Chevalier movie review: Kelvin Harrison Jr’s musical biopic hits many false notes

Starring Kelvin Harrison Jr, Chevalier chooses instead to briefly jump back in time and show a young Joseph being enrolled by his father at a prestigious Paris academy, and then leap forward by many years, when he is already a member of the elite, having been anointed ‘Chevalier’ by Mario Antoinette herself. Exactly what kind of deals he struck with the devil to claw ahead in the world is up to you to imagine. Chevalier, the movie, doesn’t bother showing any of it, besides the requisite bullying scene at school, followed by a fencing sequence in which Joseph is forced to parry racist barbs in addition to sword attacks.

Most of the drama is strangely focused on Joseph’s tussle with a white man for the open position of conductor at the Paris Opera. And for the entire second act, the movie transforms into an upbeat title race of sorts. We observe Joseph’s tendency to not conform — he courts a married woman after becoming smitten with her voice, and despite being quite the showman on stage, doesn’t really call attention to his personal struggles — but we never quite understand what drives him. This isn’t merely a survival saga; Joseph is striving for excellence. Of course, you empathise with him, considering everything that he has (presumably) gone through. But because of the movie’s plot-driven approach to these scenes, you’re never quite allowed a peek inside Joseph’s mind.

Is this an Icarus tale? Has Joseph become too arrogant? Or is this merely a defence mechanism that anybody in his position would have to use? And most importantly, why does it feel like the movie is cautioning Black people from being too ambitious? Because Joseph isn’t merely a Black man; he’s a Black man in a position of prestige, if not power. These aren’t questions that the movie encourages you to ask, by the way. You’ll begin to think about these things more out of frustration than anything else.

There is an interesting film in there somewhere, but veteran television director Stephen Williams frequents fails to find it. Instead, he lathers Chevalier in an almost Bridgerton-esque soapiness. Minnie Driver drops by to play a vamp that even Ekta Kapoor would be proud of, and there’s a villain whose description in an early scene makes him sound so despicable that Inspector Javert might feel compelled to dial it up a notch lest he be mistaken for a saint.

It’s possible for a movie to be nimble-footed but weighty, and while all of this makes for moderately entertaining fare, Chevalier never really feels as important as it should. Tonally, it’s about as light-hearted as the recent Cheetos movie Flamin’ Hot, another drama about an upwardly mobile ‘outsider’ who was subjected to racial abuse. But that guy (maybe) invented a snack flavour, Chevalier defied societal norms and created music that moved millions. As tasty as Cheetos might be, nobody’s crying over them. And for that reason alone, Joseph Bologne’s incredible story deserved an incredible film.

Chevalier
Director – Stephen Williams
Cast – Kelvin Harrison Jr, Samara Weaving, Lucy Boynton, Minnie Driver, Marton Csokas
Rating – 2.5/5