The Concert (2009)

Nestled in Moscow's heart, the once-acclaimed conductor of the Bolshoi Orchestra, Andrey Simonovich Filipov, finds himself embellishing the theater's floors as a janitor, a startling fall from grace. Three decades prior, Andrey's defiant stand led to his fall, deemed disgraceful by the Communist Party for shielding his Jewish musicians. His baton was snatched away, and so was his privilege to conduct an orchestra. One fateful night, while performing his janitorial duties in the office of the Bolshoi's director Leonid Vinichenko, he stumbles upon a fax. It's an invitation from the Châtelet Theater in Paris, extending an olive branch to the Bolshoi Orchestra to grace their stage within a fortnight. A spark is ignited in Andrey as he conceals the document, sharing this exciting revelation with his friend and fellow musician, Aleksandr 'Sasha' Abramovich Grosman, a man whose life had taken a detour into ambulance driving. Andrey's audacious plan? To gather the scattered, fifty-five former musicians of the Bolshoi, transport them to Paris, and perform the stirring Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35, by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. They invite the formidable Communist leader and former KGB Ivan Gavrilov to manage this makeshift orchestra, enlisting the aid of the celebrated violinist, Anne-Marie Jacquet, for the solo. They request three days of Parisian allure after the performance. Upon their arrival in Paris, Andrey finds an opportunity to meet Anne-Marie amidst the chaos of his band members who find themselves exploring the city, partying and fundraising. The Russian musicians' lack of professionalism causes a rift, prompting Anne-Marie to consider withdrawing from the concert. Sasha, however, manages to persuade her to stay. Meanwhile, Andrey is haunted by a past incident involving the violinist Lea, a secret he guards fiercely from Anne-Marie. The question that lingers in the air is, what ties bind Andrey to Anne-Marie? As the ensemble navigates these turbulent waters, the possibility of a triumphant concert looms ahead. Will they overcome their struggles and rise to the occasion, or will their individual pasts and collective disarray lead to their downfall? The Concert presents an intricate tapestry of music, betrayal, redemption, and the relentless pursuit of a dream deferred.

The Concert is a comedy movie featuring Lionel Abelanski and directed by Radu Mihăileanu.

The Concert is currently streaming for free (ad-supported) on Freevee and The Roku Channel and it's also available on Hoopla.

It is also possible to buy The Concert on Amazon Video.