Tous les Matins du Monde

Don't let the cover fool you...this movie, Tous les Matins du Monde, is not a movie filled with steamy sex. Rather it's a film filled with divine Baroque music. The title translates as "All the mornings of the world," and in the novel by Pascal Quignard, the entire quote is "All the mornings of the world leave without ever returning." Or more simply "Each day dawns but once." It's the fictional story of composer Sainte Colombe and his student, Marin Marais. While both men are real, little is known for certain about their relationship as teacher/student. However, the author has created a plausible story that entwines the lives of the men with Sainte Colombe's daughters. There are some brief R-rated moments, but overall the film is about music...beautiful music...and the creative process. I first learned of the composer in an e-newsletter I receive daily called "Composer's Datebook." I heard some snippets of Sainte Colombe's music and was intrigued. Clicking onto the accompanying links brought me to more music, his instrument, the viola de gamba, and this movie. I blogged last year about the viola de gamba, an instrument I'd never heard of, and knew I had to see this film. I wasn't disappointed by its slow, meditative, music-filled story. I recommend ift for anyone who enjoys foreign films with English subtitles, movies that can tell a story without gratuitous sex and violence, and movies filled with gorgeous music.