| Overall Grade: |
A+ |
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| Story: |
A+ |
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| Acting: |
A+ |
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| Direction: |
A+ |
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| Visuals: |
A+ |
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Holly Hunter Plays It Good
by Yahoo! Movies User (movies profile)
Nov 30, 2006
2
of
2 people found this review helpful
Story:
Ada, a mute 19th-century woman, has been sent to New Zealand in an arranged marriage with a patriarchal landowner called George. She brings along her daughter, Flora, and tries to also bring her beloved piano, much to the consternation of her new husband, who abandons the piano on a beach. When Baines (Harvey Keitel), an illiterate settler covered with Maori tattoos, rescues her piano and buys it from her husband, an affair begins that will change the world of Ada and everyone around her.
What Worked:
Everything. Jane Campion's amazing directing leads Holly Hunter, Anna Paquin, Sam Neill, and the other stars to a point where they are pure character. Hunter's Ada is amazing, and the Oscars she and Paquin (Flora) won are well deserved.
The cinematography is beautiful. From the warm, erotically charged scenes, bathed in golden light, to the blue forest and the wild fighting that occurs, to the dim, dark piano room and the grey beach, to the bottom of the sea, every location is more than pretty. Each and evey obe is unique and detailed.
The music in a film called "The Piano" is naturally very good, and Hunter plays well. The visual effects are flawless and put to good use.
What Didn't Work:
The sole problem with this movie is the incredibly sexually charged atmosphere. It builds up to an almost unbearable point, and then dies. We never experience the finale Campion leads us to believe we will experience.
Summary:
Who should see this movie? Any drama/romance lover will adore this film. Comedy is out of the question, though. The film is also violent in several spots, but action is really not very important and the fights are usually dramnatic confrontations.
"The Piano" is a stunningly beautiful, well-acted and directed film that never ceases to shock and amaze with its power. Highly recommended. |
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