‘Two Pianos’ Review: François Civil And Nadia Tereszkiewicz Shine In Subtle Romantic Drama

Filmmaker Arnaud Desplachin (My Golden Days) crafts another first rate cinematic tale with Two Pianos, the story of talented pianist Mathias Volger (François Civil) whose life turns sideways during his return home. His mentor (Charlotte Rampling) and a former lover (Nadia Tereszkiewicz) bring different complications, forcing Mathias to reexamine and possibly take hold of his life. Check out my CinemAddicts review below!

Read more: ‘Two Pianos’ Review: François Civil And Nadia Tereszkiewicz Shine In Subtle Romantic Drama

A Piano Prodigy Returns Home

After a long stint teaching in Japan, Mathias Volger returns to Lyon at the request of his mentor Elena Auden (Charlotte Rampling) who wants him to perform with her at a concert. Mathias’ homecoming is met with enthusiasm from the classical musical crowd, and Elena displays an overwhelming fondness for her protégé. Elena is slightly disappointed with Mathias’ career trajectory, urging him that artists of their talents are better off living in solitude.

Mathias’ ex-lover Claude (Nadia Tereszkiewicz) is happily married to his best friend Pierre (Jeremy Lewin). His chance encounter with Claude during his return leads him to faint and, upon recovering, a night of drinking leads him to jail. His agent Max (an engaging Hippolyte Girardot) bails him out the next day, and a disheveled Mathias heads to rehearsals with an understandably concerned Elena.

There is a slight mystery at the beginning of Two Pianos regarding a child Mathias encounters in the park. Upon digging through his mother’s (Anne Kessler) photos, Mathias finds a picture of himself that looks exactly like the young stranger. Is Mathias imagining the child, or is there something logical for this coincidence?

Two Pianos = Two Different Viewpoints

Some viewers may see Mathias as a complete narcissist thanks to self-sabotaging and sulking behavior. Two Pianos, however, is a subtle and resonant look at the difficult choices some artists make to pursue their lifelong dream. Although Mathias still has passion for Claude and finds happiness in Lyon, there exists a world beyond his comfort. Elena, whose life mainly focused on artistic achievement, urges Mathias to follow her path.

These conflicting ideas swirl around Mathias’ head, and director Arnaud Desplechin weaves an immersive tale that is refreshingly uncompromising. Though Desplechin has the tools to bring a ton of operatic moments to Two Pianos, he chooses to play lighter notes during several pivotal moments (including the finale). This subtlety gives the film a true to life depth. Add in the locked in performances of Civil, Rampling and Tereszkiewicz, and Two Pianos ends up a top tier cinematic experience (my rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️).

Check out my Two Pianos review on CinemAddicts or on YouTube:

Two Pianos, running at 115 minutes, is now playing at Angelika Film Center and the Laemmle Royal. National expansion runs through early June and check out Kino Lorber for details.

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