Rental Review: The Pianist

By Ryn Gargulinski
A starving artist – for real – somehow survives being a Jew in Poland in the throes of World War II. This movie not only gives the audience a fine appreciation of our country, our surroundings, our family, the ability to simply walk down the block, we get some piano music thrown in.

Based on a true story, this is a riveting rendition of what it was like and how miraculous it was to simply survive.

It is also refreshing that a sappy love story that seems ready to blossom actually doesn’t.

Highlight: The artist's penchant to create, even if it means playing the piano when he's supposed to be absolutely silent. Passion or stupidity?
Lowlight: Wondering how - or if - you would survive if placed in the same circumstances, when a dried up bean found moldering in the corner is a feast.
Rating (1-10): 52