Celebrated German actress Nina Hoss gives and impeccable performance as a perfectionist violin teacher, Anne, who despite opposition from other teachers in her music school decides to drive through the admission of a student in whom she detects a remarkable talent. Increasingly committed to preparing him for an upcoming audition, as well as to her own other extra-curricular interests, she neglects both her son and husband. As the day of the audition approaches the pressure only mounts.
Both serene and subversive, immaculately composed and backed by a stirring Bach soundtrack, The Audition is a gripping distinctive spin on the demanding teacher / gifted student narrative that forces you to keep asking questions until its final bracing moments.
90% – Rotten Tomatoes 7.6/10 – IMDB
“The groundswell of dogged determination propelling this environmental thriller is so powerful that it deals effortlessly with the knotty tangle of facts packed into its plot. Much of this is down to the film’s star and initiator, Mark Ruffalo.”
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79% – Rotten Tomatoes 6.5 / 10 – IMDB
“Weisse’s gripping, cool-blooded drama upends all manner of inspirational-educator clichés.“
“Weisse’s own form is unobtrusively immaculate, with Judith Kaufmann’s sober, autumn-toned lensing perfectly matching the stately tone of the Bach-heavy soundtrack: “The Audition” is often lovely to listen to, though you can never forget the human strain behind those strings.”
