The Piano Lesson
20245.9movie
Where to Watch
A brother and sister's battle over a prized heirloom piano unleashes haunting truths about how the past is perceived — and who defines a family legacy.
A brother and sister's battle over a prized heirloom piano unleashes haunting truths about how the past is perceived — and who defines a family legacy.
In The Piano Lesson, which is set in 1930s Pittsburgh and addresses a family’s history and legacy through the contested fate of an heirloom piano, the standout performance comes from an extraordinary Danielle Deadwyler.It’s a handsome production, and an impressive debut from first-time director Malcolm Washington, Denzel’s son. But like the previous two pictures, it’s stagey and mannered – a film that never quite sheds its theatrical roots.
The Piano Lesson. By Brian Eggert | November 29, 2024. Denzel Washington continues his project of producing screen adaptations of playwright August Wilson’s Pittsburgh Cycle with The Piano Lesson, the third of a proposed ten-film series. Each example in Wilson’s thematically linked plays considers the Black experience in a different decade, and the producer, with the support of Wilson’s estate, shows no pattern in selecting which installment comes next.
