Ameriatch One of the best films i have seen

AshUnow This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Payno I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Brenda The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

kijii This movie combines two of my favorite subjects: classical piano concertos and competitions. Here, Paul Dietrich (Richard Dreyfuss) must decide whether to get a real job or continue his attempt—at his parents' expense—to become a great concert pianist. Though things don't look too promising at his age, he decides to take one LAST attempt at his long-planned career as a concert pianist before "throwing in the towel." This chance arises with an announced competition in San Francisco. When he arrives, another pianist, Hiedie Joan Schoonover (Amy Irvin), recognizes him from a previous competition at Tanglewood even though he pretends not to recognize her at first. Paul vows NOT to become romantically involved with her since he knows that personal involvement and competition do not mix!!! However, an unforeseen delay in the finals, coupled with devastating news from home, draws Paul to Heidi in spite of his vow. Another element to the story is that Heidi's teacher, Greta Vandermann (Lee Remick), wants to continue a teacher-pupil linage which stems clear back to Beethoven. So, this competition is also Greta's chance to continue this linage. The movie is also enhanced by Sam Wanamaker, who makes a great temperamental conductor. For the record, in the portrayed competition: Paul performs Beethoven's Emperor Concerto and Heidi performs Prokofiev's 3rd Piano Concerto.

jjnxn-1 Good drama with great classical music. Not an incisive examination of the cutthroat world of music competition although they do delve into it somewhat. More a drama of a selfish man letting down his defenses and a young girl who learns more than she bargains for when she lets down her guard. Excellent performances from the leads with Lee Remick adding her special brand of class but putting an icy edge to it as Amy's teacher. The only rough patch is when the two leads, who are remarkably free of rhythm for supposed musicians, dance to contemporary and quite awful music. They're glue-foots. For classical music lovers this will be a treat.

charlessmith702210 If this flick was going to be the great prelude to the movie "Shine," I would definitely say yes.As you may know, "Shine" also takes place during a big piano concerto competition at the Royal College of Music, where the character David Helfgott tries to the utmost to beat his schizophrenic mind as he plays the most notorious concerto ever--The Rachmaninov Piano Concerto no. 3."The Competition" also takes a moderate borrowing from the aspects and the plots from another movie called "Madame Sousatka", which depicts a competitive piano performer preparing for a concerto competition with Schumann's A Minor Piano Concerto, with an old--but very strict---piano teacher. Both movies tell a little bit on how some people are so obsessed with practicing for a piano competition and teachers who are almost or not almost always strict in pianistic interpretation.But what makes "The Competition" even better than "Madame Sousatka" or "Shine" is how a romance can make or break piano competition training, and how winning a competition can change your life for the better. The best character I liked was the one played by Amy Irving.During the final competition scene, where competing piano concerto participants play with a full orchestra, you hear snipets from some of the great piano concertos that are still played today. They were: the Haydn D Major Concerto, The G minor by Saint-Saens, the 3rd Concerto in C Major by Prokofiev, and the Emperor Piano Concerto by Beethoven.

roger.nelson The Competition (1980)The Main Cast:Richard Dreyfuss (Paul Dietrich) Amy Irving (Heidi Joan Schoonover) Lee Remick (Greta Vandemann)Two concert pianists, played by Richard Dreyfuss and Amy Irving, fall in love at a prestigeous competition they are finalists in, but there is much more to the story than that. The film gives an insight as to what takes place in those competitions during which the participants must be aware of and protect themselves from the "competitive edge" of the other pianists. The acting by the entire cast and the directing is exceptional, but what is more exceptional than that is the fingersynching of the actors while appearing to actually play the piano. The late Lee Remick is outstanding as Amy Irving's teacher. A thoroughly enjoyable film with great acting, script, direction and music. A tip of the hat should go to Jean Evensen Shaw and her assistant Dorothy Hull for tutoring the actors about where, when and how to place their fingers on the keyboard. But, since nothing is ever perfect, I can still imagine James Mason, who wasn't in the movie, rapping the knuckles of a few of the pianists because of poor hand position. Richard Dreyfuss was the worst. Amy Irving was perfect! She had her hands always above the keys and did a stellar job of fingersynching the playing of Sergei Prokofiev's Piano Concerto #3, which is actually played by Daniel Pollack. The 5 minutes and 25 seconds Amy Irving spent at the piano during the performance of that piece was one of the highlights of the film. I can't praise this film too highly. However, the end left something to be desired, although not as much as one would think. But I would be remiss in my praise if I didn't at least give the lion's share of the credit to Joel Oliansky for all the hard work he and his crew put into the making of this film and getting it to the public.