LEO BOIX applauds an audacious, self-questioning film about grief, friendship and film-making
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Film round-up: June 15
This week the Star's critic reviews The Piano, The Ciambra, Ocean's 8, Hereditary, and Studio 54
MARY CONWAY admires a brave and topical study of Armageddon that is, unfortunately, unable to come to a conclusion
ANDY HEDGECOCK, JAMES WALSH and JAMIE BRITTON review Hanging by a Wire, I Want Your Sex, The Pout-Pout Fish, and Rise of the Foot Soldier: Retribution
Chris Searle speaks to US pianist RAN BLAKE
EWAN CAMERON trawls the Edinburgh fringe for new political drama
In a season of Greek mythology NIAMH THORNTON looks at an intriguing relocation of Medea to contemporary Mexico
The Piano (15)
Directed by Jane Campion
★★★★★
NEW Zealand film-maker Jane Campion’s justly lauded Oscar-nominated third feature film deservedly won Academy Awards in 1993 for best screenplay and Oscar nominations for best picture and best director.
Re-released after a quarter of a century, The Piano's potent dramatic force, extraordinary performances and uniquely compelling story reinforces its status as a cinema classic along with enhancing the reputation of Campion — the first woman director to win the top prize at the 1993 Cannes film festival — as a genuine auteur.
Set in the mid-1850s, the film tells the story of Ada McGrath (Holly Hunter) and her young daughter Flora (Anna Paquin) who arrive in New Zealand after a lengthy voyage from Scotland but end up left on a beach with their belongings and a piano.
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ANGUS REID, ANDY HEDGECOCK and MARIA DUARTE review On The Sea, A Useful Ghost, Brunello: The Gracious Visionary, and Pinocchio Unstrung
ANDY HEDGECOCK, MARIA DUARTE and ANGUS REID review Synthetic Sincerity, Our Hero, Balthazar, Heartstopper Forever, and A Year In London
New releases from The Dreaming Spires, Bruce Springsteen, and Chet Baker