Despite the hype, ‘Piano Love’ fails to hit the right notes
WITH amapiano gaining momentum worldwide, there was bound to be a production that centres on the musical genre.
Netflix, with production house Black Brain Pictures, took the lead with Piano Love.
Directed by Mandla N, it sets out to be a vibrant story of love, ambition and the unifying power of music.
The romance-drama stars rapper Senzo “Kwesta” Vilakazi, who made his acting debut alongside choreographer Bontle Modiselle-Moloi.
It sees their romance blossoming amidst the challenges and heartaches of living in Soweto.
Kwesta plays Sipho, a destitute hip hop musician who is dropped by his record label in favour of amapiano artists.
With his career on the brink of collapse, he returns to live with his uncle.
Meanwhile, aspiring dancer and musician Lerato (Modiselle-Moloi) also goes back to her Soweto family home after being expelled from university for wrongfully taking the blame for her friend’s drugs on campus.
The pair are childhood friends, who left home to fulfil their dreams only to return devastated. Sipho has to financially support his daughter while Lerato’s mother is also dependent on her.
In a bid to make ends meet, they both end up working for the neighbourhood gangster Biblos (played by Peter Mashigo).
Through a cruel twist of fate, they reunite during a robbery ordered by the thug.
Sipho is part of the gang that ransacks the spaza shop that Lerato is working at. She gets shot by one of the members and his balaclava prevents her from identifying him but he instantly recognises her.
He then risks his life and his livelihood to save her by calling an ambulance before fleeing the scene.
Riddled with guilt while fantasising about rekindling his connection with Lerato, Sipho decides to leave crime behind.
Instead, he uses his time to sit at her hospital bedside with only his earphones and laptop as he attempts to find the inspiration to reignite his career.
But when she is finally discharged, Lerato is forced to engage in intimate relations with Biblo to save her family’s livelihood. She also gets caught up as he buys her a dance studio and pays for recording sessions.
When Sipho finds out that his former boss is funding Lerato’s endeavours, he decides to return to work for him as a way to save up enough money to provide for her.
Ultimately, the lovers find themselves at a deadly crossroads when Biblo turns on them after discovering their affair.
The only way for the couple to emerge from this mess unscathed is to win the cash prize from a local amapiano competition.
But they face more obstacles when Sipho struggles to shake off his hip hop origins in favour of amapiano.
The couple have to merge their musical worlds to win the contest.
Piano Love has the makings of a good movie. There is a compelling storyline set against the backdrop of a vibrant musical genre, forbidden young love and plenty of action.
But despite the hype, much of the movie fails to leave a lasting impression.
Much of Kwesta’s performance is restrained and he lacks confidence at times.
Modiselle-Moloi does well in portraying a wide range of emotions and she shines in her comfort zone as a dancer with a wealth of experience.
There are also impressive performances from Given Stuurman, who plays gangster Skhumbuzo, and it was a refreshing surprise to see social media personalities like Moghelingz, Robot Boii and Chad Jones being featured.
The real star of the show is Mashigo, in his villainous role.
Still, some of the scenes seem rushed, many of the characters are an unnecessary addition and the film promises to be a love story but much of the focus is instead on Biblos.
And for a movie centred around amapiano, there aren’t many dancing scenes, apart from a sporadic few and the dance competition. Although the movie’s soundtrack does feature top amapiano tunes, including Dalie and Mnike.
Some of the things that it does get right are its accurate depiction of township life, with its vibrant people and their daily struggles, the colourful lingo and its nightlife.
But ultimately, Piano Love lacks depth and could have offered viewers a much more entertaining time.
* is streaming on Netflix.