With Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis” earning rave reviews and a ton of money at the box office, another rock star biopic, the TIFF-premiering “Chevalier,” is hoping to find similar success—only the star of this historical drama predates rock and roll by nearly two hundred years.
The subject of “Chevalier” is Joseph Bologne (later Chevalier de Saint-Georges), a French-Caribbean violinist and composer who took the Parisian music scene by storm in the second half of the 18th century. Though revered in his time as a virtuoso musician (and as a skilled fencer), his legacy has since been obscured and downplayed in favor of his more prolific contemporaries: Haydn, Salieri, and Mozart.
Directed by Stephen Williams (“Watchmen”; “True Story”) and written by Stefani Robinson (“Atlanta”), “Chevalier” stars Kelvin Harrison Jr. (“Waves”; he also played B.B. King in “Elvis”) as Bologne, with Samara Weaving as his love interest, Marie-Josephine, and Lucy Boynton as Marie Antoinette. Ronke Adekolujoe, Marton Csokas, Alex Fitzalan, and Minnie Driver also feature in supporting roles.
Here is the official synopsis:
Based on the true story of composer Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, the illegitimate son of an African slave and a French plantation owner, who rises to heights in French society as a composer before an ill-fated love affair.
“Chevalier” recently premiered at TIFF, featuring alongside some of the year’s biggest films, including “The Fabelmans,” “The Whale,” “Women Talking,” and “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.” Williams’ last TIFF appearance was his debut feature, “Soul Survivor,” which played at the festival in 1995.
“Chevalier” is expected to arrive on April 7, 2023.
Watch the new trailer below:
