Review of Grand Piano (2013) by Jesse O — 22 May 2014

This film is a bit of a mixed bag but, ultimately, there's enough good here to make it a solid rental at best. One thing about the film is that it is definitely a very strange and unique in its presentation and execution.

There's no real blood, or even that much violence. They let the film play out on the stage, through dialogue, which makes it stand out in a crowded genre. Not that I really feel comfortable calling this a "horror" movie.

It's a mystery/suspense with some slight hints of a heist film. At least not from the villain's point of view it's a heist. The film has its flaws, there are some moments where the film just comes across as cheap and low budget.

There's this scene where, Wayne, receiving a text message from Tom to get help, he goes up to the second floor of the concert hall and, it's clear he's standing in front of a green screen, and he's just walking in place, the background is the only thing that's moving to make it look like he's actually walking.

And it just looks so absolutely ghetto and cheaply made, that it kinda hurt the film in some places. Another aspect of the film I didn't like was the climax, it completely devolved into every thriller you've ever seen.

And what was such a strange film in the first two acts, this cliched third act really did hurt it a lot. It affected my final rating of the film. My last complaint of the film would be the fact that I believe the film thinks it's better than it actually is.

Nothing wrong with a film wanting to be above the pack in terms of inventiveness, but there's this feeling of pretension that permeates throughout the entire film. Maybe it's just me, but I did feel it.

I still think the film is good, with solid performances all around and a compelling approach to its story, so that elevates the film's preposterous plot and makes it far more interesting and watchable than it would've been otherwise.

A film full of flaws, but a good one nonetheless. Solid rental at best.