Four Minutes movie review

Pianos are just sexier. The Piano Teacher, The Piano--people who play the piano are just kinkier.

I picked this up, obviously, because of the stunning cover: a beautiful woman in a black backless dress wearing handcuffs.

Jenny appears to be a sociopath in a German woman's prison, but she has the amazing talent of a prodigy piano player. As part of a social program for prisoners, an 80 year old piano teacher comes with a beautiful grand piano--four prisoners sign up for her class. The only person genuinely interested in playing the piano, is a fat, ridiculous guard who Traude Krüger belittles the entire movie. Almost immediately, Jenny beats the ever living shit out of him, partially using the piano which I found . . . hysterical. She is not a very big woman, but she single handedly puts the prison guard in the hospital.

Throughout the movie, Jenny and Herr Krüger disagree and argue, but as you see flashbacks to World War II, you see how much the piano teacher has already been through and dealing with an unruly prisoner, even one who beats up prison guards, is barely a blip in her radar. She has more problems with the warden who she likens to her old SS captain and tells him she's not surprised his wife left him.

As the movie progresses, you learn more about the tragedies in each Jenny and Herr Kruger's lives and how they managed to end up in the woman's prison together. They form a deep friendship through their passions, and ferocity that they demonstrate in very different ways. Although mostly dramatic and somewhat dark, there are some funny scenes interspersed in the film such as on their way to an audition, Jenny does not have proper recital clothing so her teacher makes her switch with her clothing. The sight of this 80 year old woman in high lace up boots and motorcycle jacket was hilarious.

The last scene, with Jenny at the recital, is the most brutal and artistic performances I have ever seen.