The Piano

Holly Hunter is on good form here as "Ada", a mute who is adept with her piano. Soon to be married to a Kiwi farmer, she sails with her daughter to his remote home where he "Alisdair" (Sam Neill) seems to be rather indifferent to her presence. The same cannot be said for their neighbour "Baines" (Harvey Keitel) though, and he engineers a land for piano swap with her husband as a prelude to inviting her round to his home to play. After a few meetings they work out a peculiarly unique bartering system that might see both get what they ultimately want from the arrangement. It's at this stage that "Alisdair" feels frustratingly cuckolded and things take a turn for the violent and the brutal. It's a beautiful film to look at, the cinematography and the costumes are perfect for the period and despite a fairly sparse dialogue, the performances - especially from Keitel and the young Anna Paquin ("Flora") are quite compelling to watch. To be honest, Neill adds very little of value and I did get a little fed up with the repetitious refrain of Michael Nyman's theme but as the story develops, we are introduced to some thought-provoking issues of ownership - and not just of the piano. A big screen does this better justice, but it is a good watch on the television too.