This is my first attempt at writing a brief review or reflecton on each movie in my collection.

Francois Girard's The Red Violin is an intriguing tale of how a brilliant instrument can shape so many lives.

(man, reviews are harder to write than I thought. Maybe I'll make this a reflection.)

I watched The Red Violin while physically, emotionally and possibly spiritually drained from a shortened ski weekend. I had seen this before and purchased it from Columbia House -- the club I joined to get my free and dead-after-three-months-go-figure ipod (apple sucks, another page). It wasn't enthrallng enough to keep me awake mostly. The subtitles -- which I had forgotten about -- didn't help.

The film spans many languages (Italian, French, Chinese...), many continents and many centuries as it tracks the affect of a single violin. The story is told beautifully and woven together quite craftfully. The performances are all masterful with one odd peculiarity in the beginning when two characters, who I feel should have been looking at each other, are not. Did this movie win some awards? Must have.

OK, OK, it did! The music was stirring, as it should be. Would make a nice soundtrack to work by.

Could make a good discussion movie, as I'd be interested in hearing the opinions of others on just what statement the movie was making. To me it felt like a beautiful movie without any particular point. The film is a series of tales around the central character: the "inanimate" violin. Here is when I wish I was able to stay awake. (Where else can you read a review from a man who admits to have slept through much of the movie?)

Perhaps the violin is muse. It is curse and blessing at the same time. But the message seems much more dark than light.

Paraphrased line of note: "May your anger drive your work (towards perfection)."

What's with women who while sitting with a homey, scraggly, single man speak of wanting to marry rockstars and professional athletes?