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
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