n my opinion it was a great movie with some interesting elements, even though having some plot holes and the ending probably was just too messy and crammed together, but still fun to watch and not your casual movie that is similar to all other ones.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

Amazing worth wacthing. So good. Biased but well made with many good points.

This film tells the story of a female piano teacher who has perverse fantasies towards her young student.The piano teacher seems like an ordinary woman, until her dark side is introduced. It is provocative and at times even disturbing. The scene in the video club is quite a shock to me. Then, the story builds on and goes even further. Yet, the ending is a great surprise. It is a provocative, disturbing and engaging film.

"The Piano Teacher" is an intense character study that centers around a perfectionist piano teacher, Erika Kohut, her demanding mother, and an effortlessly charming and talented young man, Walter that wants to be taught by Erika. That description of the movie (and the characters), however, does not do it any sort of justice. This is an incredibly subtle, psychological, expertly crafted film. All of the camera placements, editing and shot selection, and blocking of the actors are precise and perfect, each element contributing to the characters and the building intensity of the subtle psychological battle between them going on underneath the surface. Perhaps the most standout aspect of this film, however, is the performances. This is a film that could've been much worse if the actors weren't at the top of their game, and boy, do they deliver. They each add depth and nuance to their characters in the most subtle ways, showing the repressed emotion behind each character perfectly, most specifically Isabelle Hupert, who, even the most silent stretches of the film, manages to invest the audience into her character and the flurry of conflicting thoughts and emotions constantly stirring inside her. As a character study, only a complete scene by scene analysis of the film could truly convey the full spectrum of each character and their individual desires and how each one relates to the other. Almost every action of the characters has a deeper meaning, and teaches us more about them. It is definitely one of the greatest character studies I've ever seen, if not the best.Michael Haneke's omniscient style works well with this brutal and realistic film, and it may be his best as well (although every film I've seen of his has been essentially perfect, except for maybe "Funny Games"). Even though its a hard watch, definitely watch this, because it is everything a character study should be.

One night as Erika Kohut returns home, she is immediately confronted with a barrage of questions and accusations and insults by her mother. It turns physical as the pair exchange slaps, and then her mother tearfully relents and guilt trips her into a heartfelt embrace and make-up. We sense that this is a frequent cycle of events in this troubled household. And then slowly, as Haneke always does, the uptight, business-first piano teacher is revealed to be some sort of sexually repressed deviant that seeks solace and expression in BDSM and other sexual kinks. One of the things that this film excels in is visually portraying that carnal lust from our two main characters. One is a middle-aged woman whom is suggested to never have had a normal relationship, while the other is an excited 17 year old boy. In an American film, the lovers would burst through the doors, struggling but somehow never actually removing any of their clothes, and then we would cut to a post-coital scene with the sheets appropriately covering their top halves. Here, they are entwined with such quiet desperation (see the pose on the poster) even as their characters are so at odds with each other. She forbids him from touching her and denies him orgasms, no doubt passing on such a strict manner of obedience from her mother. And he jogs on the spot vigorously and celebrates on his apparent sexual conquest to be, like a 17 year old would. The tragedy then, is in the misunderstanding of the psychological damage that has been done to Erika and its consequences. Walter is uniquely positioned at an age of breaching adulthood and suffice to say that his smile and greeting near the end of the film is supposed to be a pleasant one, but becomes chilling because he has completely misinterpreted the situation. This is a deeply pessimistic film, and I think for once Haneke has missed his mark in attempting to forge this character of Erika. He is forced to rely on these subtly shocking scenes as he often does; the peeing while voyeuristically spying on a couple in a drive-in theatre, the self-mutilation, and the sudden pouncing and sexual longing for the mother that reeks of simplicity and misunderstanding. She is reduced to a delicate sadomasochistic stereotype that so easily wilts over so that we are compliant in being sympathetic with her. It is a pity because Isabelle Huppert's performance deserves much praise. There is a cold, calculated manner in the way she carries herself that puts on such a strong exterior barrier in her persona that makes it so much more effective when we peer into her deeper fantasies. After she is caught in the drive-in, she doesn't scamper away like some red-handed thief, but briskly makes her way out of the area with her head held high like some sort of businesswoman with a busy schedule. The slight embarrassment on Huppert's face sells it. Later, when she catches one of her students looking at porn magazines in a shop (but really it is he catching her), there is that slight embarrassment again, but she acts haughtily and dismissively and quickly pretends to be occupied. She presents herself as the harsh, unsmiling, career-orientated woman while committing such a petty and hurtful act in the background. Haneke shoots these characters in harsh light and washed out palettes even as they are surrounded by beautiful music. His edits link together the steely, unblinking gazes of teacher and student and vice versa, blocking out all other directions. In one instance, he frames Erika at a piano recital, completely surrounded by empty chairs and separated from the others of the group. A conversation with the weeping mother of the wounded child conveys a strong sense of irony when she questions who would be so evil to do such a thing. But this film is not about the lurking of evil below the surface. It is about misunderstanding, and how it gives birth to tragedy.

"The Piano Teacher" is a 1983 novel by Elfriede Jelinek, that has been adapted for the screen by Michael Haneke. I've never read the original source material, but through reading a plot summary it seems Mr. Haneke hits a majority of the themes and scenarios represented. Michael Haneke has a certain approach to characters in his movies that I've come to respect a great deal. Aside from shooting his works effortlessly, he has always depicted his characters in a way as to never manipulate the audience, but allow their actions and mannerisms remain open to interpretation for each individual. This allows for less formulaic performances, and a story like "The Piano Teacher" can benefit greatly with this approach.Erika Kohut (Isabelle Huppert), is a piano professor at a prestigious music conservatory. Already in her forties, she still lives in an apartment with her domineering mother (Annie Girardot), leading to much frustration between the pair. Eventually Erika meets Walter Klemmer (Benoit Magimel), a 17 year old engineering student and eventually both develop an obsession with each other. Even though she initially tries to sever contact between them, his persistence eventually leads to his discovery of her personal and quite frank voyeurism.For as challenging as the film may get, it never begins to become tedious. Granted for a 2 hour picture the story feels a little stretched, yet it's Haneke's camera work and Huppert's fantastic performance that makes this all so highly engaging and unique. The music is implemented while forged extraordinarily well, and the levels of S&M can become extremely uncomfortable towards the third act, which finally made me realised why so many reviews I've read said it became "unpleasant" viewing. Regardless, it all leads to a stunning conclusion and I highly recommend this movie. If we can live in a time where fan-fiction like "Fifty Shades of Grey" sells millions, then "The Piano Teacher" is in a league of its own and should be praised and held in a much higher regard. Final Verdict: Isabelle Huppert made the movie for me. She really transcends what could've been expected, and my predicaments towards the stories conclusion were consistently altered. 9/10.