We were suitably unimpressed when the trailer for the Sky TV Amadeus (2025) miniseries dropped, but then I was stuck in an economy seat on a 10-hour flight home from Europe and saw that all five eps of this thing were available. I’m criminally unable to sleep sitting upright on a plane, besides, it was a daytime flight westward, thus I was moderately awake and supremely bored, and I also knew this series was coming to Starz in the U.S. soon enough. So I killed some time by watching the show, since I could get a blog review out of it. Wasn’t the worst way to spend half the flight, but it didn’t totally distract me from the crappy seat and tedious flight either.
This production isn’t a biopic of the composer — it’s an adaption of the 1979 theatrical play by Peter Shaffer, which the 1984 movie was also based on. This production is clearly part of the current “no new ideas, let’s recycle existing intellectual property” mode in Hollywood, et. al, whether it’s comic book movies, classic literature, or plays-turned-movies-now-turned-TV-shows. sigh If you’ve seen the movie, there’s no big spoilers here (though it looks like Starz is dropping one episode weekly).
Five hours does give more time for, say, Constanze’s story, including the birth and death of her and Wolfgang’s first child, Raimund (the couple had six children, of which two sons survived to adulthood). Her own musicality is hinted at, given that all the Weber sisters were trained singers.
The miniseries’ length also leaves space to explore Mozart’s mental state and how a childhood spent touring as a prodigy under pressure of his father may have traumatized him. This could have been more interesting with either a stronger script or actor in the part, but instead it emphasizes how Will Sharpe is out of his depth in the role. He plays Mozart as, well, kind of one-note (even though the “too many notes” line is included here). Sharpe’s Mozart is an arrogant genius, and that’s about it. If he’s a tortured genius, he shrugs it off, doesn’t linger or reflect on that darkness and doesn’t let the audience inside. He immediately snaps back into being a self-centered, know-it-all jerk who you can’t understand why Constanze loves him or any of his friends want to be around him. He’s repellant except, supposedly, for the music he creates.
Thankfully, Paul Bettany as Salieri can and does absolutely carry the show — he drives every scene he’s in, he has the most and best dialog, and he’s easily the best actor in the whole series. Will Sharpe can’t hold a candle to Bettany, which is a pity because the show’s called “Amadeus,” not “Salieri.” The only thing I’d previously remembered Bettany in was A Knight’s Tale, which I despised, and his performance in this miniseries just might wipe that from my brain.
Overall the story is meh, other than watching Paul Bettany, and alas, the costumes by designer Lisa Duncan are equally middling. They’re OK and very much of the same vein of other recent series (like, say, The Forsytes) that aren’t trying too hard. The basic historical shapes and styles are there, but some details/accessories are missing or off, and the leading characters sometimes go astray.
The best of the lot are the men’s suits, especially those worn by Salieri — he gets gorgeous embroidery in dark tones that look very much like period examples. 
Also, his wigs are spot-on, simple, and effective. In CNN Traveller, Paul Bettany noted: “Vickie Lang (Hair and Make-Up Designer) and I spoke a lot about how I saw Salieri. I wanted him to look kind of embalmed and waxy and reptilian, and I think she did an annoyingly good job on that.”
Mozart’s suits are pretty good too, a bit less elaborately trimmed (since he’s less financially secure) but also in a wider range of colors to fit his youth and general style.
I’m not so sure about Mozart’s wigs though. It’s like they wanted to reference the 1984 movie’s wacky punk-rock style but not exactly copy it, so they just went with a light frizz — which sometimes works and sometimes looks half-assed.
If Mozart had just been given more of the taller, foppish style wigs that were correct for the period, like his librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte (Ényì Okoronkwo) wears, I think that would have looked better and less like a faint copy of the movie.
Where the costumes are most lackluster is in the women’s wear, and I noticed a number of recycled dresses (though I couldn’t get pix). The Frau Weber and her daughters have a mix of good, recycled, and not great dresses, starting when Mozart rents a room in their house. Also, check out the gown on the sister on the far right — yep it’s that Scalamandre “strawberry” brocade, same as used in Dangerous Liaisons (1988), but here with a jacket.
The women’s hairstyles sometimes lack enough hairpins, and it’s inconsistently done. Constanze (Gabrielle Creevy) gets a lot of half up / half down hairstyles that bear only a slight resemblance to 18th-c. fashions.
Weirdest of all is her wedding gown, which the costume designer said on Instagram was inspired by a dress from Alexander McQueen’s final collection — OK, but why? IDK, man.
This is just straight-up Lord of the Rings fantasy, girl.
One random thing I liked was Rory Kinnear as Emperor Joseph. Instead of being a joke like in the movie, his character serves as a useful historical counterpoint, reminding Salieri (and the audience) of the political context of the music. It’s a rare intrusion of accuracy into a mishmash of somewhat pointless theatrics.
Will you be watching this Amadeus?
Find this frock flick at:
Look for the movie The Heart of Me with Paul Bettany and Helena Bonham Carter. You will love Paul in that one. It definitely stays with you.
I don’t expect to be rocked by this “Amadeus,” but I really like Paul Bettany, ever since “Master and Commander” and “The Young Victoria.” I’m surprised he doesn’t have more frock flicks in his filmography.
He was far too good-looking as Stephen Maturin in Master and Commander, but yes, her was very good in that. (And got given a lovely banyan!)
He’s made a number of them; there was a Bettany MCM several years back. P.B. was also memorable as Charles Darwin in “Creation.” (He even has Darwin’s distinctive forehead, looming slightly over the rest of his face.)
I won’t watch the Amadeus series, though; I dislike this concept of Mozart, and of his wife.
The closest I’ve seen Bettany in a frock flick is when he played Vision in WandaVision
Not a frock flick, but Bettany also played Ted Kaczynski in the series “Manhunt: Unabomber”.
Deep sigh! Oh, well, at least there’s actual colors used here, I never want to see mud brown, turd green or fucking beige ever again! Outlander I’m looking at u!
LOL – good thing the final episode of Outlander starts streaming Friday. No more mud there…
Paul Bettany fodder for future Frock Flicks contemplation include “Master and Commander,” (the coat he tramps around the Galapagos islands in is worth a look among all the uniforms)
“The Young Victoria,” (swoonworthy Lord Melbourne) a “Sharpe” episode as Prince William of Orange (military uniforms again), “The Reckoning” (a medieval murder mystery that has some interesting mystery play costumes).
If I must be honest, I’m not a fan of the 1984 movie, either.
Forman’s Amadeus is my favorite movie of all time. With that in mind I approached this iteration with more than a bit of trepidation. I found the differences most interesting but the similarities took me completely out of the story.
Totally agree
I love Forman’s Amadeus as well because of the cast and music by the orchestra of St Martin in the Fields. The ladies costumes have issues, which FF pointed out very well here. Every time I see it, I notice that the ladies aren’t costumed from the skin out, except in the scenes where they’re in nothing but corsets – and where are the chemises? But still – the overall film is incredible, and I doubt this could hold a candle to the ’84 version.
I saw the original Broadway production with Ian McKellan and Peter Firth as well as the movie with Tom Hulce and F. Murray Abraham. So far, Will Sharpe is just giving me snarky, obnoxious brat who also composes beautiful music, but nothing deeper. I adore Paul Bettany and his blue eyes, and Rory Kinnear is always worth watching.
I agree that this one looks relatively terrible for all the reasons you say.
I love that you think it was a 1994 movie. I’m guessing (based on your writing) that you were not born that year, so every year you weren’t alive is basically the same.
Wft are you talking about? I said “This production isn’t a biopic of the composer — it’s an adaption of the 1979 theatrical play by Peter Shaffer, which the 1984 movie was also based on.” & if you click thru the highlighted “1984 movie” you’ll find my in-depth review of the film, which I saw in the theaters. But I’m guessing by your comment you’re not clever enough to have figured that out.
I’m over the remake, reimagining, whatever train in Hollywood. Thanks for watching this so we don’t have to.
I find it hilarious that in a show supposedly about Mozart Salieri is the best thing to see XD – He’d be so pleased!
Also “…embalmed and waxy and reptilian” is such a fun description – I bet the makeup/hair designer had a lot of fun figuring out that one!
I didn’t enjoy the 1984 movie much, to be honest. So much hysteria and apparently so much historical inaccuracy (which is the play’s fault, to be fair). But I will say I listened to a recording of the play with Thomas Scofield and thought his performance was fantastic – he put so much gravitas into his performance. So I guess there is some redemption in offering an interesting part to good actors (even if the real Salieri was very different). I’m not paying for a Starz sub, but maybe I’ll catch a scene or two on Youtube: I’d like to see what Paul Bettany does with the character, too.
You very clearly express your hatred for A KNIGHT’S TALE and expect em to trust your review in the slightest?
Dream on, my good reviewer!
I have no plans to see this – even on an overseas flight, I’m sure there are a lot of other things that could entertain me for the long haul. lol I do love the original Amadeus film for the music and cast. I liked Paul Bettany as the vain and slightly manipulative Lord Melbourne in The Young Victoria – I mean, if Melbourne had really looked like Paul Bettany, Lady Caroline Lamb never would have left him for Byron. I’ve somehow been sucked into the MCU, thanks to my comic book loving coworkers, so I’m familiar with his Jarvis/Vision characters. And I vaguely remember Bettany from The DaVinci Code, although I was more interested in the film locations and art seen in the background than in the lame plot. Like Trystan, I am over remakes. I don’t understand the necessity when a film can be considered a masterpiece. Not that they’re my favorites, but would anyone dare to remake Gone with the Wind, Lawrence of Arabia, Citizen Kane, or Casablanca? The first play I worked on in my college costume shop was Amadeus, so this story is special to me. I think well read adults realize the play is a fantasy; who knows what a bored and uninformed tv viewer might think.
Only tangentially related, but it makes me so happy to finally find someone else who despised A Knight’s Tale! I hate that movie, and everyone I know who is into historical pieces loves it.
Hah thank you! When I first posted my snarky review of why I hated A Knight’s Tale, a ton of ppl commented about how much they loved it. So weird :D
Having just read that review, I remain slightly shocked so many persons whose opinions I otherwise respect hate one of my favourite films (Mostly, it would seem, for at no point pretending to be anything but a Chivalric Romance with the odd flourish borrowed from history).
I mean the film starts with a Medieval tourney ground rocking out to Queen, this is clearly not a history flick, does not pretend to be a history flick and doesn’t really deserve to be castigated for not being a meticulously-historical romance.
I’m not saying you all HAVE to like it, one can accept that you dislike it, I simply don’t understand the apparently-energetic contempt for an unpretentious popcorn flick.
I haven’t read all the hater comments above. But I can tell you this… There is an homage to the original which can’t be reproduced in any media or TV or movie. Why? Because it was perfect… The original. Who can contest the great F. Murray Abraham or the perfecto Tom Hulce. Amadeus, though, in this episodic story is also perfection. Between Will, Paul, and Gabrielle this story so far extends beyond the original but pays homage to it just the same. Will is perfection, Paul is a legend, and Gabrielle is a force yet unrecognized. She will be in film for decades. This is a Masterpiece of acting and emotion. And I’m sorry to those who don’t think so. And I am favored to those who know what the future holds.