The Red Violin (1998)

Premise: Nicolo Bussotti (Carlo Cecchi) prepares his finest violin for the birth of his son, as his wife, Anna (Irene Grazioli), has her fortune read. The violin passes hands over time and continents, to a wunderkind orphan (Kristoph Koncz) in Romantic Era Vienna to celebrated violinist Frederick Pope (Jason Flemyng) in Oxford to Xiang Pei (Sylvia Chang) during the Cultural Revolution before it settles in an auction house in present day Montréal to be authenticated by Charles Morritz (Samuel L. Jackson).

Before I go on, allow me to point out that above still isn't from the movie. I couldn't find one that I liked, so I just went with one that showcased the film's co-writer and director, an autere of the truest sort, François Girard. He had the idea of an object traveling through time and space, and this perfect violin was it. A film seven years in the making for which John Corigliano wrote the best movie score I have heard - one haunting theme slowly and uniquely developed as though it was meant to be with the violin always.

It's difficult to conjure up the words for a movie so perfect that even Bertha Rochester, try as she might, couldn't break its spell. It's astonishing and awe-inspiring and beautiful in all the best ways that a movie could be, from the opening shots of the violin schoolyard to the final frame of the credits. A+