The Devil's Violinist

Classical music lovers may be tempted to check out Bernard Rose's take on the old tale about violin virtuoso Niccolo Paganini selling his soul to Satan for his unmatched dexterity on his instrument, but Rose's florid, hysterical (and far from historical) pseudo-biographical movie will certainly disappoint them. David Garrett plays the tortured fiddler, and his musical performances—which include the final Caprice and Paganini's elaborate version of “God Save the King”—are high points (unfortunately, as an actor Garrett leaves much to be desired). Rose melodramatically presents Paganini as a tortured genius yearning for recognition who immediately accepts an offer of international celebrity from the mysterious Count Urbani (Jared Harris, mercilessly chewing the scenery)—at the cost of his soul. Soon Paganini has become the 19th-century equivalent of a long-haired, strangely dressed, utterly egotistical rock star, over whom all the ladies swoon while Urbani caters to his every whim and arranges a lucrative engagement in England, where the violinist begins a star-crossed romance with a promoter's daughter. As the man who practically invented the modern idea of the travelling virtuoso, Paganini was admittedly a pretty flamboyant showman, but that doesn't make Rose's extravagantly lurid take any more enjoyable. Not recommended. (F. Swietek)