I don’t know a lot about Warsaw’s International Chopin Piano Competition, the subject of Jakub Piatek’s electric and affecting documentary, but I do know a lot about musical competition. I’ve been playing the trumpet since 2003, in massive marching band smackdowns, in the crowd at the Fiesta Bowl, in pin-drop quiet concert halls, and in intimate solo performance rooms. No matter the venue, it’s always the same pressure. Eyes are on you.
There’s a lot of would-be schmaltz like that, embellished here and there like grace notes, but the confident filmmaking and surefire structure of an ever-whittling group of contestants maintain its meat-and-potatoes feel. This is an observational, elegant documentary, and the tugs at our heartstrings are all earned.