The Piano
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Movie Reviews of The Piano
Movie Review: A Gem
Summary: 5 Stars
I just can't believe that some people call this movie "porn" - GET A LIFE!!!Though it sometimes has a low-budget feeling to it - probably because it is - this movie is heart-rending, and I'm usually not into this kind of thing.
A Scottish woman (Holly Hunter) stops speaking for no reason we ever get to know (nor where her precocious daughter [Anna Paquin] comes from), and is married off by her family to a New Zealand farmer (Sam Neill). After a tough journey she arrives in a strange land, and the only thing that matters to her besides her daughter is her piano, which allows her to express her feelings. But her woodheaded husband leaves it on the beach.
Their neighbour Baines, always suspicious for his good relations with the Maori and his tattoos, is fascinated by her, buys the piano off her master, and asks her for piano lessons.
While her husband plumply tries "to possess" her, Baines wants to touch her in exchange for parts of her piano. She acquiesces, and falls for this strange man who adores her.
The actors, the direction, the music are simply outstanding, and if The Piano hadn't been released in the same year as Schindler's List, it certainly would have gained more Oscars.
Just the end will have you discuss for ages - does she die dreaming or does she dream of dying?
Movie Review: One Of the Best Films of 1993
Summary: 5 Stars
"That Piano" was definitely one of the best films of 1993. The performances from the cast were spellbinding. Holly Hunter certainly deserved the Best Actress Ocsar she earned for this performance. It was a while since l had seen her really fit a character like a glove since her role in 1987 as a slightly cuckoo network television producer in "Broadcast News". Even though she doesn't speak a work throughout the entire movie, l got every emotion from her hands, face and her playing of the piano. Not many people know that Holly Hunter actually did a portion of her own piano playing in the film. Not all of it was done by the composer, Michael Nyman. Which leads my into the film's dramatic score which was both haunting and dream-like. Another point l would also like to make is that director Jane Campion is the first and only woman-director to be nominated for an Academy Award for this film. That is quite the feat in itself if you ask me. Newcomer Anna Paquin is mesmorizing as the young daughter who finds out about her mother's extra cirricular activities, if you know what l mean. Anna Paquin would go one to win the Oscar for best supporting actress at only the tender age of 11. Wow ! I highly recommend this tale of love, sex, betrayal and consequences.Movie Review: See How Good A Movie Can Be?
Summary: 5 Stars
Since the storylines of this fourteen-year-old film must surely be well-known, let me say that The Piano, one of my favorite movies, is a unique production whose makers went out of their way to truly give it the appearance of the mid-nineteenth-century. It strolls forward with an anti-modern slowness in order to accentuate the unspoiled scenery of New Zealand, and successfully bring certain moments to prominence with a pace that matches that of the pre-electronic era in which it is set. The quality of the visuals is heightened by the performances given by Holly Hunter, Sam Neill, Harvey Keitel, and most especially Anna Paquin, whose skillful portrayal here won her an Oscar at the tender age of eleven. The plot of The Piano is highly unusual, even unique. For filmmakers to have accomplished the release of a tale concerning a woman of the 1800's, who went from Scotland to the most remote of British colonies in order to marry a stranger, for this woman to be one whose self-imposed muteness is compensated by her lovely playing of a piano...I'm daunted by the courage of those who brought The Piano into reality. For the wealth of feeling in its story, for its setting, for its cast and for its sheer brave inimitability, it is a fine motion picture.Movie Review: Words cannot convey...
Summary: 5 Stars
Words cannot convey...and this is one of the things this incredible movie teaches us. The Piano is one of my favorite movies of all time. The scenery is breathtaking. Holly Hunter is brilliant as Ada, the mute (by choice) "victim" of an arranged marriage. Her facial expressions and physical movements express more than words could ever say. In fact, I found that once I become aware of watching her gestures, I began watching the expressions of other characters in the movie also. Harvey Kietel is cast in a very different role for him and the result is impressive and shows a much larger range of his acting ability. The music in the film is beautiful and is Ada's true "voice". This movie must not be watched in the ordinary way one would watch any other movie. If you're just going to watch it in a literal way, this isn't the movie for you. The Piano is a wonderous combination of music, scenery and symbolism. It's like a dream sequence. The movie feels almost enchanted. The filming of 2 major scenes of violence is exquisite. I didn't notice the violence itself so much as I felt the pain of the characters.
I highly recommend this film...no matter how many times I watch it, it never fails to move me.
Movie Review: Deeply moving. A unique and powerful love story.
Summary: 5 Stars
The Piano has always been one of my favorite films. There's not much that I can add to the excellent reviews already written, but I would like to make a brief recommendation.
Hollywood usually gets it all wrong when it comes to "period piece" films. Most end up looking like a bad masquerade ball, with actors dressed up in costumes while speaking poorly written dialogue. Thankfully, that ISN'T the case with "the Piano". However, even though this film successfully takes the viewer to a different era in a very believable way, it's far more than JUST a "period piece"; the story itself is TIMELESS.
A story of passion, creative expression, desire, physical and emotional imprisonment, and a LOVE so powerful that it poetically transcends both life and death. I'm actually at a loss for words to describe how deeply moving I found this film to be.
Truly a wonderful and powerful film. It's in my top ten of all time, and I highly recommend it.
JM
p.s.
At the time of this review, the Piano has been released in Australia on Blu-Ray. Lots of negative reviews concerning the picture quality of the transfer. Let's hope we get a proper Blu-Ray release, SOON!