Vive La France? Not from this offering (Pianiste, La (DVD))

Member Name: aunico

Product:	Pianiste, La (DVD)
Date:	13/01/02 (30 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Huppert, the pianos

Disadvantages: the lack of warmth

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 rules alone, and are to do with tying up, and loss of control to the man. Of course she finds it hard to find someone who will be up to the task of copulation with her, until she meets a gifted piano player. This young man has romantic illusions about his new teacher and chases her obviously and persistently until she gives in and corners him in the loos. Now it is a game of cat and mouse as he hunts her down and she hides away from him before finally inviting him back to her place before the shocked eyes of her mother. She has a shock waiting for her though as she has to learn that everything will not always follow the rules...

The best thing about this movie? The music. A keen piano player myself, I appreciated the Schubert pieces and the use they were put to. The acting was fairly good, and the scenes showing piano teaching were nicely realistic, making me shudder as I recognised symptoms from my own experiences.

The worst thing: the lack of feeling and warmth of any kind. We are not encouraged to sympathise with either lead at any point. Yes we can understand why she acts the way she does – her rigid, overbearing mother is something to experience. But there is no indication of any change in circumstances, even after the awful event that occurs near the end, and the
after effects as she attends the concert – we see her falling apart but there the film ends – it is like we are just supposed to be shocked and dismayed, but the over-riding feeling is confusion at the abrupt ending, and a slight sense of relief to be out of the theatre. It is much like Isabelle Huppert’s previous film, Merci Pour Le Chocolat – in its surreal, dreamy atmosphere, and abrupt ending, but that film was rather warmer with more character development, and it was far easier to fit oneself into the story – here there is no such encouragement, which is a shame – Huppert does a good job, as does the young man playing her beau.

I have always felt that any film you come out of not being able to remember the leads’ names is not worth the effort – unfortunately that was the case here.

Summary: