audience, and to us, as something of a battle between traditional French values—which include a healthy dose of racism—and the more enlightened morals that some are trying to usher in.

We see little more of that swordplay elsewhere, but Joseph does fight with several soldiers, getting the best of some of them before being overwhelmed. He’s bullied and beaten up, both in school and on the streets of Paris. And he’s sometimes kicked repeatedly when he’s lying on the ground. De Montalembert punches someone in the stomach and threatens to break all of his fingers before being convinced to relent. (We’re told he’s a “shoot first, ask questions later” sort of guy.)

As the French Revolution draws nearer, the threat of violence grows greater. We see angry demonstrators in the streets, and one is shot by soldiers. An officer seems to be overwhelmed by protestors after pointing a gun at someone.

Joseph was the result of a sexual assault, it seems; as a boy, he was taken away from his mother by force. (In flashback, we see Joseph’s mother, Nanon, struggling against some guards who are pulling her backward, apparently away from her newborn boy.)

[ Spoiler Warning ] Joseph and Marie-Josephine’s affair results in a pregnancy and live birth of a son. We’re told that when Marie-Josephine’s husband saw the baby’s skin color, he had the child killed.

Crude or Profane Language

One f-word and one s-word. We hear the word “b–tard” and “d—n.” God’s name is misused three times, and Jesus’ name is abused once.

Drug and Alcohol Content

Joseph drinks heavily during an opera, then attends a party where he drinks even more. The intoxicated violinist makes a scene. We see people elsewhere drink wine and champagne.

Other Negative Elements

Racism is obviously a big theme in Chevalier . Sometimes that racism is quite overt: Joseph is compared to a monkey or ape on occasion, and he’s told to return to “wherever you came from.” At other junctures, it’s more subtle. He’s sometimes discriminated against to keep political or societal peace. And at one juncture, Joseph even believes one his best friends might be using him as some sort of racial token.

The most striking instance of institutional racism, perhaps, revealed when Joseph talks about his inability to marry. He’s unable to legally marry a Caucasian woman. But, as a member of high society, he’s unable to marry someone of his own skin color because she’d be below his social station—which, again, is illegal.

Nanon, Joseph’s mother, has had her own much more overt issues with racism, obviously. As a slave, her sexual encounter with Joseph’s father couldn’t be consensual. But she tells Joseph, “The greatest evil is not what they’ve done to our bodies; it’s what they’ve done to our minds.” The pain, she suggests, of losing Joseph was horrific.

Though Joseph’s father did seek to cultivate an environment in which his son’s musical talents could thrive and grow, Joseph later says that he felt abandoned.

Joseph has quite a high opinion of himself, and he’s not afraid to show it.

When you pluck a character from history and throw him or her into a movie, you often expect that some aspects of that character will be exaggerated. But in a way, Chevalier actually underplays the real Joseph Bologne.

The film gives us a taste of Joseph’s fencing talents. It doesn’t say how he thwarted the simultaneous attack of five men (some sources say six) in London. The film says nothing about his skills in marksmanship (where he supposedly could shoot individual buttons off coats) or swimming (he could swim across the Seine River with one hand literally tied behind his back), or ice skating or horseback riding or any number of other reported skills. If Marvel was assembling a legion of historical superheroes, Joseph Bologne would undoubtedly make the cut.

The movie also conveniently stops just as the French Revolution is beginning, allowing it to unabashedly trumpet its values of equality and liberty—and skipping that era’s later tragic, terrifying excesses. It lauds Bologne’s participation—but ignores the fact that increasingly radical revolutionists imprisoned Bologne for two years. (Unlike some of his friends, he escaped the guillotine.)

And while the film omits plenty of interesting bits of Bologne’s life, what it keeps might keep many families away.

Bologne’s affair with Marie-Josephine is true to history (at least according to one of the age’s gossip writers), and his dalliances with others were widely rumored as well. Those interludes take up a significant amount of screen time, and the film encourages us to root for Joseph and Marie-Josephine’s love instead of marital fidelity. A few curse words sour this otherwise sweet historical score a bit more.

It’s probably well past time that Chevalier’ s fascinating life was brought to the big screen. But while this is a fine, interesting movie on many levels, I look forward to his next cinematic appearance—when we can see more of his life and less of his bed.

Paul Asay has been part of the Plugged In staff since 2007, watching and reviewing roughly 15 quintillion movies and television shows. He’s written for a number of other publications, too, including Time, The Washington Post and Christianity Today. The author of several books, Paul loves to find spirituality in unexpected places, including popular entertainment, and he loves all things superhero. His vices include James Bond films, Mountain Dew and terrible B-grade movies. He’s married, has two children and a neurotic dog, runs marathons on occasion and hopes to someday own his own tuxedo. Feel free to follow him on Twitter @AsayPaul.

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‘Chevalier’: The bad old days of the aristocracy never looked so good

Biopic about the 18th-century mixed-race composer and musician joseph bologne, chevalier de saint-georges, plays a little fast and loose with history.

Largely erased from classical music history because he was biracial, the 18th-century French Caribbean violinist and composer Joseph Bologne wrote concertos, sonatas and symphonies. But “Chevalier,” a highly fictionalized account of Bologne’s life, understandably concentrates on his opera “Ernestine.” The movie itself has the virtues and vices of opera: It’s grand, sweeping and lavishly appointed, but also bombastic and contrived.

Director Stephen Williams and screenwriter Stefani Robinson present Bologne’s life largely as a series of contests. In the opening sequence, a cocky young Bologne (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) challenges the better-known Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Joseph Prowen) to a violin duel. (In reality, Bologne was a decade older than Mozart, who surely wouldn’t have responded to such a rival’s crowd-pleasing stunt with an unprintable Anglo-Saxon vulgarity.)

Later, the story flashes back to a fencing match in which Bologne faces an outspoken racist, as Marie Antoinette (Lucy Boynton) watches. He triumphs, and the queen anoints him Chevalier de Saint-Georges, a name derived from his White father’s plantation in Guadeloupe. His mother (Ronke Adekoluejo) was enslaved but may have been treated somewhat better by Bologne’s father than “Chevalier” supposes.

The bulk of the movie concerns Bologne’s campaign to become the new director of the Paris Opera, a quest in which he initially has Marie Antoinette’s support. (Her husband, King Louis XVI, barely registers.) This effort is intertwined with another one: the womanizing composer’s successful pursuit of his leading lady, the delicate but mighty-voiced Marie-Josephine (Samara Weaving). She just happens to be married to the brutish Marquis de Montalembert (Marton Csokas), a stalwart defender of the monarchy.

That last detail matters because the guillotine is about to be rolled into the Place de la Révolution. Bologne cultivates the queen and the nobility but also encourages an aristocratic friend (Alex Fitzalan) who supports the imminent uprising. At one point, soft-spoken Marie-Josephine follows the two pals to a clandestine political conclave where she delivers an impromptu speech in favor of women’s liberation. It’s stirring, but about as believable as the street fair in a Black neighborhood where Bologne joins a drum circle in playing what sounds like contemporary Afro-pop.

As anti-royalist sentiment burgeons, Bologne stages a benefit concert for the insurrection and faces a personal crisis. This section of the movie plays like the last act of “Les Misérables” with a dusting of Black history. But rather than pop-operatic Broadway arias, “Chevalier” mixes Kris Bower’s neoclassical score with snippets of Bologne’s partly lost compositions, as reconstructed and extrapolated by Michael Abels, who’s written the music for three Jordan Peele films.

Bologne, whose impressive military career is among the many chapters of his biography left out of the movie, briefly commanded a unit of the French Revolutionary Army. As played by Harrison — one of the few Americans in a cast heavy on Britons, Australians and New Zealanders — Bologne does appear to be the sort of leader who could inspire soldiers in battle, or musicians in an orchestral performance. His confidence and dynamism are crucial to “Chevalier’s” winning spirit.

If Harrison doesn’t fully convey the complexity of Bologne’s situation, that’s the responsibility of the film as much as his performance. One snag is that the movie shares its hero’s mixed feelings about the gilded lives of France’s 18th-century ruling class. Jess Hall’s camera spins rapturously through Karen Murphy’s luxurious interiors, lovingly beholding Oliver Garcia’s opulent costumes. On some level, “Chevalier” understands that the reign of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette was the bad old days. Yet it just can’t help but make them look really good.

PG-13. At area theaters. Contains mature thematic material, some strong language and racial slurs, suggestive material, and violence. 107 minutes.

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‘Chevalier’ Review: An Opulent Footnote to Black History

Though the movie can feel like a powdered wig soap opera, kelvin harrison jr. dazzles as joseph bologne, who shocked and tantalized 18th century paris with his astounding genius as a composer, violinist, and swordsman..

Set in Paris in the days before the French Revolution, Chevalier is an opulent footnote to black history about Joseph Bologne, born in Guadeloupe as the illegitimate son of an aristocratic French plantation owner and an African slave who shocked and tantalized society with his astounding genius as a composer, violinist, and swordsman, attracting the attention and admiration of Marie Antoinette and her court with uncommon grace, talent and sex appeal. Typical of his audacity is an early scene in which he interrupts a Paris concert conducted by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in the middle of the maestro’s Fifth Symphony and asks to play it with him. From there, the film, directed by Stephen Williams and written in lavish detail by Stefani Robinson, chronicles the triumphs and tragedies faced by the brilliant musician (Kelvin Harrison Jr. in a dazzling centerpiece performance) who rose to the pinnacle of popularity while battling racial prejudice his entire life.

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Climbing against all odds from outcast to a position of honor and privilege in the Queen’s inner circle, Bologne was anointed with the title Chevalier de St George. Desired by a vindictive older woman, La Guimard ( Minnie Driver ), he fell instead for a beautiful but forbidden singer, Marie-Josephine ( Samara Weaving ), who was very much married to the cruel Marquis Montalembert, a cruel, sadistic and titled reprobate renowned as a murderous bully and tyrant (played by the marvelous Marton Csokas). When Marie-Josephine defies her husband, accepts the lead in Bologne’s new opera without his knowledge or permission, and in the process, to the marquis’ horror and humiliation, secretly becomes the mistress of a black man, Bologne finds his libido invigorated but his life endangered. Jealous and resentful forces conspire to plot his downfall, destroying any hope of achieving his greatest ambition: becoming the next leader of the prestigious Paris Opera.

The movie piles on one damned thing after another, often turning a truly original life story into a Rabelaisian soap opera replete with powdered wigs and violin concertos. In truth, Napoleon Bonaparte later banned Bologne’s popular compositions, many of which have never been found or heard to this day. Some of that legacy rises from the ashes of obscurity in Chevalier, and even with its flaws, it’s worth hearing again.

Observer Reviews are regular assessments of new and noteworthy cinema.

‘Chevalier’ Review: An Opulent Footnote to Black History

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Chevalier Review

“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.

The showmanship, we learn, is not just ego; it’s self-defence: a flashback to his white father, leaving him at a boarding school, stresses that he “must be excellent, always excellent”. It’s pressure his white peers don’t have, but Joseph has to constantly prove his worth, because to falter is to affirm the beliefs of those condescending peers. Even with his wealth and status, race overrides nationality and social class.

Impresses as a period piece actually interested in Blackness as part of a social dynamic.

The film quickly brushes his origin story and rise to prominence aside to get to Saint-Georges’ moment of clarity regarding the approval of white French people (coded here as the British upper classes, in a double-barrel blast of righteous mockery of two colonial nations). Between hostile conversations with the white French elite, full of barbs with slightly modern inflections, Saint-Georges consults with Marie Antoinette (Lucy Boynton) — a figure with her own famously anachronistic biopic — but even her favour is not enough of a shield. There’s not-so-hidden hostility in every room, Robinson’s script nestling contemporary arguments and inflections amid subtle barbs, polite chuckles and archaic aristocratic customs.

While Williams opts for traditional, almost painterly imagery, the large and opulent rooms bathed in natural lighting, the film’s cinematography feels slightly unimaginative, adding to what feels like a long cooldown from its electrifying opening. This sense of deflation only continues as Saint-Georges engages in a doomed affair with Marie-Josephine de Montalembert (Samara Weaving) that feels far less urgent than the other themes at play.

The film impresses as a period piece actually interested in Blackness as part of a social dynamic and how it would affect the wealthy, so it’s a shame that it gradually loses its infectious energy. With its upending of audience expectations around historical figures, the best moments of Chevalier both celebrate and lament the great showmen that have spent so long waiting to be honoured.

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‘Chevalier’ review: A stirring tribute to a virtuoso nearly erased by history

Movie review.

“Chevalier” begins with a showdown sequence so irresistible it really doesn’t matter if it ever actually happened. In a jewel-box Paris theater sometime in the second half of the 18 th century, a young violinist (Joseph Prowen) leads an orchestra, practically dancing in his glee at performing. “My name is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart,” he shouts, in love with the sound of it. From the audience appears another man (Kelvin Harrison Jr.); handsome, beautifully dressed, Black. He, too, is a violinist, and soon the two men are playing a duet that becomes almost a duel; two virtuosos, strings soaring, the second man quickly proving himself the equal if not the better of the first. The music, wild and glorious and seemingly possessing both men, fills the theater. A woman in the audience fans herself. You might, too.

That second man is Joseph Bologne, the Chevalier de Saint-Georges (1745-99), and the movie is about him, not the far more famous Mozart, whose story has already been told (and who doesn’t appear in the film again after the opening). The son of a French plantation owner and an African enslaved woman, Bologne was a brilliant musician and composer, a gifted swordsman and a fashionable figure in Paris’ highest social circles during the reign of Marie Antoinette (Lucy Boynton). Though little remains of his work today (much of it was destroyed during the French Revolution, and performances of his work were banned during Napoleon’s era), his story is slowly beginning to be told .

“Chevalier,” directed by Stephen Williams from a screenplay by Stefani Robinson, isn’t quite a biopic; large stretches of Bologne’s life are left unexplored, and you leave the film wanting to know more about this remarkable figure from the past. (One sentence in an end note, about Bologne’s participation in the National Guard during the French Revolution, would make a fascinating movie all on its own.) But it’s a handsome, stirring and often thrilling film, exploring Bologne’s complicated relationship with his mother Nanon (Ronkẹ Adékoluẹjo), his love affair with a white woman (Samara Weaving) — “It is illegal for someone of my complexion to marry someone of my class,” he notes, with sad resignation — and his dream of becoming head of the Paris Opera. Despite his prominence, he is, as his mother observes, a tourist in French society; he’ll always be an outsider.

Beautifully and elaborately designed, the film offers delicious period-piece eye candy (I am, of course, helpless in the wake of a film in which people say things like, “Someone ready my carriage!”), but also brings poignant, moving scenes such as one in which Nanon quietly braids her son’s hair, reminding him that, “Choice comes from within … . There is always a choice to fight.” And Harrison, in a star-making performance (continuing the trajectory shown in movies like “ Waves ,” “ Cyrano ” and “ Elvis ”), carries the film with ease: playing the violin as if its passionate voice were his own; smoothly wielding a sword; vividly creating a man whose outward smoothness and elegant posture masks a turbulent, creative soul. History almost erased Joseph Bologne; this film lets him live again.

With Kelvin Harrison Jr., Samara Weaving, Lucy Boynton, Minnie Driver, Ronkẹ Adékoluẹjo. Directed by Stephen Williams, from a screenplay by Stefani Robinson. 107 minutes. Rated PG-13 for thematic content, some strong language, suggestive material and violence. Opens April 20 at multiple theaters.

Movie Review – Chevalier (2023)

July 26, 2023 by Robert Kojder

Chevalier , 2023.

Directed by Stephen Williams. Starring Kelvin Harrison Jr., Samara Weaving, Lucy Boynton, Alex Fitzalan, Minnie Driver, Sian Clifford, Marton Csokas, Alec Newman, Ronkẹ Adékoluẹjo, Jessica Boone, Jim High, Ben Bradshaw, Fatou Sohna, Sam Barlien, Mezi Atwood, and Martin Matejcik.

Based on the true story of composer Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, the illegitimate son of an African slave and a French plantation owner, who rises to heights in French society as a composer before an ill-fated love affair.

It’s fitting that Chevalier , which is centered on French violinist and fencer Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-George (a passionately ambitious Kelvin Harrison Jr., burning with desire musically and romantically), fixates on the composer’s pursuit to become the director of the Paris Opera since director Stephen Williams (using a screenplay from Stefani Robinson) takes a melodramatic storytelling approach similar to those theatrics.

There’s a sweeping story of doomed love alongside the drive for greatness, caught up in the early goings of the French Revolution. Not to mention, there is also a fractured mother-son dynamic and some harsh lessons to learn regarding race that sadly still seem relevant today; white people, including Marie Antoinette (played by Lucy Boynton here), are fine making a Black man a knight and allowing him to be successful, but if they fly too close to the sun, it will be taken away to maintain the status quo, or in this case, curry back favor from the general population.

For the uninformed (and it’s possible people might be considering Chevalier opens with a transfixing violinist battle between Joseph Bologne and Mozart where the former impresses so much the scene ends with the latter exclaiming, “Who the fuck was that, ” something others will likely be thinking as they eagerly anticipate learning more), Joseph Bologne was the illegitimate son of an African slave and French plantation owner. Said plantation owner effectively got rid of Joseph by enrolling him into an elite private academy, but not before instilling into his mind to strive for unprecedented greatness at everything he attempts.

This has proven to be both a blessing and a curse for Joseph, who is such a skilled virtuoso that his peers admire him (despite facing an uphill battle of racism) and winds up bedding white women following every performance, that he can only dream of achieving more while often missing what would make for a greater purpose. Suddenly, his father dies, which paves the way for a reunion with his now-liberated mother Nanon (Ronke Adekoluejo), who naturally thinks he has gotten a bit too comfortable around this high society. His longtime friend Philippe (Alex Fitzalan) also believes he should start looking into giving back to the less fortunate and possibly consider providing a spark to the revolution.

Joseph remains hyper-focused on making a play for the Paris Opera director, which consists of putting together a concert in a one-on-one competition. He also seeks out the beautiful but married Marie-Josephine (Samara Weaving), who is willing to go behind her lunatic soldier husband’s (Marton Csokas) back, yearning for freedom to pursue her own interests. It’s an arranged marriage that she has no love for, and those matters are not considering her husband actively looks down on the idea of her performing. Expectedly, Joseph and Mary Josephine gravitate toward one another with believable chemistry, falling for one another.

The story being told here is fascinating, especially since much of Joseph Bologne’s work went on to be destroyed for reasons that might already be clear, meaning that he is an inherently compelling subject for a biopic. But there is the sense that given Stephen Williams has predominantly worked in TV his entire career and how concerned the film is with rushing its plot rather than fleshing out many of these character dynamics and relationships, there needs to be a bit more material related to everything going on here. Even the ending to Chevalier comes when it feels like the story is truly taking off.

However, Chevalier ‘s electric performances, vibrant costumes, heavenly compositions, and operatic love story steeped in emotionally devastating tragedy elevate this otherwise solid look at a legendary musician and trailblazing activist, furthering a desire to seek out more historical information.

Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★

Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd , or email me at [email protected]

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Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Chevalier’ on Hulu, the Historically Fictionalized Bio of French Composer and Revolutionary Joseph Bologne

Where to stream:, chevalier (2023).

Kelvin Harrison Jr

Is ‘Chevalier’ Based on a True Story?

Stream it or skip it: ‘gully’ on hulu, tracking three troubled pals’ hedonistic tumble through south central los angeles, will ‘cyrano’ be on hbo max or netflix, kelvin harrison jr. will break your heart in ‘monster’ on netflix.

Chevalier ( now on Hulu ) is a rich and inviting slice of historical fiction that keenly embellishes the already extraordinary story of Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, a violinist, composer, fencer and revolutionary often referred to pejoratively as the “Black Mozart.” Kelvin Harrison Jr. ( Waves , The Trial of the Chicago 7 ) plays the man, the son of a plantation owner and an enslaved woman, who grew up in Paris and achieved remarkable things in a society deeply ingrained with racial prejudice. Director Stephen Williams (who most notably helmed dozens of episodes of Lost and is a producer of HBO’s Watchmen series) takes a similar creative track, telling the story of an influential Black man within the confines of a period-piece genre typically reserved for the stories of privileged White people.

CHEVALIER : STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: ONCE UPON A TIME IN PARIS: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart His Damn Self conducts a performance for a packed house. He pauses to entertain requests, and a man speaks up – it’s Joseph Bologne. He has yarbles. Such yarbles, he asks to join the performance, and the result is a scorching violin duel between Bologne and Mozart His Damn Self, who could take this gracefully and celebrate his “competitor’s” talent, but that’s not how this works – he’d rather belittle him by calling him “a dark stranger.” And so our gentleman torches the legend with a series of white-hot runs across the strings and walks off, and if microphones had been invented yet, he’d have dropped it, THUNK.

That’s quite the opening sequence. Next is a flashback, where young Joseph is the subject of the first episode of a life chock-full of mixed blessings. His father, a rich White man, all but leaves him on the doorstep of a musical conservatory, which is where Joseph, a gifted violinist, belongs. He tells Joseph that the way to overcome what he’s about to experience is to simply “be excellent,” and he seems assured that Joseph is exactly that. It’s about as kind as an abandonment can get. He’s bullied and beaten as he grows up, but he plays better, composes better, wields a saber better than everyone else. We watch a sequence cross-cutting a vile speech about “a siege against a purity of blood” in France and Joseph fencing a White rival into the f—ing dust while Marie Antoinette Her Damn Self (Lucy Boynton) watches, her eyes wide, thrilled at the sight of this young man. And so she knights him with the incredibly French title of Chevalier de Saint-Georges.

ONE YEAR LATER, our Chevalier sits at Marie Antoinette’s side as she whispers in his ear her criticism of the stodgy opera they’re watching. As a Chevalier, he’s now a man of some renown – enough so the long-established opera singer Marie-Madeleine Guimard (Minnie Driver) tells him in so many words that she’d like to jump the shit out of his bones. But he’d rather she not; as a man about town, he often awakes in a plush pile of quilts between a couple of young honeys. Is the madame offended at being rebuffed? Boy howdy, is she; hold that thought for about 45, maybe an hour. Queen M.A. has declared that the Paris Opera needs a mighty overhaul, so the director position lies in wait for our Chevalier. He vies for the job by staging an opera, getting his ally Madame de Genlis (Sian Clifford) to secure financing while he courts her cousin, Marie-Josephine de Montalembert (Samara Weaving), to be the lead. One hurdle: Marie-Josephine is married to a brute, the French military leader Marc Rene, the Marquis de Montelembert (Martin Csokas), who doesn’t want his wife to be on stage and ogled by men like a total ho-bag.

But! The lovely Marquis vamooses to go kill people for the sake of patriotism, opening the door for Marie-Josephine to lead the production. It also opens the door for the type of… stirrings that are very French but also very verboten among polite society. Whatta hypocritical age that was, eh? And so the Chevalier embarks upon liaisons of a dangerous kind, which involves cucking the living snot out of that pig and channeling whatever meager juices are left over into the opera. Meanwhile, as our man and his lady stir beneath the sheets, unrest stirs in the streets. Marie Antoinette said something about cake and now the French Revolution bubbles and brews; one of the leaders is the Chevalier’s longtime bestie, Philippe (Alex Fitzalan). And so this entire plot becomes a powder keg.

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: Well, Harrison was also in Cyrano , another period piece with its share of swordfights, broken hearts and singing. It also brings to mind Amadeus , Les Miserables and modern-day fictional-revolution masterwork Athena (at least a little bit).

Performance Worth Watching: Chevalier further establishes Harrison as a performer of substance, capable of poignantly conveying a leading man’s full spectrum of emotion. He’s quietly magnetic here (and seems like the type of burgeoning top-shelf actor who’d be burgled by the MCU to play a mildly forgettable hero).

Memorable Dialogue: Gotta love the entrance our protagonist makes:

Mozart: WHO THE F— IS THAT?

Title card (slamming down like a guillotine): CHEVALIER

Sex and Skin: THIS MOVIE IS NOT EVEN CLOSE TO BEING SEXY ENOUGH. In the ’90s, it’d be loaded with steamy-hot softcore schtupping, but now all we get is a few sultry glances across the bedroom and some facemashing.

Our Take: Of course Chevalier takes a lot of liberte with the true story of Joseph Bologne, but it’s nevertheless a visually handsome and thematically well-considered story that weaves current assertions about institutional racism into the usual period-piece trappings. It’s not a classic by any stretch, and it plays out in a somewhat predictable fashion; I’m not quite sure it ever lives up to that bravura opening sequence, but it offers engaging drama start to finish, and plenty of viable chemistry between Harrison and Weaving.

Williams and screenwriter Stefani Robinson eventually stage the events of the film as an inflection point in the French Revolution, and smartly characterize Bologne as a man who long chose to be blind to the politics of his situation – it’s easy to do when you’re partying hardy and sublimely confident in your capacity as duellist, musician and, woo woo, lover – but eventually awakens and confronts his truth. He had no choice, and in the subtext of the character lies his realization that music can be a powerful form of protest. The Chevalier takes a while to come to terms with being stuck between two cultures, but when he finally rages against the machine, you can’t help but stand up and cheer for him.

Our Call: STREAM IT. Chevalier is a rock-solid period drama that takes a necessary step toward reclaiming a long-suppressed piece of Black history.

John Serba is a freelance writer and film critic based in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

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‘Opening Night’ Review: A Stylish Movie Becomes a Sludgy Travesty

Ivo van Hove’s stage adaptation of the 1977 John Cassavetes film, with music by Rufus Wainwright, turns a taut character study into a corny melodrama.

A woman in a purple dress stands with her hands purple onstage, in front of a large projection of her face on a screen behind.

By Houman Barekat

The critic Houman Barekat saw “Opening Night” in London.

In a London auditorium, a work of art is being desecrated. “Opening Night,” John Cassavetes’s understatedly stylish 1977 movie about an actress struggling with midlife ennui, has been reimagined as a musical by the Belgian director Ivo van Hove, and the result is a travesty.

Its antiheroine, the Broadway superstar Myrtle Gordon (Sheridan Smith), has landed the lead role in a play about a middle-aged woman. But she isn’t feeling it: Though she is about 40, she insists she can’t relate. She stumbles through rehearsals, clashing with the director, Manny (Hadley Fraser), and the playwright, Sarah (Nicola Hughes), then goes rogue during previews, taking liberties with the script.

To compound matters, the actress develops a neurotic fixation on Nancy (Shira Haas), a 17-year-old fan killed in a car crash moments after getting Myrtle’s autograph. Convinced that Nancy is a cipher for her own lost youth, Myrtle intermittently hallucinates the dead girl’s ghost, and even converses with it. Myrtle is unraveling, but the show — somehow — must go on.

It’s a compelling story line, filled with dramatic possibilities, but “Opening Night,” which runs at the Gielgud Theater through July 27, is scuppered by a series of poor choices. Smith is miscast as Myrtle, for a start: Her onstage bearing exudes a homely approachability rather than high-strung poise or inscrutable aloofness.

Benjamin Walker is wooden as Maurice, Myrtle’s stage co-star and ex-partner, who Cassavetes himself played charmingly in the film. The estranged couple’s brittle onstage chemistry is an essential ingredient in the drama; here, they seem like actual strangers. Haas’s spectral Nancy is a disconcertingly cutesy symbol of youthful feminine vitality, a sprite-like figure who scurries around the stage in a short skirt, knee-high socks and platform boots — suggesting not so much a young woman as a pubescent child.

The songs, by Rufus Wainwright, are algorithmically bland. Several address aging, including the unsubtly titled “A Change of Life” (about menopause) and “Makes One Wonder,” a duet in which Myrtle and Sarah realize that, as women of a certain age, they may have more in common than they’d like to admit.

Others are about showbiz: “Magic” is an upbeat cabaret-style number about the wonder of the stage; “Moths to a Flame” is a somber, sentimental paean to the indefatigability of thespians everywhere. There is a brief foray into rock opera during an excruciating scene in which Myrtle, having figured out she must banish Nancy’s specter to get herself back on track, scuffles with the girl-child amid flashing strobe lights and 1980s-style power riffs. It’s so schlocky that it almost feels like a sendup.

Jan Versweyveld’s set is a theater within a theater. The rehearsal space occupies the foreground, and a row of vanity mirrors at the rear of the stage represents the backstage area. As in van Hove’s 2019 adaptation of “All About Eve ” — another story about the emotional travails of an aging actress — camera operators stalk its perimeter, transmitting close-up, real-time footage of the actors onto a big screen above the stage.

The idea is to ramp up the psychodrama by bringing us up close and personal, but there isn’t much intensity to intensify. The multiple angles add little to the experience. (The occasional bird’s-eye view is particularly unnecessary, unless you happen to have an interest in the topography of hairlines.) A screen caption at the start of the show informs us that a documentary film crew is recording the company’s rehearsals — a plot device that is supposed to make this camerawork feel less like a gratuitous gimmick, but so flimsily transparent that it has the opposite effect.

There are one or two good moments, including a tense rehearsal scene in which Myrtle objects to having to endure an onstage slap. She says it’s humiliating, but Manny insists it’s artistically necessary. Smith renders the standoff with a bleak comic pathos: At one point she even slaps herself to forestall the blow. (For van Hove, who is known for pushing his performers to the limit, this material is close to home.) Near the end, as the characters make their final preparations for opening night, the big screen cuts to recorded footage of theatergoers passing through the Gielgud foyer a couple of hours earlier — a clever touch that spurred a ripple of amused murmurs from the audience. But these are slim pickings.

As an artist yearning to take back control of her narrative, Myrtle should resonate at a time when questions of agency — for women and minorities, among others — are on many people’s minds. But van Hove’s corny treatment trivializes her suffering. Cassavetes’s movie had an elliptical quality that drew viewers in through the strength of its narrative artifice and the power of the actors’ performances; here, the story never comes to life, and the themes are labored. Van Hove has transformed a taut, subtly observed character study into a sludgy melodrama.

Opening Night Through July 27 at the Gielgud Theater in London; openingnightmusical.com .

Review: In the cryptic ‘The Shadowless Tower,’ connection is stymied by a murky past

Three people have a discussion on a rooftop porch.

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Chinese director Zhang Lu’s contemporary drama “The Shadowless Tower” is a gently enigmatic character piece that resists telling you too much about its characters. Zhang’s preference is to present them to you in small moments and simple exchanges, with the idea that the oblique approach will eventually lead to what’s insightful — in this case, a brooding, middle-aged Beijing man’s acceptance of his unresolved past and possible future.

Gu Wentong (Xin Baiqing) is a divorced former poet and current restaurant critic with an endearing 6-year-old daughter everyone calls Smiley, who lives with Gu’s sister and brother-in-law. The reasoning behind that custody arrangement isn’t made clear. There’s love between the kid and her dad, and the split with Gu’s wife wasn’t acrimonious so much as due to a passion-depleting excess of mutual politeness.

But what is apparent after just a few unhurried scenes with the melancholic, chain-smoking Gu — whose mother has recently died, to boot — is that he’s hardly in a space to look after anyone, including himself. Gu’s Beijing neighborhood is known for the 13th-century Buddhist temple of the title, whose tall white pagoda is visible far and wide. The structure is famous for never creating shade. Gu, meanwhile, seems to exist only in shadows.

A man lights a cigarette in his apartment.

Why, for instance, is he so hesitant to respond to the almost comically flirtatious advances of his younger, attractive, headstrong photographer colleague Ouyang (a winningly spirited Huang Yao)? It’s not a crazy-sounding match: They enjoy talking, long walks and what a couple of drinks will do for talking and long walks. Maybe romance with an extrovert is too much for an introvert to contemplate. Also pressing on Gu: He has recently learned that the disgraced father he hasn’t seen since childhood — since his mother kicked him out of the house — is living nearby, in the seaside town of his youth.

As Gu explores that reconnection, which Ouyang becomes a part of (for reasons to do with her own emotionally fraught background), “The Shadowless Tower” settles into an easygoing grace about lives moving forward while looking back: heartfelt, but never sentimental. Just don’t expect any answers as to why people are who they are. Aided by the soft pull of Piao Songri’s cinematography, Zhang would rather you feel the ripple effect of any given moment’s moods and signals. What emerges is an unwitting communication, signs of a separation needing to be bridged.

There’s a rich quietude at work in “The Shadowless Tower,” which makes one realize how that virtue varies from filmmaker to filmmaker. In an Ingmar Bergman film, it felt imposing, heavy with portent. Chantal Akerman ’s silences were like vulnerable room tones. Zhang uses quiet to suggest an active calmness, so when a particular sound punctures the air — gurgling water, the music on a videotape, a child’s questions — it feels like the notes of life, the stuff that’s supposed to spark us.

Zhang occasionally tosses in a distant whirr like the kind you hear in sci-fi films denoting an approaching UFO. Is this a comment on the everyday strangeness of existence? Maybe. It could also just be something to keep us on our toes, alive to the rhythms around us — our own shadowless towers — that may seem ordinary, always there, unmissable and permanent, keeping us from life in the darkness.

'The Shadowless Tower'

Not rated In Mandarin Chinese and Cantonese with English subtitles Running time: 2 hours, 24 minutes Playing: Now at Laemmle Glendale

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Entertainment | Movie review: ‘Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’…

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Entertainment, entertainment | movie review: ‘godzilla x kong: the new empire’ an earnest, wacky, hectic ride.

Before the titan-sized title of “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” even flashes across the screen, director Adam Wingard has already delivered two impressively goopy moments courtesy of our lead characters: Kong rips a hyena-thing in half, green entrails spilling everywhere, while Godzilla squishes a bug in Rome, releasing great vats of yellow goo over the ancient city. It’s an indication of the colorfully excessive ethos that Wingard brings to this loaded monster jam, which is overflowing with titans, creatures and kaiju. Considering that much of the action takes place in the underworld known as Hollow Earth, you might even call this picture “stuffed crust.”

Wingard, who directed the neon-synth fever dream that was “Godzilla vs. Kong” in 2021, comes from the world of horror films, and he brings that same approach to his blockbusters, with a penchant for gleeful experimentation and over-the-top style. He drives this vehicle like he stole it, and with co-writers Simon Barrett and Terry Rossio, seems to throw every idea he’s ever had for a monster movie at the script. It’s a lot. It’s fun, but it’s a lot.

On the plus side, Wingard has arguably three of the best working actors in the game in this picture. Rebecca Hall and Brian Tyree Henry reprise their roles from “Godzilla vs. Kong,” and Wingard brings along the star of his 2014 thriller “The Guest,” Dan Stevens, who possesses a kind of radioactive charisma that’s almost too much to take in. With these three, you truly cannot go wrong, and Henry and Stevens, playing a blogger/podcaster and a wacky wild animal veterinarian, respectively, prove to be the most valuable players of the movie, after the title characters, of course.

To quickly get us caught up to speed, after the events of the last film, Kong now lives in the verdant paradise of Hollow Earth, which is nice but lonely, while Godzilla remains on the surface, very cutely napping in the Colosseum in between bouts of titan fighting. These two need to be kept apart, lest they rip each other to shreds, reducing major cities to rubble. However, when a distress signal emerges from Hollow Earth, Dr. Andrews (Hall), her Iwi daughter Jia (Kaylee Hottle), her on-call vet Trapper (Stevens), and the fanboy blogger Bernie (Henry), along with a stern Scottish pilot Mikael (Alex Ferns), set out to find the origin of the call, and realize that maybe Godzilla and Kong need to find a way to come together to fight off other nefarious creatures.

When you multiply Godzilla by Kong, what do you get? When Wingard’s doing the math, it’s an earnest, wacky, hectic ride that often feels like being thrashed about in an IMAX seat. There’s a decidedly 1980s-inspired vibe to the tone and style, from the hot pinks and greens and synth-y score by Antonio Di Iorio and Tom Holkenborg, to the narrative that follows a journey into a fantastical underworld. There’s also a heavy emphasis on crystals as both plot device and aesthetic that offers this film a retro feel.

But about halfway through, one does get the nagging sensation that this has jumped the kaiju shark, as Wingard slams the gas and doesn’t let up. There are too many monsters, and as more and more are introduced, character falls away. It makes you long for the restrained elegance of “Godzilla Minus One,” but this is a different beast entirely.

There’s a bit of a harried energy to “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” which is fun until it becomes instantly tiresome and deafening. Perhaps multiplication was too much — here’s hoping subtraction is next in the kaiju mathematical equation.

‘Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’

2.5 stars (out of 4)

MPA rating: PG-13 (for creature violence and action)

Running time: 1:55

How to watch: In theaters Friday

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IMAGES

Chevalier movie review & film summary (2023)
Chevalier Movie (2022)
'Chevalier' Movie Review: A Beautiful and Brilliant Period Piece
Chevalier (2023): A Review
Chevalier (2023) } MOVIE REVIEW (Spoiler Free!)
Chevalier (2023)

COMMENTS

Chevalier movie review & film summary (2023)
Chevalier. The first thing you notice is the walk: part strut, part bounce, and all confidence. As Joseph Bologne, the Chevalier de Saint-Georges, Kelvin Harrison Jr. radiates the kind of unshakable self-possession that comes with the knowledge of being brilliant, gifted, and adored. But this is 18 th Century France, and Bologne is of mixed race.
'Chevalier' Review: A Black Virtuoso Rocks the Court of Marie
A new movie about Joseph Bologne, the Chevalier de Saint-George, may owe as much to "Bridgerton" as it does the history books. Kelvin Harrison Jr. plays Joseph Bologne, the Chevalier de Saint ...
'Chevalier' Review: Kelvin Harrison Jr. Shines in Shaky Music Biopic
When Joseph Bologne, the Chevalier de Saint-Georges, died in Paris in 1799, his friend — J.S.A. Cuvelier — wrote an affectionate obituary about him in an arts newspaper. He called Saint ...
Chevalier
Movie Info. Inspired by the incredible true story of composer Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges. The illegitimate son of an African slave and a French plantation owner, Bologne (Kelvin ...
Chevalier
Chevalier spends a great deal of time showing the composer's struggle with dual identities, leaving the final act rushed and barely shows him reconnecting with his roots. Full Review | Sep 8 ...
'Chevalier' Review: Kelvin Harrison Jr. Fiery Take on a ...
'Chevalier' Review: Kelvin Harrison Jr.'s Fiery Take on a Forgotten French Maestro Ought to Set the Record Straight Reviewed at ABC-2 Theater, Burbank, Calif., March 1, 2023. In Toronto ...
Chevalier review
In the new biographical drama Chevalier, from writer Stefani Robinson (a Writers Guild of America and Emmy award winner for the TV series Atlanta) and director Stephen Williams, the polarities are ...
Review: In 'Chevalier,' an erased figure gets a lush biopic
Joseph Bologne, the Chevalier de Saint-Georges, was an extraordinarily accomplished man in Marie Antoinette's France. He was a scholar, a fencer, a virtuoso violinist and a famous and sought-after composer who wrote string quartets, symphonies and operas. His influence was vast, but he was all but erased from history books because Bologne was ...
Chevalier Review: Kelvin Harrison Jr. Is Magnetic In Strong, Memorable
Chevalier, about the violinist and composer Joseph Bologne, is magnetic, a historical fiction that elevates itself beyond the conventional biopic to deliver a memorable drama about its subject's life. The film's opening scene is one of the best in recent memory. Joseph Bologne ( Kelvin Harrison Jr. ), the illegitimate son of a French plantation ...
'Chevalier' Review: Kelvin Harrison Jr. Triumphs in ...
Movie Reviews; Chevalier (2023) Kelvin Harrison Jr. About The Author. Maggie Lovitt (624 Articles Published) Maggie Lovitt is the Lead News Editor at Collider and panelist on ...
Chevalier Movie Review
This movie tells the fascinating story of a classical musician whose talents rivaled Mozart's and dramatizes his rise in the court of Marie Antoinette. Chevalier was born in 1745 in the French Caribbean colony of Guadeloupe. He was the son of a wealthy plantation owner and an enslaved 16-year-old girl from Senegal.
Chevalier review: The story of Mozart's rival (and his love life) is
Chevalier is released in cinemas on August 2. Find out the next TV, streaming series and movies to add to your must-sees. Get The Watchlist delivered every Thursday .
'Chevalier' Review: Biopic Starring Kelvin Harrison Jr As ...
It opens in theaters today. Chevalier is a biopic about violin virtuoso Joseph Bolonge Chevalier de Saint-Georges, directed by Stephen Williams and written by Stefani Robinson. The film stars ...
Chevalier review
Chevalier isn't the only period drama to centre a person of colour, but while the likes of Bridgerton or the Dev Patel-starring David Copperfield enliven otherwise familiar material with ...
Chevalier (2022)
Chevalier: Directed by Stephen Williams. With Kelvin Harrison Jr., Samara Weaving, Lucy Boynton, Ronke Adekoluejo. Based on factual story of composer Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, the illegitimate son of an African enslaved and a French plantation owner, who rises to heights in French society as a composer before an ill-fated love affair.
'Chevalier' review: Biopic only strikes the low notes
Review: 'Chevalier' opts for shallow and tawdry, diminishing the radical spirit of its subject. Kelvin Harrison Jr. in the movie "Chevalier.". It's a striking image — a young Black man ...
Chevalier
Movie Review. Excellence, Joseph's father told him. Excellence would be his shield. And young Joseph Bologne needed one. France in the 18 th century was hardly a bastion of enlightened thinking, after all. It was a land of corsets and powdered wigs, where your lot in life was often dependent on to whom you were born. ... Chevalier is based on ...
Review
Jess Hall's camera spins rapturously through Karen Murphy's luxurious interiors, lovingly beholding Oliver Garcia's opulent costumes. On some level, "Chevalier" understands that the ...
'Chevalier' Movie Review: The Audacious Life Story Of A Black Composer
'Chevalier' Review: An Opulent Footnote to Black History Though the movie can feel like a powdered wig soap opera, Kelvin Harrison Jr. dazzles as Joseph Bologne, who shocked and tantalized ...
Chevalier
Chevalier Review. 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 ...
'Chevalier' review: A stirring tribute to a virtuoso nearly erased by
Movie review "Chevalier" begins with a showdown sequence so irresistible it really doesn't matter if it ever actually happened. In a jewel-box Paris theater sometime in the second half of ...
Chevalier (2023)
Chevalier, 2023. Directed by Stephen Williams. Starring Kelvin Harrison Jr., Samara Weaving, Lucy Boynton, Alex Fitzalan, Minnie Driver, Sian Clifford, Marton Csokas ...
'Chevalier' (2023) Hulu Movie Review: Stream It Or Skip It?
Chevalier is a rock-solid period drama that takes a necessary step toward reclaiming a long-suppressed piece of Black history. John Serba is a freelance writer and film critic based in Grand ...
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Review: In 'Femme,' a secret act of vengeance comes disguised as erotic flirtation George MacKay, left, and Nathan Stewart-Jarrett in "Femme," a deliciously vicious London-set revenge ...
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Every movement of each monster is closely tracked digitally. The humans in "Godzilla x Kong" verge on being bit players — or more like roving sports commentators — who spend most of their time trying to analyze what the goliaths are up to. It's a lean crew of scientist Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall), conspiracy-spouting podcaster Bernie (Brian Tyree Henry) and biologist Trapper (Dan ...
'Opening Night' Review: Ivo van Hove Makes a Stylish Movie Into a
Ivo van Hove's stage adaptation of the 1977 John Cassavetes film, with music by Rufus Wainwright, turns a taut character study into a corny melodrama.
Apple's Vision Pro review for working, watching movies, testing apps
Apple's $3,500 Vision Pro headset, two months after its appearance in stores, is now something we can live with as well as marvel at.. The big picture: I spent two weeks wearing the headset while sitting in airplanes, watching movies in bed and writing articles from my living room couch. Catch up quick: The experience confirms and strengthens my initial impressions of Apple's buzzy device.
'The Shadowless Tower' review: Connection stymied by regrets
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Movie review: 'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire' an earnest, wacky
With these three, you truly cannot go wrong, and Henry and Stevens, playing a blogger/podcaster and a wacky wild animal veterinarian, respectively, prove to be the most valuable players of the ...

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‘Chevalier’ Review: Kelvin Harrison Jr.’s Fiery Take on a Forgotten French Maestro Ought to Set the Record Straight

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Reviewed at ABC-2 Theater, Burbank, Calif., March 1, 2023. In Toronto, Palm Springs film festivals. MPA Rating: PG-13. Running time: 107 MIN.

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‘Chevalier’ review: A stirring tribute to a virtuoso nearly erased by history

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