The Piano Player
A tale about the relationship between a businessman who launders money for a Mafia figure and his gangster bodyguard.
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- Cast:
- Christophe Lambert , Dennis Hopper , Jeane Manson , James Faulkner , Diane Kruger , Dorette Potgieter
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Reviews
Please don't spend money on this.
Excellent, Without a doubt!!
This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.
It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.
I don't know what the other reviewers were expecting going into this movie. One look at the DVD case or a minute of screen time reveals that this movie was not made on a Hollywood budget.....And as far as struisenburg's review, he was obviously half asleep for the duration of the movie as each question he poses was indeed answered. Perhaps it'd be better to watch it next time with your hand not on the FF button...I was reminded of the fun b-action movies of the 1970s and 80s. The Target may be nothing ground-breaking, but as an action/crime buff I thoroughly enjoyed it. Dennis Hopper is a pleasure to watch as an aging criminal accountant forced to flee Capetown for the rural simplicity of his childhood village. All the while pursued by a crime boss with a mysterious mystical side. The first section of the film is an effective urban action/crime flick, and the remainder is part a genuinely charming rediscovery of life, and part Western. Production values are not the highest, though they were able to snag some big names. Still, all the acting was effective if not exceptional. The location is the real star of the film. Having never been to South Africa I can't address the complaints of its residents, however I thought the scenery was beautiful and the culture was an interesting twist on a story that could just as well have taken place in New York. I was reminded of the It's easy to rip apart a movie like this. But if you're a fan of action or crime movies, appreciative of exotic settings, and willing to overlook some less than stellar production values, it'll be well worth your time...
Alex Laney (Christopher Lambert), a professional killer, is hired to be the bodyguard of Robert Nile (Dennis Hopper) in the City of Cape, in South Africa. Robert Nile is the witness of prosecution of Christ, a powerful gangster and practitioner of voodoo. Alex Laney has a personal drama: when he was a child, he saw his father and mother be killed by a gunman. The cover of the Brazilian DVD has a huge spoiler: tells the reader the end of the plot. Indeed, the beginning of this movie was promising, with some action. After thirty minutes, it becomes boring, predictable and mushy. What else could I expect from a film having the decadents Christopher Lambert and Dennis Hopper acting together? My vote is four.Title (Brazil): "O Guarda-Costa" ("The Bodyguard")
Any chance of seen the fine acting of Mr. Hopper is what I called `a valuable experience'. After all, he is legend of it´s own, from timeless classics as: `Easy Rider' to `Blue Velvet' and the TV Series `24'. Mr. Hopper knows the drill. He starts along side another legendary actor called Christopher Lambert, from the hit `Mortal Kombat' and the sometimes gory `Resurrection' and `The Fortress', he could be called the perfect B-Movie detective, action hero. Both of them actually have mastered the Art of Traveling around the world in this somewhat enjoyable ficks about mobsters, monsters and other dramas. This time the plot revolves around a mercenary that is brought to protect a powerful business man from a mobster in Prison. He can see plenty of shots of South Africa and the landscape, a couple of car chases and a poorly written dialogue that remained me of Film 101, still this a enjoyable flick if you happened to like B-Movies and expect the usual Mobster-Bodyguard Plot that is, somehow the man you are supposed to protect not always is what you thought of it in the First Place. Both actors seemed to have enjoyed the travel expenses, and the funny fact of the film is seeing Mr. Hopper wearing a ridiculous toupee that make him look quite funny is good enough. The whole script is clearly not intended to be nominated for an Award, so if you are looking for a powerful movie, wait for Greenaway´s new project called `The Tulse Luper Suitcases', and please don´t be nagging all day because of this little project complete done over South Africa, to be seen along side others classics such as: Do not Disturb (Dick Maas) done in the marvelous city of Amsterdam and also Soul Assasin (Laurence Malkin) also done in that cool city. Have a nice afternoon watching the movie world go by in front of you cozy sofa. If you need to watch more, remember to see; `When Hollywood A Stars go Bad'.
I'm a big fan of Lambert and in my book he can do no wrong.The Piano Player is a entertaining movie with good directing,solid screenplay and great actors and music.Not better then Resurrection,but much better then The Point Men and Vercingétorix.Very good for a movie with 10 million budget.7/10.