Madame Sousatzka

A film about a piano teacher and her pupil in London. Sousatzka is a teacher of Russian background who has turned her house into a studio. Her method is strict: she prepares a pupil for years, will not let them perform, and works on posture, breathing and life before music. Manek is fifteen, of Indian background. The talent is obvious. His mother makes a living cooking at home and wants her son earning as soon as possible. The conflict comes from there. A concert agency takes an interest in the boy; the mother agrees, Sousatzka refuses. Her stated reason is that he is not ready, but the real matter is different: she does not want to let him go. What the film describes is possession. Sousatzka's own career ended early and she carries her pupils as a kind of compensation. The other tenants in the building are part of the story too; the house is an odd, crowded world. Shirley MacLaine plays Sousatzka; Peggy Ashcroft, Shabana Azmi and Navin Chowdhry are in the cast. John Schlesinger directed. A well-acted film for anyone who likes drama built on music and character studies. For a viewer expecting a story of ascent, the narrative is concerned with a separation rather than a triumph.