A cool film that mixes music with fear, The Sonata takes you into a world surrounded by evil and death. Nicely written to move along at a slow pace, the production, location and the sets play a big part in this mystery for fans of the genre. In a dark movie theater in the company with a friend or loved one, this one will keep you glued to the screen thanking yourself that you are not alone.
Estranged from her father Richard Marlowe (Rutger Hauer), a famous music composer, Rose Fisher (Freya Tingley), a primo violinist, finds out he has died. At a meeting with her talent agent Charles (Simon Abkarian) along with a Notary, she’s told that she is the one and only heiress to his fortune. Since there is no will, she inherits everything including the copyrights to Marlowe’s entire body of work and his castle-like property in France.
Following the meeting, Rose tells her long time manager Charles that she has been contacted by a New York firm that wants to represent her. After some off handed discord between the two, Charles leaves her with a warning that she is not “that” good and will be absorbed by the talent firm for their own gain. Distraught over the current disagreement Rose goes to France to see what she has inherited. While the secluded 11th century mansion is in disorder from being vacant, it’s still livable.
The long time housekeeper Theresa (Catherine Schaub-Abkarian) visits Rose and tells her of Marlowe’s awful death and she leaves with Rose now alone. When she goes through Marlowe’s desk and finds some pages of music and plays the haunting sonata she sends copies to Charles to see if they are valuable. Thus begins a mystery that leads to terror when Rose starts to hear voices and movement around the mansion.
Director and writer Andrew Desmond moves his film along at a slow pace making sure the audience knows the personalities of his characters and then starts to interject unusual symbols and spirits. As his film takes shape with more information on Marlowe’s work, we find there’s more than meets the eye as Desmond sets a deeply eerie mood to his malevolent script.
While the mansion itself is a character in the film, it’s the players that make everything plausible and provide the slow burn of impending terror. The two protagonists, Rose and Charles put on a good show revealing clues to the importance of the sonata and then how the symbolism makes the magic from the music. Simon Abkarian starts off very businesslike as the agent and manager of his violinist prodigy then changes as he faces Rose’s dilemma. As he develops his character we find out a lot about the man and the growing envy of his new found shot at riches. He’s a father like figure to Rose at first, but gets possessed as digs into the valuable possibilities.
As the young woman who has inherited millions, Freya Tingley shows Rose’s determination to handle her own life. But, as things start to get out of hand, she welcomes Charles to the French mansion as a protector. As she reaches some of the answers to the mystery, she quickly realizes that she may be steeping into something extremely wicked and that maybe Charles is not who she thought.
The Sonata has not been rated by the MPAA, but does contain language, brutality and violence. So be advised when deciding to let allow immature children to tag along.
FINAL ANALYSIS: A good film for those that like evil with their mystery. (3 out of 5 stars).
Additional Film Information:
Cast: Freya Tingley, Simon Abkarian, James Faulkner, Rutger Hauer, Catherine Schaub-Abkarian, Matt Barber,
Directed and written by: Andrew Desmond
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
MPAA Rating: Not Rated, language, brutality, some violence
Running Time: 1 hr. 30 min.
Opening Date: January 10, 2020
Distributed by: Screen Media
Released in: theaters and on demand
