Pianiste, La (DVD)

This is a French film – La Pianiste, and, unlike the wonderful ‘Brotherhood of the Wolf’ and ‘Amelie’ this goes away from the fantasy-side of French film-making back into the grim pessimistic reality that some French film-makers unfortunately feel themselves obliged to inflict on the rest of us. This film is no holds barred, though to my mind it does not quite live up to its hype as the shockingly graphic film it is supposed to be. It is about a woman (Isabelle Huppert), for years repressed by her mother, who feels herself compelled into secret, forced acts of sexual release – which always follow her rules and her ...  Read the complete review

I'm getting increasingly sceptical of films that win prizes, especially in European film festivals, after recent disappointments such as Amores Perros and Intimacy. However, after it won three major prizes at Cannes and got good reviews, this French film (La Pianiste) by Michael Haneke seemed worth watching. The piano teacher in question is Erika (Isabelle Huppert), a spinsterish woman who lives with her mother (Annie Girardot). She is the sort of mother that can't accept that her daughter has grown up, always wanting to know where she's been and calling to check up on her, they even still sleep in the same room. We learn that Erika is a highly ...  Read the complete review