9 thoughts on “Care for an Impromptu?

  1. LOVE THIS MOVIE SO MUCH! Love it for the gender play and the irreverent portrait of those Great Musicians. The scene where Liszt and Chopin play 4-hand piano and jump up and switch places right before the final cadence is SO ENDEARING. And Judy Dench stretched out on the floor under the piano while Chopin is playing – perfect. Also Bernadette Peters’ incredible cattiness.

  2. I have never heard of this movie despite it having Emma in it… Now the challenge is to find it. It sounds just like “my kind of movie”.

  3. My daughter and I quote this to each other. “She has a crush on Chopin.” “Stupid, stupid rain.” I love the flood of stupid play. What incredible brats.

  4. I’ve seen this film twice and really appreciated the lightheartedness and comedy, which make it such a refreshing change from the average costume drama. The acting is technically quite good, but I am a little surprised to see so much praise for Thompson in particular, as I thought her performance was one of the weaker ones in the film. I usually enjoy her work, but this role ranks right up there with her portrayal of Professor Trelawney as one of her most grating, hammy performances.

    The costumes are, as has been discussed, amazing. I wish that the average Hollywood production would take even half as much care as this film does in recreating historically accurate hairstyles and undergarments. You can tell that the 1830s silhouettes are correct (excellent stays/corsets on the women!), and even though a few of the hairstyles are egregiously inaccurate, many of them are actually quite good. I think contemporary influences on movie hairstyles are usually much more obvious than they are here.

  5. You’re asking me if Emma Thompson in a waistcoat is …mmmm …uhhh …what? Could you repeat the question? I got distracted by Emma Thompson in a waistcoat.

  6. FYI – There are two George Sand-inspired perfumes from niche houses.

    http://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Maitre-Parfumeur-et-Gantier/Eau-de-Parfum-de-George-Sand-3800.html

    http://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Maison-Nicolas-de-Barry/L-eau-de-George-Sand-24139.html

    NFI how one might obtain either, though I ordered a decant of the Gantier, and I need to try it again. I remember liking it, mildly, but it didn’t strike me as the roiling mystery for which I craved. Perhaps I gave it short shrift. Isn’t it interesting how we imagine the constrictions of boning (heh) and the hand of fine fabrics when we watch films, but we don’t think so much of the fragrances people of the period would have worn? To that end, it’s interesting to explore the really old perfumeries that still produce formulations of decades or ceturies ago.

    Impromptu is one of my all time favorites. I find Judy Davis bewitching. I’d be her bitch any day of the week.

  7. One of my all time favourite movies of all time. I’ve seen it at least once a year since it first came out- even more now that I own a copy. I fell in love with Delacroix in High School, and have been fascinated with that group of friends ever since. (Remember “Notorious Woman”, with Rosemary Harris as George and George Chakiris as Chopin? 1974, Masterpiece Theatre. I so wanted to dress like her!) Anyway, Impromptu is everything I could want, except I always want more! (I wish someone would make a movie or series about Delacroix!) So happy to find others who love this film as much as I do!

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