Running Time: 1hr 30min
Release Date: Sept 20, 2013 (Fantastic Fest)
Written by: Damien Chazelle
Directed by: Eugenio Mira
Review by: Stacey-Beth
Don't you just love going into a movie blind and coming out really enjoying it? Grand Piano did that for me when I saw it was freshly added to Shudder's streaming site; I guess seeing that the leading names were Elijah Wood and John Cusack didn't make me turn away either. Definitely not a horror film, but a good exercise in suspense, this one fell under my radar for far too long!
Five years after trying and failing to play a difficult piece, pianist Tom Selznick (Elijah Wood) is set to perform in memory of his mentor (who composed the piece he choked on). Once the performance begins, however, Tom realizes a mysterious sniper (John Cusack) in the audience promises to kill him if he plays a single wrong note.
I'm a little bummed that I hadn't heard of this one sooner. Of course it's not what you'd typically call "horror", but what it lacks in blood and guts, it makes up for in some serious suspense- from wondering who the hell has their sights on Tom, will he make a mistake, and why all this is happening. I can only assume because it's an English-language Spanish flick that maybe it just didn't get decent enough marketing here in the States.
There were several key players in the film, but of course Wood stole the show as the nervous pianist. Once Cusack himself was revealed (don't worry, that's not a spoiler), he barely spoke any lines but had some tense fight scenes with Wood, which was fun but his role seemed more "exciting" when he was just this murderous, faceless voice having his henchmen do the dirty work. Also it was nice to see Alex Winter in a film again!
I can't forget to mention the great score throughout Grand Piano, composed by Victor Reyes. It almost felt like a character itself in how it flowed perfectly with each scene. According to bits of trivia about the filming, Elijah Wood learned bits of the music he was playing to make it look as convincing as possible which I'd have to say is pretty impressive because I can't play an instrument to save my life.
I think there's more than enough to enjoy about this one, so I definitely wouldn't skip out on giving it a watch, especially if it's still streaming on Shudder.
3.5/5
Streaming on Shudder now!
Check out the trailer below:
Five years after trying and failing to play a difficult piece, pianist Tom Selznick (Elijah Wood) is set to perform in memory of his mentor (who composed the piece he choked on). Once the performance begins, however, Tom realizes a mysterious sniper (John Cusack) in the audience promises to kill him if he plays a single wrong note.
I'm a little bummed that I hadn't heard of this one sooner. Of course it's not what you'd typically call "horror", but what it lacks in blood and guts, it makes up for in some serious suspense- from wondering who the hell has their sights on Tom, will he make a mistake, and why all this is happening. I can only assume because it's an English-language Spanish flick that maybe it just didn't get decent enough marketing here in the States.
There were several key players in the film, but of course Wood stole the show as the nervous pianist. Once Cusack himself was revealed (don't worry, that's not a spoiler), he barely spoke any lines but had some tense fight scenes with Wood, which was fun but his role seemed more "exciting" when he was just this murderous, faceless voice having his henchmen do the dirty work. Also it was nice to see Alex Winter in a film again!
I can't forget to mention the great score throughout Grand Piano, composed by Victor Reyes. It almost felt like a character itself in how it flowed perfectly with each scene. According to bits of trivia about the filming, Elijah Wood learned bits of the music he was playing to make it look as convincing as possible which I'd have to say is pretty impressive because I can't play an instrument to save my life.
I think there's more than enough to enjoy about this one, so I definitely wouldn't skip out on giving it a watch, especially if it's still streaming on Shudder.
3.5/5
Streaming on Shudder now!
Check out the trailer below:
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