Blood is a chord that resonates through time.
A brother and sister's battle over a prized heirloom piano unleashes haunting truths about how the past is perceived — and who defines a family legacy.
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Character
Earnest, contemplative, grave and intimate.
- earnestironic
- contemplativerelentless
- gravecomic
- intimateepic
- unpretentiousprestige
Who loves it, who doesn't
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“Is John David Washington the best thing in The Piano Lesson?”
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“Is The Piano Lesson prestige bait?”
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“Is the slow pace a feature rather than a flaw?”
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A yes-or-no question, answered from what people wrote here, on TMDB and on Wikipedia. Never made up.
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Reviews on TMDB
Written by TMDB members; each links to the original. Not part of Curator Co.'s numbers.
- Brent Marchanton TMDB · Dec 20245/10
When a gifted playwright’s work is adapted for the big screen, the transition from one medium to another can be quite challenging to pull off successfully. And, if the adaptation gets it wrong, it fails to do justice to the source material, an outcome that often unfairly reinforces the blanket denigration often accorded to film as an “inferior” artform compared to others (like literature or the stage). Such is the case, unfortunately, with this latest adaptation of work drawn from the writings of August Wilson, a stage-to-screen cross-over comes up short compared to previous conversions of his material (like “Fences” (2016), which succeeded brilliantly). This tale of two siblings (John David Washington, Danielle Deadwyler) who match wits over the fate of a family heirloom – a piano with a hand-carved façade featuring images of their slave era ancestors – depicts their heated discussions over its ultimate dispensation, one option aimed at selling it and the other bent on retaining it as a treasured piece of family history. As this scenario plays out, however, complications emerge when the ghosts of their deceased relatives and other spirits make their surreal presence known in steer
Read the whole review on TMDB - r96skon TMDB · Jan 20257/10
<em>'The Piano Lesson'</em>, despite peaks and troughs, is largely a good watch. I could feel my interest increase and decrease fairly consistently throughout though, so no doubting more could've been done to keep me more interested - but that I still was, in fairness. John David Washington and Samuel L. Jackson are two that perform well, but the person that I would rank as the standout is Danielle Deadwyler - great performance! I didn't actually know her 24 hours ago, though I do now after this and <em>'Carry-On'</em>. Michael Potts merits props, too. It does feature a noteworthy enough story, the music is decent and there are some solid moments in there - the rendition of "Berta, Berta" with Jackson & Co. particularly stands out in my memory. I now see that this is based on a play, which is indeed very apparent in a few scenes.
Read the whole review on TMDB - CinemaSerfon TMDB · Jan 20256/10
This is based on August Wilson's play and you'll never be in any doubt it came from the stage. The style of presentation and the construction of the story is entirely theatrical and that didn't really work so well for me on a big screen. It's all about a piano. "Boy Wille" (John David Washington) thinks that by selling it, they could improve their lot. Sister "Berniece" (Danielle Deadwyler) thinks over her dead body. That sentiment might actually prove closer to the truth than anyone wants, though, as the story develops and it becomes clear that this beautifully carved piano has no intentions of moving anywhere - and that it comes with quite an haunting provenance. Both characters see this instrument as an integral part of their past - a past peppered with brutality, slavery and hard labour, but can they reconcile any role it has in their future. Samuel L. Jackson features sparingly as family patriarch "Doaker" but barely imprints himself on the story (I think it'd have preferred Colman Domingo), Corey Hawkins plays the preacher "Avery" as if he were trying to be Eddie Murphy and the rest of it proceeds in a disappointingly soapy style as it mixes all the usual family melodrama wit
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Cast
- John David WashingtonBoy Willie
- Danielle DeadwylerBerniece Charles
- Samuel L. JacksonDoaker Charles
- Ray FisherLymon
- Michael PottsWining Boy
- Corey HawkinsAvery
- Gail BeanDolly
- Jerrika HintonGrace
- Stephan JamesBoy Charles
- Skylar Aleece SmithMaretha
Crew
- Malcolm WashingtonDirector
- Virgil WilliamsScreenplay
- Malcolm WashingtonScreenplay
- Mike GioulakisDirector of Photography
- Alexandre DesplatOriginal Music Composer
- Leslie JonesEditor
- Denzel WashingtonProducer
- Todd BlackProducer
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Pairings
Companions we picked from the closest works, and how to take them.
Similar in taste
Closest on the same fourteen dimensions, from everything scored on Curator Co. Other media included when they land close.
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom 202080% alikeBoth earnest, intimate, contemplative.
As You Are 201678% alikeBoth earnest, grave, contemplative.
Maria 202478% alikeBoth earnest, contemplative, grave.
Lilies 199777% alikeBoth earnest, grave, contemplative.
God on Trial 200877% alikeBoth earnest, contemplative, grave.
Blue Heron 202677% alikeBoth earnest, contemplative, grave.
Spencer 202176% alikeBoth contemplative, earnest, grave.
Freud's Last Session 202376% alikeBoth earnest, contemplative, intimate.
Fatale 200975% alikeGame · Both contemplative, grave, prestige.
The House of Mr Chocolate 202174% alikeGame · Both earnest, contemplative, intimate.
Often watched with
Recommendations from TMDB. Opening one adds it to Curator Co.
