Grand Piano

Here's a director who knows how to shoot a film and he directed the hell out of this silly script, but you can throw the fanciest camera tricks at a dog of a script -- but good looking nonsense is still nonsense. This is one of those high concept screenplays that seems churned out by an automated software writing program, not a human who actually sat down to write this. Elijah Wood gives a one note (pun!) performance and he's either miscast or just downright boring as our lead - though his hands do a convincing job. An off screen for most of the film John Cusack is our villain who will shoot Mr. Wood and his pretty little wife if he plays a wrong note. Cusack's expository dialogue over the last act of the film, explaining his motives are eye rolling and the remaining 15 minutes seem like the automated writing software malfunctioned when character motivation and narrative collided. A dumb, harmless film.

The amount of inconsistencies and wildly implausible things in this film, not even related to the story but related to the art of piano playing, really shouldn't be addressed. The film doesn't take itself seriously and clearly seems to know how preposterous it is, and it doesn't care. It has a hell of a lot of fun in what its doing, and by that I mean I did. There's a vibrant energy to this that really makes it pop and work like music in the best scenes, those scenes involving the tense plot work along with the concertos being played. It's really interesting and doesn't feel half-baked like so many thrillers do. Very fun film, definitely recommended.

Entertaining suspense movie packs intrigue and ordinary touches in Hitchcock style . Top-notch thriller embroils a famous pianist in killing and twisted intrigue . Having messed up at playing an extremely difficult piano piece a few years before, talented pianist Tom Selznick (Elijah Wood) lives with an extreme case of stage fright . Taking a step in the right direction and talked into it by his up and coming actress wife (Kerry Bishé) , Tom decides to give performing live another try . Already a mess, the situation is made much worse, when in the middle of playing a much easier musical number, Tom discovers a strange note written on his music sheet , the premise is the following : Play or Die .

Ultra-tense Spanish thriller starring Elijah Wood as a concert pianist who moments before his comeback performance suffers from stage fright and to discover that if he fails to play the music precisely as it was written , a nearly impossible feat in this case , then a sniper hidden in the theater will open fire. The picture is realized in Hitch wake , as it has a great number of elements and his own iconography : vertiginous height , innocent man wrongfully chased , blonde bombshells , voyeurism, long non-dialogue sequences , a matter of mistaken identity , MacGuffin ,etc. Do you know what a MacGuffin is, Maestro? It's a person or thing around which the entire film revolves and yet turns out to have little importance to the story . It's a magnificent device whereby a good plot can be given a driving force without the indecency of explanation . Grand Piano (2013), from director Eugenio Mira is an exciting film displaying suspense , intrigue , tension , and interesting drama well written by Damien Chazelle . Packs an ordinary theme of the suspense magician : innocent people become caught up in a cobweb intrigue and uncanny , intelligent villains . From the thrilling story and screenplay including literately and thoughtful dialog , the picture gets unlimited suspense in crescendo , tense , full of lingering frames and with the typical touches Hitchcock . And plenty of MacGuffins , as this picture is heavy with devices . A hidden threat, a hostage, an assistant, an unplayable piece of music, a stage, a key, and the unknown fortune of a deceased mentor .

Enjoyable mystery movie involves a bewildered pianist who hold numerous tricks in order to escape from a cruel killer and being chased cross hall concert and backstage . This agreeable picture by Eugenio Mira has a memorable scene after another and following the steps from master of suspense . This film has these particularities ; furthermore contains a fun intrigue , amusing situations and keeps the action at feverish pitch . Grand Piano is Hitchockian in the truer sense : It's a meticulously crafted piece of filmmaking that's wholly committed to a highly specific , somewhat outlandish premise . In addition , a colorful as well as evocative cinematography by Unax Mendia . Special mention to impressive and rousing musical score by Victor Reyes . The motion picture was well directed by Eugenio Mira (Agnosia , Birthday) and perfectly produced by Rodrigo Cortes (Buried , Red lights) . Mira played these elements like a concert pianist, perfectly timed with a soaring melody. Rating : Above average , well worth watching .

Elijah Wood has become a surprisingly versatile actor in the last few years!! From his major role as Frodo in the Lord of the Rings and now Hobbit films (admittedly this is more a cameo role) to his frightening portrayal of Frank Zito in last years Maniac remake, this role in the Spanish thriller Grand Piano sees him go down a different sort of character entirely.

The below synopsis is taken from IMDb: Moments before his comeback performance, a concert pianist who suffers from stage fright discovers a note written on his music sheet.

I like this film a lot even though the writer and director push the realms of believability to pretty much bursting point!! Wood plays Tom Selznick, a formidably talented yet twitchy pianist who 5 years ago got the worst case of stage fright attempting to complete his master's most complex composition, only to flee the stage during a sold out performance. He is now talked into returning to the stage by his incredibly successful wife played by Kerry Bishe, Wood's nerves are stretched to breaking point when an unseen (for the most part), but voiced (by way of an earpiece), sniper, played by John Cusack, threatens his life and that of his wife if he makes a mistake during the performance. The assassins motives remain a mystery for most of the film and when they finally arrive they feel a bit unnecessarily convoluted, overall this film brings a style of thriller that cinema hasn't seen in a while.

Grand Piano reeks of the sort of film making that Brian De Palma would crank out back in the 70's and 80's. It is certainly more than just a tip of the cap to the 70+ year old director that's for sure. But the huge and beautiful cinematography of the auditorium, the vibrant colours and wonderful symphonic score of this film is something truly to behold. The acting isn't of the highest standard but I do enjoy Wood's performance and I also loved seeing Cusack take on the role of the bad guy.

Yes it's all a bit twee at the end and yes the overall plot is a bit of nonsense, however I found Grand Piano to be a lot of fun and kinda nostalgic. It's not a heavy recommend from me but if you get the opportunity then there are worse things to watch on a Saturday night.

RocknReelReviews.com

A film that has clearly started with a high concept - like Speed but playing a piano rather than driving a bus - and the plot has been fitted round that. Having started from that fairly ludicrous premise, you might hope that the film would either embrace it and not take itself seriously, or find clever twists to add. Unfortunately it does neither. It's short enough to avoid being boring, and competently shot and acted, but really has very little to offer.

It's hard to think of the target audience for this - a run of the mill thriller based around classical music? - and I am mystified by its inclusion at the London Film Festival.