Child Prodigy (l'enfant Prodige) (2010)

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Perceived by many in the know as "The Mozart of Canada," composer-cum-pianist André Mathieu (1929-1968) traveled a path as heartbreaking as it was all too familiar. Born in Montreal, Quebec, to a highly musical family (father Roldolphe was a composer and music instructor, while mother Wilhemine was… More Perceived by many in the know as "The Mozart of Canada," composer-cum-pianist André Mathieu (1929-1968) traveled a path as heartbreaking as it was all too familiar. Born in Montreal, Quebec, to a highly musical family (father Roldolphe was a composer and music instructor, while mother Wilhemine was a cellist and instructor), André grew up as a child prodigy who began composing at the tender age of four. He encountered seemingly limitless critical and popular success, with all of the wealth that traditionally accompanies it, and studied with the likes of Mme. Giraud-Latarse, Yves Nat and Arthur Honegger. His Parisian recitals so dazzled listeners that Sergei Rachmaninoff, of all people, allegedly declared that Mathieu's genius outstripped his own. Tragically, though, the glories of the young man's life were all too temporary: as André entered adulthood, he found it increasingly difficult to adjust on an emotional level, and eventually slipped into alcoholism and ill-repute, dying at the age of 39. This documentary from director Luc Dion draws on archival material, interviews, and other sources to tell the complex and poignant story of Mathieu's life and career. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi