Five Star Cinema: The Song of Names

Tim Roth and Clive Owen star in this acclaimed sweeping historical drama, about a man searching for his childhood best friend — a Polish violin prodigy orphaned in the Holocaust — who vanished decades before on the night of his first public performance. Constructed like a detective mystery on a grand scale, the film opens the night of the much-anticipated first public performance by Dovidl Rapoport, a Polish musical prodigy. When he doesn't show up, his best friend Martin is left to tell the packed theatre that the performance will not go on. Decades later, an adult Martin (Roth), serving as a judge in a musical competition, watches a young student prepare to play in Dovidl's unique style. This moment sends Martin, over the objections of his wife Helen, on a transcontinental search. As the mystery of the disappearance unravels, Martin finds himself consumed by memories of the deep bond between the two boys — and also uncovering elements of Dovidl's tormented life that Martin simply couldn't have fathomed at the time. An emotionally inspiring tale of family, ambition, and friendship, The Song of Names is, unsurprisingly, driven by exquisite music and is a powerful call to remember.