| Product Summary | | Publisher: Sony Pictures | | Format: DVD | | UPC: 00043396214767 | | Buy.com Sku: 205716020 | | Item#: V2L64W | | Category Keywords: Classical Music | Rating:  |
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| | | "At Age 6, His Masters Were Bach, Mozart, Schumann, and Liszt. By Age 12, He Had Mastered Them."
Features: DVD, Widescreen, Aspect Ratio 1.85:1, Dolby Digital (5.1), English, French, Subtitled
Vitus is a boy who almost seems to be from another planet: he has hearing like a bat, he plays piano like a virtuoso and studies encyclopaedias at the age of five. It is no wonder his parents begin to anticipate a brilliant future for him. They want Vitus to become a pianist. However, the child prodigy prefers to play in his eccentric grandfather's workshop. He dreams of flying and of a normal childhood. Ultimately, with one dramatic leap, Vitus takes control of his own life.
"...a fine example of old-fashioned story-telling...detailed character development and leisurely-paced drama are appreciated." Eddie Cockrell, Variety
"...an absolute delight...a heartwarming joy for many reasons." George O. Singleton, Reel Movie Critic
Editor's Note
In this engaging drama from Switzerland, a child prodigy finds a unique way of dealing with being different. Vitus is no normal child. With a 180 IQ, a voracious appetite for knowledge, and a preternatural gift at playing the piano, he finds it hard to fit in with his peers. Like many parents of exceptional children, his mother and father (Julika Jenkins and Urs Jucker) are overbearing, eager to see their child succeed. But as his parents push and fellow children jeer, Vitus's grandfather (Bruno Ganz, THE DOWNFALL) simply allows the boy to be himself.Though VITUS follows the blueprint for childhood prodigy movies (such as SEARCHING FOR BOBBY FISCHER and the first act of SHINE) a bit too closely at times, it's saved by a great cast and some interesting twists. As the 12-year-old Vitus, Teo Gheorghiu, himself a piano prodigy, heightens the sense of realism in the film. The classic music he plays is beautiful, and the actor's playing itself is remarkable. Audiences used to seeing hand doubles in films about musicians will be presently surprised to see that there aren't any cuts, displaying Gheorghiu's incredible talent. Veteran actor Ganz has literally played everything from an angel to Hitler in his decades-long career, and he's wonderful here as Vitus's warm grandfather and best friend. As a result of great performances like these, it's easy to see why VITUS was the Swiss entry to the Oscars. Though VITUS follows the blueprint for childhood prodigy movies (such as SEARCHING FOR BOBBY FISCHER and the first act of SHINE) a bit too closely at times, it's saved by a great cast and some interesting twists. As the 12-year-old Vitus, Teo Gheorghiu, himself a piano prodigy, heightens the sense of realism in the film. The classic music he plays is beautiful, and the actor's playing itself is remarkable. Audiences used to seeing hand doubles in films about musicians will be presently surprised to see that there aren't any cuts, displaying Gheorghiu's incredible talent. Veteran actor Ganz has literally played everything from an angel to Hitler in his decades-long career, and he's wonderful here as Vitus's warm grandfather and best friend. As a result of great performances like these, it's easy to see why VITUS was the Swiss entry to the Oscars.
| Features | Audio: German Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound | | Interactive Menus | | Scene Selection | | Subtitles: English, French, Spanish |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: Sony Pictures |
| Release Date: 11/27/2007 |
| Running Time: 123 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 2007 | | Catalog ID: 21476 | | UPC: 00043396214767 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: Swiss German | | Available Audio Tracks: Swiss German | | Available Subtitles: English, French, Spanish | | Video: Color |
Aspect Ratio | | Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1 |
| Cast & Crew
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| | Professional Reviews | Box Office
"[A] charming coming-of-age drama featuring a protagonist who becomes a modern-day anti-Icarus....VITUS celebrates classical artistic values with rational humaneness." 06/22/2007 p.65New York Times
"This film about a brilliant boy pianist fighting to shape his destiny was Switzerland's entry for the 2006 Oscars and you can see why." 06/29/2007 p.E12 Entertainment Weekly
"This fizzy domestic fairy tale from Switzerland gives you a lift, as it revels in the oddball joy of genius as kid power." -- Grade: B 07/20/2007 p.58 Reel.com 9 of 10
While his ambitious English mother Helen (Julika Jenkins) devotes herself to his advancement with the single-minded ferocity of obsession, [Vitus] chafes under the burden of being different. That unique problem and the unique measures the sly young child takes to solve it are the driving force behind this sweet, engaging Swiss import, a pleasing drama for the whole family--provided the kids are old enough to read subtitles...In a different kind of movie, melodrama would ensue, but Murer employs a light touch. Like Vitus' grandfather, his affection for the character is palpable. Instead of a cautionary after-school special on the problems facing the gifted child, this boy genius figures things out on his own. The metaphor of flight that begins with the grandfather's fantasies takes hold and the story transforms into a comic fairytale, buoyed along by Murer's playful sense of humor, as well as his sharp eye for the way kids behave. Real-life piano prodigy Gherghiu, in only his first acting role, and the always wonderful Ganz add to the fun with their warm chemistry...the movie soars. It is the rare family film that never condescends and offers enough of a story to entertain both parent and child. - Pam Grady
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