Grand Piano

Director: Eugenio Mira
Year Released: 2013
Rating: 0.5

A gifted pianist (Elijah Wood) returns to the stage after suffering a breakdown of sorts only to find at his 'comeback performance' a sniper (John Cusack) - claiming to be a deceased composer - who threatens to shoot him if he screws up while playing. More of a sketch of a movie than a fully formed work, with contrivances struggling mightily to hold together the inherent incoherence and Mira's darting (and distracting) camera trying to trick you into thinking it's a tense affair. Joel Schumacher did this sort of contained piece with Phone Booth, except he had a script handy by Larry Cohen - Mira has a bunch of Post-It notes and a pint of Frodo sweat.