Vitus: Critic Reviews

Vitus, a fizzy domestic fairy tale from Switzerland, gives you a lift, as it revels in the oddball joy of genius as kid power.

This was Switzerland's entry for the 2006 Oscars, and you can see why. Like most award-seeking crowd-pleasers, it places uncomfortable impulses in opposition then dramatizes them in the most unchallenging way imaginable.

The cast is superb, especially the young actors who portray Vitus; [Teo] Gheorghiu is a real-life piano prodigy, lending an extra frisson to the intoxicating music that plays throughout the film.

Vitus freaks you out, but its makers seem to have no idea that it does.

If writer-director Fredi Murer had sparked a more rebellious spirit within the project, he might have made a truly memorable fantasy for both children and adults.

The more sentimentally inclined in the audience may even feel like applauding.

There are some likable elements to this unusual, erratic, ultimately frustrating film.

[A] celebratory, family-friendly fable.

While the metaphor here may be too literal for some tastes, Murer shows how our families also give us the wings to fly.

Pic is a fine example of old-fashioned story-telling and also will dance wherever detailed character development and leisurely-paced drama are appreciated.

Oh, yes. I loved the music, but it's almost impossible to go wrong with Bach and Schumann.

Directed with a conspicuous lack of inspiration.

Vitus's cool intelligence, knotty narrative and precise performances make it a pleasure to watch even when it sends mixed messages about the true nature of its protagonist.

Although a tad sentimental, Vitus is charming and smart in how it deals with its fascinating central character, a very young child prodigy, and the problems he experiences because of his overheated brain power.

Murer is a skillful director and has crafted a crowd-pleasing story that will have particular appeal to mature 'tweeners.

Una pelicula interesante, si bien no original, sobre lo que significa crecer siendo un nino prodigio. Sorprendentes actuaciones de los pequenos protagonistas, junto al veterano y experto Bruno Ganz.

I alternately wanted to slap and hug the majority of the characters

Newcomer Teo Gheorghiu does a fantastic job of bringing the title character to life...

[Twelve-year-old lead actor] Gheroghiu's subtle acting ... makes the somewhat fantastical plot threads that drive the second half of the film believable, and turns what was a somewhat bloodless family drama into a cleverly constructed tale void of life-af

...fairy tales are really horror shows, and the idea of children as anything other than miniature adults with the full complement of ugly motives is a relatively recent one.

Like a gifted youngster, 'Vitus' doesn't fulfill its potential.

The less you know about the storyline the better, but there are elements of a buddy movie, a super scam, and love story in this film about a 12 year old wunderkind who has the smarts to make his dreams soar