74. Do you see the wild angry eyes? The complicated brow? The bewitching glance? Anna Paquin in The Piano is full of anger, but that's part of her adorable charm. In one of the best performances ever given by a child, you can't help but fall in love with the dancing, prancing Paquin, even when she's out trying to draw a line between good and evil.Paquin's character actually becomes two in one within The Piano, as she is both her own young woman and her mute mother. As the voice for her mother, her Flora must confront the fact that she doesn't approve of her mother's affair. Therefore, her uncharacteristic actions are made totally believable.
It should be noted that I am not a great fan of Paquin's-oh sure, she's a fine actress, but she seems to have run her course as a new millenium Lolita. As Flora, though, she will always be a part of my vernacular. I say "we have to take the piano!" every time there is a much needed awkward gaze in a conversataion. Her Flora is a breath of fresh air to watch, and essential to any film-going experience.
Combined with Anna Paquin's spoiled turn, you should take in the super sweet, unsettlingly caring Peggy Ann Garner in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn-both will stick with you for months and years later. You can thank me in 2010.
1 comment:
Very nice review. I totally love that performance. But give Anna some time. She's still young and she has plenty of time ahead of her to do even greater work.
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