We've seen rap battles in 8 Mile and riff offs in Pitch Perfect, but Chevalier presents the classical music equivalent in its opening moments. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Joseph Prowen) is giving a concert in Paris much to the delight of the audience when a voice from the crowd asks if he may play with him on stage. Ever the showman, Mozart agrees, only to be surprised when the boasting violinist is Joseph Bologne (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), a Black violinist. Any preconceptions Mozart has about Joseph's abilities are quickly put to bed, as he shows up Mozart and wins the crowd. If it were modern day, Joseph would drop the mic as he exited the stage.
This is we are introduced to Joseph Bologne, a real-life virtuoso and composer who, as the movie presents it, is the equivalent of a rock star during the French Revolution. It's a great opening that puts the spotlight of the movie on Harrison and the classical music, hooking audiences with a leading man they may not be as familiar with and a style of music that is not exactly topping the charts. That, along with its message of choice and knowing your worth even when others look down on you is enough to make Chevalier a good watch, though it also overshadows other elements that could have brought the story to the next level.
