Concerto for Abigail

A musician struggles to keep her life in order as she gradually loses her hearing and starts a romantic relationship with a fan.

Samantha (Young) is a successful and famous musician. However, she has recently found out that her hearing is deteriorating and in the near future she will lose it completely. Nevertheless, she is determined to remain strong and carry on with her life. She meets Abigail (Bogart), who is a big fan of hers and the two of them begin dating and become romantically involved. Samantha does not disclose her condition to Abigail, creating problems in their relationship and simultaneously, she has to deal with her manager, Katherine (Sheppard), who wants to expand Abigail's career, regardless of being aware of her issue.

The plot of this feature drama bears similarities to the 2019 film Sound of Metal, about a drummer who loses his ability to hear. Unlike that film though, Concerto for Abigail is less heavy on drama, with the experience of slowly becoming deaf being less vivid and has a protagonist who has accepted her misfortune. The two main conflicts consist of Samantha keeping her problem a secret from her new partner and Katherine making things harder for her with her naive behaviour. Plenty of romance goes on and plenty of confrontations, along with moving moments.

The film explores the challenges of losing one's hearing, such as Samantha being unaware that people are talking to her and the emotional impact her condition is having on her. More attention appears to be given to the significance of honesty and understanding in relationships and the importance of support to help someone get through hard times and to achieve their goals.

Samantha makes a heroine that the viewer will most likely sympathise with. An accomplished musician who is facing never listening to music again, her passion, but faces it with bravery and dignity, continuing to enjoy life. Abigail, is a nurse and her fan, who also becomes her lover but is unable to understand what is troubling her. Katherine is a well-meaning person, who occasionally seems to unwillingly think selfishly.

As this is a story about a musician, unsurprisingly music is often present and is a joy to listen to, whether when Samantha performs on stage with her two colleagues or when the non-diegetic score by Kanoa Wolfe-Doblin arrives with some beautiful and dramatic piano melodies.

Visually, the film looks great thanks to Cameron Schmucker's cinematography and director Corran adds value with some wonderful aerial shots.

This is a feature about a woman who is going through very challenging times. It is a heart-warming and inspiring story about romance, personal struggles, self-reflection and about being optimistic and strong in order to face life's challenges.