The Kreutzer Sonata review

Reviews

A low-fi and slow-moving tale of jealousy and seduction

Feb 25th 2010 By Kevin Harley

High art and lo-fi filmmaking mix in Bernard Rose’s (Ivansxtc) predictable, DV-shot study of marital jealousy, adapted from Tolstoy’s novella. Danny Huston plays rich philanthropist Edgar, who seduces classical pianist Abby (Elisabeth Rohm).

They marry and have kids, but motherhood frustrates Abby, so Edgar encourages her to play Beethoven with a young violinist (Matthew Yang King), with whom he soon suspects her of having a fling.

Rohm brings subtlety to her role but Edgar’s paranoia dominates, giving the hammy Huston too much room to over-cook this thin tragedy.

Those shoddy visuals, meanwhile, are equally off-putting.