‘Tchaikovsky’s Wife’: Doom and Gloom in 19th Century Russia [Cannes]

I am by no means a fan of Kirill Serebnikkov’s movies, but there is a lot of good filmmaking in “Tchaikovsky’s Wife.” This is a passionate and messily told film.

Much like his other films (“Petrov’s Flu,” “The Student”) this is, thematically-speaking, very heavy-handed stuff. Tackling Antonina Miliukova‘s obsession with the composer (an astounding Alena Mikhailova as the wife), Serebnikkov’s film is overstuffed yet never dull.

As rumors swirled around Moscow of his homosexuality, Tchaikovsky decided to marry the eerily persistent Antonina In what would amount to be a loveless marriage. Her clingy nature finally interfered with his art and that’s when he started to ghost Antonina, opting to pay her 1000 roubles a month to keep her distance. Of course, she wouldn’t have it, she was obsessed with the master.

You’d expect some kind of tension, and there are moments where Mikahailova’s performance completely towers over the passionate yet flawed screenplay. Meanwhile, Serebnikkov sets his 19th century Moscow with endless days of rain, fog and greyish hues. It’s all very Dostoyevskian.

Of course, Antonina’s delusions get the best of her, she starts to crack, refuses to end the marriage, and that’s when the film earns its best and most surreal moments, including an impromptu musical number than can best be described as a “dance of death.”

You really have to give it to Serebnikkov, he’s talented at staging his closeups and long shots in ways most filmmakers would gleam in envy. Too bad his ambitions always seem to get the best of him. [B-]