Time: 125 Minutes
Age Rating: M – Violence
Cast:
Samuel L. Jackson as Doaker
John David Washington as Boy Willie
Danielle Deadwyler as Berniece
Ray Fisher as Lymon
Corey Hawkins as Avery
Michael Potts as Wining Boy
Skylar Aleece Smith as Maretha
Stephan James as Boy Charles
Erykah Badu as Lucille
Director: Malcolm Washington

I knew that The Piano Lesson was a film starring John David Washington, Samuel L. Jackson and Ray Fisher and would be directed by Malcolm Washington, Denzel Washington’s son. Based on the trailer I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but it was pretty good overall.

The Piano Lesson is based on an August Wilson play and as such it certainly feels like it, with the limited settings, limited characters, and the heavy dialogue focus. Essentially the movie is about a family conflict; a brother wants to sell a piano which has a lot of family history and significance behind it, while the sister doesn’t want to. It’s a well written and interesting enough movie about legacy, preserving history and family conflict. I liked the choices in storytelling with regards to the flashbacks. Something was also surprising is that it’s something of a ghost story, and even leans further into horror towards the last third of the movie. That being said, The Piano Lesson Is certainly slower paced and can become a bit of a slog at times. It can also be a little repetitive, with characters having similar arguments over and over again to the point that it feels redundant. The characters also don’t have too much depth to them, and weren’t as compelling to me they could’ve been.

The actors were the highlight of the movie, delivering emotional performances and conveying the dialogue really well. John David Washington gives one of his best performances, fittingly broad and theatrical considering the source material, although does occasionally feel out of place alongside much of the other acting. Samuel L. Jackson is largely in the background despite being in many scenes, but is good in his part, the same goes for Corey Hawkins. The standouts to me however were Ray Fisher and Danielle Deadwyler, Deadwyler was particularly incredible. 

This is Malcolm Washington’s debut movie and for a first movie it’s pretty solid. The limited locations worked well, the production design for the house was good, it was well lit and the cinematography was immersive. The moments of horror are thrilling, and I would actually like to see Washington make a full on horror movie.

The Piano Lesson is an uneven, but compelling enough stage play adaptation, with solid direction and stellar performances.