I wanted to see AN AMERICAN RHAPSODY from at least three years because of the subject and also because it's one of Scarlett Johannson's first movies. Last February I finally saw it and I liked it up until a point that made it unpleasant, so let me explain all the plot.
The story begins in Hungary in 1950 when Peter (Tony Goldwyn) and Margit Sandor (Nastassja Kinski) are forced to leave their country because of the oppressive Hungarian People's Republic and go in the United States but are forced to leave behind their infant daughter that is raised by a foster couple. 10 years later Peter and Margit make their daughter Suzanne (Johannson) come to the States and she has to adapt to the new lifestyle causing lots of troubles. At age 15 Suzanne decides to come to terms with her roots and decide to return to Hungary for finding her true identity and staying there forever.
The subject was interesting and I liked the performances by the leads. However at half-way there is a bad point where Margit forbids Suzanne to see her new boyfriend and to even leave her house to the point of putting iron grates to the windows and locking her room's door up until Suzanne shoots at the door nearly breaking it. I mean, why put this part? It was better if it was cut because it was so nasty and mean-spirited and if it wasn't for that I would have given the movie a higher score because after that point it became great again.
Overall, a great story ruined half-way by an unnecessary moment that could have been deleted from the script as well because it's the movie's major strike. But excluding that, it has great performances and a satisfying ending.
The story begins in Hungary in 1950 when Peter (Tony Goldwyn) and Margit Sandor (Nastassja Kinski) are forced to leave their country because of the oppressive Hungarian People's Republic and go in the United States but are forced to leave behind their infant daughter that is raised by a foster couple. 10 years later Peter and Margit make their daughter Suzanne (Johannson) come to the States and she has to adapt to the new lifestyle causing lots of troubles. At age 15 Suzanne decides to come to terms with her roots and decide to return to Hungary for finding her true identity and staying there forever.
The subject was interesting and I liked the performances by the leads. However at half-way there is a bad point where Margit forbids Suzanne to see her new boyfriend and to even leave her house to the point of putting iron grates to the windows and locking her room's door up until Suzanne shoots at the door nearly breaking it. I mean, why put this part? It was better if it was cut because it was so nasty and mean-spirited and if it wasn't for that I would have given the movie a higher score because after that point it became great again.
Overall, a great story ruined half-way by an unnecessary moment that could have been deleted from the script as well because it's the movie's major strike. But excluding that, it has great performances and a satisfying ending.