Rating: 
Summary: A Gem
Review: I just can't believe that some people call this movie "porn" - GET A LIFE!!!Though it sometimes has a low-budget feeling to it - probably because it is - this movie is heart-rending, and I'm usually not into this kind of thing. A Scottish woman (Holly Hunter) stops speaking for no reason we ever get to know (nor where her precocious daughter [Anna Paquin] comes from), and is married off by her family to a New Zealand farmer (Sam Neill). After a tough journey she arrives in a strange land, and the only thing that matters to her besides her daughter is her piano, which allows her to express her feelings. But her woodheaded husband leaves it on the beach. Their neighbour Baines, always suspicious for his good relations with the Maori and his tattoos, is fascinated by her, buys the piano off her master, and asks her for piano lessons. While her husband plumply tries "to possess" her, Baines wants to touch her in exchange for parts of her piano. She acquiesces, and falls for this strange man who adores her. The actors, the direction, the music are simply outstanding, and if The Piano hadn't been released in the same year as Schindler's List, it certainly would have gained more Oscars. Just the end will have you discuss for ages - does she die dreaming or does she dream of dying?
Rating: 
Summary: 'The Piano' - it's overrated and sado-masochistic
Review: Forgive me for saying so, but 'The Piano' is nothing but a disgusting movie. It's just unbelievable that so many hold it in such a high regard. I can only see it as a perfect lesson for a sado-masochistic wannabe? I saw it once many years ago and I will never do it again.
Rating:
Summary: Very Close To A Porn, But Great Filmaking
Review: The Movie Is Great, The Acting Is Great But This Movie Could Be Almost Called A Porn. Its Explicit, Lusty All Of The Above. All iN All It's Not For People Who Thinks Censorship Is A Good Idea. But If You Need A Good Heartfelt Story...This Is It.
Rating:
Summary: It was emotional for me, and overall: simply amazing...
Review: I never cry at movies, and in general, I nearly ever cry at all, but this movie set of a set of emotions that had me in tears at one point and angry at one character or another enough to rip my television apart with my bear hands. This movie is sad, enraging, happy, and yet in the end, dispite my expelling of emotion, I still felt although I could've gotten more out of the film. This movie was amazing and I would recommend this to anyone who would enjoy something that has drama, a bit of romance (in the sexual sense- not something to show the children...), and one of those 'overcomming odds' qualities.
Rating:
Summary: The most passionate moving film of the age
Review: I have seen this movie many times, and nothing moves and inspires me more than The Piano. Such drama, love, lust, and emotion. IT's a MUST for anyone's movie collection.
Rating:
Summary: "The Piano" will leave YOU speechless !!!
Review: I wouldn't even know how to describe this movie effectively, but I can begin by saying that it is truly a great masterpiece and a bargain at ANY price. Surprisingly, it is also extremely hard to find in stores. Rarely will you ever find a movie this original... And just when you think the film is coming to its end, something HUGE happens, and it is by far the most memorable and most artsy scene I have ever seen in ANY film before!!! Your jaw will drop to the floor! And the soundtrack is absolutely haunting... so perfectly suited for this picture. There is little else to say but BUY THIS DVD !!!
Rating:
Summary: Really Amazing
Review: It's extremely hard to describe this movie and do it justice. As an eighteen year old who A.)Plays the piano and B.)Watches a LOT of movies, perhaps I am partial; but when I watched this, I was incredibly moved. It's hard to say what ONE thing it is about this, which means, the movie as a whole is amazing. Not only is the scenery beautiful, which I have noticed many people above have mentioned, but Holly Hunter is very rare in this. She performs so delicately as this mute woman, so eerliy silent, and having it be her CHOICE not to speak only adds to that feeling. The characters were chosen perfectly, from Anna Paquin to Harvey Keitel as a SEX symbol in this. Which is hard to believe but he pulls it off and actually is incredibly charming in this. There are parts that will give you butterflies and parts that will make you cry. It's very different. I highly recommend it, but it's not for everyone; everyone wouldn't "get" it.
Rating:
Summary: Silence at its best
Review: This was a great film. A definite for the dvd collection.
Rating: 
Summary: Never expect it would be that good!
Review: This movies didn't appeal to me during it release 10 years back. What a miss I had. I just finished watching it today, and what I could say is incredible. Then, I was wondering why it didn't get Best Picture... it was Schindler's List which got it.
The actors and actress performance were very good. The story is about how the relationship between the main characters developed all around a piano. Still, there were weak spots. For example, I can't tell how / why would Ada fall in love with the neighbor... but love has... no reasoning in it? or it's just because Ada 'hate' her husband giving away her piano?
4 stars only, because there was a vertical yellowish 'line' appears on the left hand side during playback that's TOO VISIBLE. It must be some kind of transfer problem. Sound quality? It's Dobly 2.0 only (Stereo) but I don't really care about it. We're not talking about action movies here. Still, it really worth seeing regardless of its quality fallbacks.
Rating:
Summary: Hauntingly Good!
Review: This is a hauntingly somber movie, and that's precisely why I enjoyed it so much. This movie contained the entire package that, when delivered, evokes a reaction that is sure to stay with the viewer long after the end credits are shown. In the style of the classic novel "The Scarlet Letter" by Nathaniel Hawthorne, this movie is the story of a single mother named Ada (Holly Hunter) who comes to New Zealand with her daughter, Flora (Anna Paquin), in order to meet a local farmer named Stewart (Sam Neill) who has arranged to marry her. They come with their belongings, none more sentimentally valuable than Ada's piano. However, reasoning that it is Ada's duty to make sacrifices in the interest of the family, Stewart trades the piano to a neighbor named Baines (Harvey Keitel) for the rights to some farming land. Little does Stewart realize that Baines knows exactly how precious this piano is to Ada, and he makes this trade in an attempt to make a play on her affections. Stewart arranges for Ada to go over to Baines' house and teach him to play the very piano that belonged to her. Ada and Baines work out an arrangement where in lieu of teaching Baines how to play the paino, she will instead play the piano for him and allow him to use her in order to fulfill his carnal fantasies. In exchange, Baines will eventually give the piano back to Ada. As time goes by, Ada goes as far as sleeping with Baines in order to work off the debt she owes him for her piano, but after a while, Ada's trysts with Baines are no longer for the sake of earning her piano back, but are voluntary. She develops feelings for Baines, much to the chagrin of her husband, who locks Ada and Flora up in their house in order to prevent them from going to Baines' house. There were some brilliant performances in this movie. Though Anna Paquin's character only plays a small part in moving the story along, her screen presence is extraordinary. She was one of the youngest actors to ever win the Academy Award, and her Oscar was much deserved. Holly Hunter also won an Oscar for this movie, and it, too, was well deserved, especially considering the fact that she didn't utter a single word for the entire movie. The strength of her performance relied solely on her acting ability, and could not be assisted with the influence that there voice might have carried. Of the males in this movie, Harvey Keitel does a sold job as a rather homely farmer, but the real credit must go to Sam Neill as Ada's husband. The tantrums that he throws are very realistic and incredibly compelling. Also worthy of mention is the movie's incredible art direction and cinematography. The entire movie takes place in a gloomy beachfront and forest. The lack of sunshine and sheer dismalness complements the haunting performances and plot. I would have given the movie a 5 star rating, but I wasn't satisfied with the ending. Though I won't tell you which of the two men Ada ends up choosing, it's my opinion that both men were scummy, and neither deserved her. But you can draw your own conclusion. This is an excellent movie, and I highly recommend seeing it.
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