Hilary and Jackie (1998)

The tragic story of acclaimed cellist Jacqueline du Pré (Emily Watson) is one I was already familiar with, but I had no idea that her sister Hilary (Rachel Griffiths) was also an accomplished flautist nor that there was allegedly a bit of fluidity amidst their marital relationships. Initially, both are encouraged when they are very young by parents (Celia Imrie and Charles Dance) to practice hard and to play to their best, and before long they are both regulars on the concert circuit. Despite being younger, it’s the more outgoing Jackie who emerges the more popular whilst Hilary marries the effusive Kiffer (David Morrisey), starts a family and moves to a remote country home. It’s on a visit to that home that the boundaries between the sisters are significantly redrawn, and even though Daniel Barenboim (James Frain) appears on the scene and marries Jackie, the sibling relationship becomes strained until a debilitating illness gradually curtails her cello-playing career and ultimately causes her to become wheelchair-bound and the rest is history. It’s based on a version of the family history from Hilary, though disputed by others, so it’s maybe best taken with a pinch of salt - but there are two strong and characterfully portrayed leading performances here as well as some lovely musical accompaniment from the real du Pré via the likes of Sir Edward Elgar and JS Bach to give us a clue as to the real talents of this virtuoso cellist. It also gives us a glimpse of the competitive nature of the world in which Jacqueline lived, but there are still moments of joy - even frivolity - and it does make you realise better what beautiful tones can come from a Stradivarius cello called “Davidov”. It’s a drama, at times maybe a little too close to a melodrama, but it’s well held together by Watson and Griffiths and worth a watch (and a listen).