User reviews

Sure this is a movie that everyone loves to hate. A foreign movie about a boy who is gifted on the piano. His parents notice this and immediately set about to make sure the boy is properly educated and makes sure he plays the piano. The boy just wants, you know, to be a boy. No one seems to understand except his grandfather. So you know, they have a SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP. Sure, this is a predictable and syrupy feel-good fluff, but damned if I didn't enjoy it. I LOVED this movie. This is the type of movie that you could say the sum is equal to it's parts, as all the cast and the script combine together to make this as enjoyable as possible. A special nod goes out to the 3 kids playing Vitus, who are all quite great, and to Bruno Ganz who is quite marvelous here too. Again, this wont make any awards list, or be even nominated for anything (it's just a little TOO predictable), but this sure would make audiences cheer.

Saw a screening tonight at Tribeca Film Festival - good news for American Audiences: Sony Classics will be distributing Vitus here beginning June 07.

Director Muller says Vitus grew out of his own childhood fantasy: to be a genius. Other fantasies also play out in this completely guileless, charming story.

(Teo Gheorghiu is, in fact, a brilliant pianist. Now 14, he played in person before the screening and proved that, in fact, all the musicianship on display is real. The 5-yr old Vitus also plays.) Happier, and funnier, than Little Man Tate. IMO, what is thoroughly unpredictable about this film is the absence of nasty, bitter adults and children you'd have likely found in an American version ... except for the "boss's son" character, who is a cliché, but not one you have to look at for long.

Vitus demonstrates that fantasy can be a personal, human pastime, not just a cartoon or computer-generated effect. Terrific little film.

The Story about a boy-genius who wants nothing, than being a normal boy, is a well played and charmful story. The Boy is played by a real-life-boy-genius who plays the piano amazingly. Grandpa is the same actor as "Hitler" in "Der Untergang" and shows herewith his incredible talent for various roles.

The Movie has no gunfights, carcrashes or nudescenes. Its a simple, heartwarming story, which takes you away from the fast and hectic daily life into a almost 2-hour-story, which is nothing but good and charming.

A silent movie, but nevertheless a real good one.

I saw this movie at the Palm Springs Film Festival and absolutely loved it. I didn't want it to end. It just got better and better. I almost didn't go to see it because there were so many other choices. I thought it was just going to be about a child prodigy, but it was about so much more. There were many stories besides the many one, and every one of them was unique and kept my interest. Screenwriters could learn a lot by analyzing the elements that composed this film and then writing more good ones like this. The acting was superb. I thought that the young piano player stole the show. He was perfectly cast. However, the real life piano player who played the character was also excellent in his role. It was so nice to have a complex plot without being in the middle of a story with family members screaming at each other. They may have had different plans for the piano player's life, but at heart they all loved each other.

What a great movie to come out of Switzerland, though for those who have followed Fredy Murer's career this shouldn't come as much of a surprise. His humanity truly transcends geographical and language boundaries and what he has to tell us about growing up, and raising children, in a funny, heartwarming but never condescending story that sounds true every step of the way, is simply extraordinary.

The casting is outstanding, too, from the two young real-life pianists to another subtly powerful performance by Bruno Ganz. Sony Classics will release it this summer (I just saw it at the Tribeca Film Festival) - go and see it if you missed it. Hard to believe that they apparently had a hard time raising money for this, but now it seems to have all been worth it. It was also the country's official Acadamy Award entry for best foreign language film (though it didn't win).

Got a chance to talk to the director after the screening, such a nice man, too...

We just saw Vitus at the San Francisco International Film Festival, with an audience that packed in the theatre and gave the director a round of applause at the end. In the context of Fredi Murer's career, this film address themes that he explored in earlier works such as Alpine Fire and Full Moon, but here with a lighter, less moralistic tone. Murer clearly has a great rapport with children and brings out a credible performance from the nonprofessional actor (but real-life musical virtuoso) Teo Gheorghiu -- especially considering that so much of the film rests on this young pianist's shoulders. Bruno Ganz, whom English-speaking audiences rarely get to hear performing in his own Zurich dialect, unsentimentally embodies the traditional Swiss values that are disappearing under a wave of American-style materialism and yuppie anxiety.

Parents, take your young geniuses to see this film, and take its humane message of love, self-recognition and forgiveness to heart.

Vitus takes a little too long to get to the meat of the story. And then it takes its time letting the story unfold. Aside from the slow pacing, however, it's an interesting story about a child prodigy starring an actual child prodigy.

Vitus portrays a kid who struggles to choose between his parents dreams and his own. Anyone with over ambitious parents can relate! The acting is incredible. Seeing the grandfather in the role was excellent- I first saw him as Hitler in the German film Untergang (Downfall) about Hitler's last days. He does a marvelous job in both films. Anyone interested in foreign film should see it- it's stirred up a bit of chaos for directly portraying Hitler and evoking sympathy for him.

In Vitus, the young boy who plays Vitus at age twelve is an actual Piano prodigy. There was no need to fake piano playing- he really is playing in the film. The person who elected to do this was genius, they added and incredible amount of credibility to the entire feature. The movie is excellent and comes to the US soon. A US remake is already being discussed- a testament to the excellence of the film.

It is an open secret that Swiss German movies are almost unknown outside of Europe and that they seldom or never win Oscars. Well understood, I speak here about movies in Swiss German language. Swiss German is by most Americans not even recognized as German; for Americans who have traveled to Europe, it sounds like Austrian, which is does not at all, in reality. Therefore, it does not astonish either, that most Americans do not know that there was a time when Swiss German movies were en vogue, this was in the 50ies and in the early 60ies. Even before, in the 30ies and 40ies, there was a time when it looked like Swiss German movies would reach international standards in the near future.

But unfortunately, except some highlights like "Bäckerei Zürrer", "Hinter den sieben Gleisen" or "Dällebach Kari" by Kurt Früh, "Ueli der Knecht" and "Ueli der Pächter" by Franz Schnyder (which are available in Japan, but not in the US), "Die plötzliche Einsamkeit des Konrad Steiner" by Kurt Gloor (all available in region-bound, non-subtitled dvds for horribly high prices in Switzerland), Swiss movies are not reaching the standards of other European states. And now comes Vitus which has been nominated for Oscar, from a film director who has made not much more than a handful of feature-length movies. How does this movie fit into the Swiss film tradition? For everybody who knows the movies that I have mentioned above, the structure of "Vitus" is not unknown: it is a movie that belongs to the fairytale-genre introduced by Kurt Früh fifty and more years ago. Vitus, the "wunderkind" who plays most difficult sonatas before he is 10 years old, is ready to graduate from high school with 12 and earns with his own company millions and millions of Swiss Franks by stock-exchange - this is not so different from the miraculous fate of the poor and miserably living family Caduff to whom the wizard comes in the person of the realty-owner Mr. Frehner who gives them for free a luxury-apartment on the Nob Hill of Zurich and turns them from gypsies to winners of the post-war-time in "Es Dach überem Chopf". However, there is a huge difference between "Vitus" and the old Kurt Früh-movies: the ladder are social-critique, the Vitus is not, but stays on the surface. Instead, we learn about the desolate status of today's Swiss German which is mixed up with American lumps. Above all, "Vitus" simply lacks its anchoring in today's Swiss society - as Kurt Früh's movies were strongly anchored in the Zurich society of the 50ies and 60ies. Although we see Vitus' father and, shortly, his mother, at work, the family stays isolated from the rest of Zurich's society. For example, we do not even see any neighbors in or around the house in Wipkingen, where the family von Holzen lives. All the encounters of Vitus and his family stand under the appearances of wonders that will happen, not under actual social interplay. The movie, therefore, is a nice and entertaining story about a fictive little boy, but not more and settles, compared to Kurt Früh's movies, on a much deeper level than it had been reached in Swiss film culture already at the end of the fifties.

VITUS is a film from Switzerland that has garnered many accolades and nearly won an Oscar. And yes, it is that good! Written by Fredi M. Murer, Peter Luisi, and Lukas B. Suter and directed by Murer, VITUS explores the life of a child genius, a lad who from the age of five is obviously gifted in that he can play Bach et al after only a few months lessons and is able to read books and understand concepts that make his stance in a regular kindergarten class untenable. But the film is less about the gifts of a child prodigy than it is a story of how a genius child longs for a normal childhood. It is in the telling of the story that the audience is privileged to discover the joys and trials in a child's view of being extraordinary.

Vitus - played at age 6 by Fabrizio Borsani and at age 12 by Teo Gheorghiu - is referred to as a little Mozart by his parents Helen (Julika Jenkins) and Leo (Urs Jucker), and by the family friends who are amazed at Vitus' gift as a pianist. But as is often the case with gifted children, they are overprotected, not allowed to engage in the normal activities of being a kid. Vitus finds consolation in his grandfather (a brilliant Bruno Ganz) whose creative energy includes Vitus in his longing to fly and to build complex machines. While Vitus continues his love for the piano he also takes risks with his beloved grandfather. Vitus' intelligence serves him well in analyzing the complexities of his father's job and his grandfather's role in that position, and it is his genius that leads the family in a direction no one thought possible. And of course with every story of an extraordinary young lad adapting to a puzzling world, there is also a love interest: Isabel at age 12 (Kristina Lykowa) is his fun-loving babysitter and at age 19 (Tamara Scarpellini) is the queen of his inexperienced heart and fill a void in Vitus' life that otherwise would be empty. Fitting all of these subplots together is made magical by Vitus' constant playing of classical music - a feat the young actor is capable of performing on his own! The cast of this film is not only gifted but is also endearing. Bruno Ganz is a brilliant actor and he is matched by both of the young actors who play Vitus. The story is tender but avoids bathos. It simply is an uplifting, inspiring, entertaining film. A Must See! Grady Harp

You should have the plot by now, a child piano prodigy who just wants to be a kid.

I typically make allowances for low budget films like this. I don't expect them to meet Hollywood block buster standards. I had been looking at this film in the video store for about a year, and while I was draw to it, I couldn't quite pull the trigger because what I was getting was not clear. Eventually I found the video in a bargain bin at the local store and I bought it. I was not disappointed.

Like I said, I make some allowances for low budget films, but this story and the actors held together exceptionally well from beginning to end. A very enjoyable and engaging story. Well crafted and well told.

I was very pleased with this film, and rate it very highly. A very well told and heart warming story; beautifully crafted.

The theme is too common, if not somewhat a clichés. It is a movie about a gifted boy, and his love for freedom. Yes, but what else then? I have seen so many movies about gifted people, but none of them is so boring like this one.

First of all, his love for music is wired. It is music that made him find his "princess", and it is music that forced him to get rid of the disguise. But what does this love for music actually mean for the movie as a whole? To me, it is something beautiful but totally redundant. I understood the impact his grandfather has had on him, so I understood the flying thing, the craftsmanship, and the final take-off scene. But why is music so important? Without music, we still knew he was talented because he was talented in many aspects. Without music, we still knew he was interesting, because he created the whole drama to deceive the tough mother...Only his love for Isabel explains music, but guess what, his love for Isabel is also redundant...What I could see is a deliberate tact to make him look funny, a man's mind in a boy's brain...But does he look funnier? Certainly not so noticeably...

Only the grandfather did a good job. And this is the only compliment that I can give...

I just saw this on a plane (and overseas flight) and I watched it twice, as it was so good. The acting was superb, the script very credible. This is perfect art-house cinema or Netflix material. So when do we get it here? Even just on video? (Is this where I whine that pleasant little gems like this go unnoticed by dumb Americans?) Besides, how many Swiss films will you ever see in your entire life? BTW, the piano playing fooled me entirely. I kept looking and trying to figure out how it was done (hence, the dumb American comment). It will be very easy for anyone who is smarter than the average bear to identify with this story.

I loved that this child was not only musically gifted, which I expected from the descriptors of the movie. He was mathematically a genius as well. But, the most amazing part was his understanding of psychology -- the ability to solve severe financial problems for his grandfather, the ability to manipulate everyone in his world into thinking he was normal for several years. The movie is one of the best I have seen in, literally, decades. And, then, there is the piano performance of a real musical savant. So, this is the story -- but the ability of the script and the director to move me into childhood, to remember what some of the issues of autonomy are, to see a family who loves and cares for their child, but also faces issues of financial pressures and job loss. This is a movie we can all relate to on many levels. What a great show!! I hope it becomes available on DVD -- I'll buy about 10 to give away. Dr. Margaret

These two current movies both have boy protagonists (Joshua is eleven and a half and Vitus is ultimately twelve) who happen to be both intellectually brilliant and piano prodigies. 'Joshua,' a psychological thriller with horror overtones, is scary and depressing. 'Vitus' is an upbeat fairy tale children could watch, if they can read subtitles: dialogue is mostly in Swiss German and Hoch Deutsch (with a little English). Neither of these films is quite an unmitigated success, but both have interesting things to say about the plight of being super-smart and prematurely accomplished. Maybe Joshua just wants to be loved; Vitus says he just wants to be a normal boy; but fortunately, there's more to it than that in both cases. Together these are two poles of attitudes toward such young people.

Joshua's posh Upper West Side "haute bourgeoisie" or "über-yuppie" life takes a dive when a new baby enters the scene. His college-boy-jovial hedge-fund-trader dad Brad (Sam Rockwell) is videoing the infant, and when Joshua ((Jacob Kogan) plays one of his virtuoso pieces, they just ask him to quiet down. Also present in that first scene are his born-again grandma (Celia Weston) and his gay musical show-biz uncle (Dallas Roberts). The uncle is the kindred spirit in the room.

It's funny: both Joshua and Vitus wear little suits and have tidy mops of hair and seem a bit undersize for their ages. But Joshua is a bad seed who spins out an aura of evil and fear off the screen as time goes on, while Vitus is geeky and a prig (for a while anyway) and has a lust for his baby sitter that's at best nutty, but he's otherwise ultimately sweet. Joshua brings down his family, and Vitus saves his. Vitus becomes a successful entrepreneur, and learns to dress casually.

Joshua is like an incubus. He just stands there, sometimes scaring Brad or his mom Abby (Vera Farmiga) by popping up behind them. His face and voice are without affect. Even when he says "Mommy? Daddy? I love you," it's creepy.

Vitus is distant too, initially anyway. He doesn't fit in at school and insults his teachers. But as a small child he has a down-to-earth babysitter, Isabel (played by Kristina Lykawa, later by Tamara Scarpellini), and they enjoy hanging out together. She gets fired and replaced by his English mother (Julike Jenkins), who has blossomed into a controlling stage mom. But where Joshua only occasionally sees his simpatico uncle, Vitus gets to spend a lot of time with his wonderfully relaxed and entertaining granddad (Bruno Ganz, anything but a Hitler this time) , who makes things and goes on walks with the boy and talks about his dreams of being a pilot way back when.

Bad things start happening in Joshua's household from day one (the film takes us, rather harrowingly, through 70-plus). The baby is fine for less than a week when she begins to cry constantly, which brings Abby back to the shaky state she was in during Joshua's early stages--and then some. Perhaps if they'd found an older nanny for the kids, or just the baby, and paid more attention to Josh, the household would not have come apart. Joshua has some very suspenseful moments. You may think the boy will go for the baby, but that's a red herring. His methods are more devious than that and involve night vision film-making, Egyptian methods of mummification, and a performance of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" that is redesigned as if composed by Bartok. (Like the two boys who play Vitus, Fabrizio Borsani and Teo Gheogiou, the boy who plays Joshua, Jacob Korgan, is a genuine piano prodigy).

'Joshua' has a good, ironic sense of its eastern urban white milieu, and though it may fizzle away a bit at the end, it does make you genuinely uncomfortable. This independent first film by Ratliff uses the conventional sound effects and disintegrating set devices of the horror film in fresh ways. But making Joshua into a monster limits where things can go. Rockwell, Farmiga, and Westson are good insofar as they avoid drifting into caricature. Ratliff previously made a documentary about fundamentalist Christians, and the grandma's attempt to "save" Joshua becomes a realistically creepy element. She gets her reward. This is an indictment of insensitive parents, but its picture of a wunderkind demonizes the type.

'Vitus' is a softer world, but this boy is suffering too. In a way his burly dad Leo (Urs Jucker), who creates hearing aids and becomes CEO of a company, is another version of the squash-playing yuppie represented by Sam Rockwell, but he seems more present. The problem is Vitus doesn't fit in in school and then his mom takes him from his childhood piano teacher, who he says he loves, to a famous lady who declares "a rational mind and a warm heart, those are what make a great pianist." "That's why I want to be a vet," Vitus answers, refusing to play for her or become her student. Eventually he contrives to stage an accident after which he seems to have lost his special talent and his high IQ. He precedes to carry out some exploits with his granddad that lead to the film's conclusion. This could be rather fun for a young viewer, though some American critics have found this charming story "simplistic" or "sappy." It does perhaps leave you a little flat because its feel-good finale is too fanciful. 'Joshua' is a film that's riveting and disturbing: its narrow horror focus makes for a concentrated effect. But it's much more fun to watch ''Vitus, which brings up the same issues--about how it's tough to be exceptional--without demonizing brilliance. Teo Gheorghiu may be a little but nerdy, but he has a sensitive face and delivers his lines in ways that are sprightly and nuanced.

This is a wonderful little gem from Switzerland about a piano wunderkind, a kid who is smarter and more intuitive than almost anyone around him--except his grandfather (Bruno Ganz, in a wonderfully nuanced performance). Yes, the film is perhaps overly sentimental, and yes, it's occasionally a wee bit improbable (if not impossible)--but the performances from the entire cast are first rate.

This is one of those films about evolving into the person you are at heart instead of becoming the person others expect you to be, and is what is termed a "heart-warming" film, and for those open to it, indeed it is: no murders, no explosions, no trendy violence. Instead, the story is perfectly paced, full of characters you can care about.Leave your scientific logic at the door and open up to the spell of Vitus; otherwise--why bother? (the kid really can play the piano--it's amazing to see those tiny hands pounding out the classics with sensitivity and power!)

Just saw this movie tonight at the European Movie Week. While I am not a movie freak like my darling wife, it is simply the best movie I have seen in perhaps 10 years! Come on! I can't believe I am actually online looking for how to buy this movie. I have NEVER been bothered before to even look at the cast in a movie, not to talk of looking a movie up online. With zero violence or nudity, I find the simple manner of presentation of the plot highly intellectual. I hope to get it on DVD and perhaps, distribute. It has definitely changed my perception of European movies. My son is musically talented and this movie has positively impacted on my thinking about raising him.