The Piano Player (2002)

User Rating:

4.6/10   

Director:

Jean-Pierre Roux

Writer (WGA):

Brad Mirman (written by)

Release Date:

4 June 2004 (Italy)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Thriller | Crime

Tagline:

A deadly hit to erase the past.

Plot:

Alex Laney, a professional killer, is hired to be the bodyguard of Robert Nile in the City of Cape, in South Africa...

Plot Keywords:

Bodyguard | Spaghetti | Set Up | Fishing | Headphones

Cast

Christopher Lambert	...	Alex Laney
Dennis Hopper	...	Robert Nile
Simon Mabija	...	Christo Nichol (as Simon Majiba)
James Faulkner	...	Nicholas Farrel
Jeane Manson	...	Helena
Mode Theu	...	Sipho
Mawongo Tyawa	...	Gatsha Mlambo (as Mawonga Dominic Tyawa)
Gérard Rudolf	...	Ryan Tyler
Morgan Howell	...	Young Robert - age 8
Graeme Du Plessis	...	Robert Nile - age 20
Kai Coetzee	...	Young Alex
Dorette Potgieter	...	Alex's Mother
Peter Krummeck	...	Alex's Father
Louw Venter	...	Marco
Benjamin Ajogri	...	Dekgembe
Tshamano Sebe	...	Mikel
Tim Mahoney	...	Guard I - Prison
Bismilla Mdaka	...	Old Man (as Basmillah Mdaka)
Ruth Cele	...	Mama Timbabo
Lehlohonolo Hlonie Semamela	...	Dude
Thulani Ndlovu	...	Prosecutors Assistant
Shimane Lekoma	...	Assistant Driver
Andrea Dondolo	...	Young Mama Timbabo
Danny Keogh	...	James - Lawyer
Graham Weir	...	Sick Man
Philippe Martinez	...	Fernand
Michael Copley	...	Michael Copley
Nicola Hanekom	...	Prostitute 1
Freya Wissing	...	Prostitute 2
Therese Benade	...	Annete - Bar Lady
Jeroen Kranenburg	...	Barman
Amamponodo	...	Musicians in Bar
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Diane Kruger	...	Erika

Directed by
Jean-Pierre Roux

Writing credits (WGA)
Brad Mirman		(written by)

Produced by
Antony Blakey	....	associate producer
Helmut Breuer	....	co-producer
Brian Cook	....	line producer
Vlokkie Gordon	....	line producer (as Vlokkie Kuhne)
Karen Alison Hamilton	....	associate producer
Andreas Klein	....	executive producer
Andreas Klein	....	producer
Christopher Lambert	....	executive producer
Alan Latham	....	co-producer
Philippe Martinez	....	executive producer
Philippe Martinez	....	producer
Juan Montilla	....	co-producer
Monika Musialik	....	associate producer
Richard Rionda Del Castro	....	executive producer
Ashley Sidaway	....	associate producer
Robert Sidaway	....	associate producer
Felix von Keudell	....	associate producer
David Wicht	....	line producer

Original Music by
Francis Haines
Stephen W. Parsons

Cinematography by
Larry Smith

Film Editing by
Justin Krish

Production Design by
Eva Desideri
Osvaldo Desideri

Art Direction by
Glen Wolter

Set Decoration by
Fred Du Preez

Costume Design by
Dianna Cilliers		(as Diana Cilliers)

Makeup Department
Caroline Godfrey	....	assistant hair stylist
Caroline Godfrey	....	assistant makeup artist
Beverly House	....	makeup artist
David Myers	....	hair stylist
David Myers	....	makeup designer
Simone Stubbs	....	daily makeup artist

Production Management
Greig Buckle	....	unit production manager
Jay Coquillon	....	post-production supervisor
Ben Van Vuuren	....	unit manager: second unit

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Dale Butler	....	second second assistant director
Brian W. Cook	....	first assistant director (as Brian Cook)
Jock DeGesparis	....	third assistant director
Ryan Fox	....	third assistant director
Shireen Hattingh	....	second assistant director
Mark Inglis	....	second assistant director
Leigh Tanchel	....	first assistant director
Mark Taylor	....	third assistant director
Ronnie Williams	....	first assistant director: second unit

Art Department
Herbie Adler	....	leading hand
Mark Auret	....	props set dresser
David Bastiaans	....	construction lead man
Sasha Beatie	....	carpenter
Eric Bentshu	....	carpenter
William Boyes	....	prop assistant
Joseph Canning	....	leading hand
Paige Coetzee	....	scenic artist
Osvaldo Desideri	....	set designer
Zaan De Villiers	....	assistant set decorator
Kirk Doman	....	art department runner
Storm Dyssel	....	lead man
Andrea Gruter	....	stand-by set dresser
Jonathan Hely-Hutchinson	....	draughtsman
Richard Henley	....	leading hand
Peter Hlongwane	....	scenic artist
Yolande Hodgson	....	art department coordinator
Belinda Johnson	....	assistant art director
Fritz Joubert	....	property master
Stephan Madonsela	....	scenic artist (as Stephen Madonsela)
Josie Minty	....	property buyer
Vivian Naude	....	carpenter
Mark Nef	....	carpenter
Clive Pollick	....	construction coordinator
Martin Rea	....	carpenter
Boris Rivett-Carnac	....	props assistant
Richard Rubidge	....	scenic artist
Elaine Seidel	....	scenic artist
Stephen Seyibokwe	....	carpenter
Douglas Smorenburg	....	carpenter
Vos Van De Merwe	....	leading hand
Liz van den Berg	....	lead scenic artist
Sonja Wessels	....	assistant set dresser
Hamish Whitecross	....	storyboard artist

Sound Department
Martijn Beekers	....	sound editor
Tim Boggs	....	adr editor
Gerald Cronauer	....	assistant sound re-recording mixer
Gerald Cronauer	....	assistant supervising sound editor
Hans Dreijer	....	sound re-recording mixer
Hans Dreijer	....	supervising sound editor
Christian Eisenach	....	sound designer
Bob Hazell	....	boom operator (as Bob Hazel)
Dieter Hebben	....	foley artist
Marina Lerchs	....	assistant sound re-recording mixer
Alexis Oscari	....	french dubbing mixer
Achim Rhinow	....	sound editor
Simon Rice	....	sound mixer
Marcel Schleibaum	....	foley editor
Marcel Schleibaum	....	foley recordist
Alexander Vitt	....	sound editor
Paul Wrightson	....	adr editor

Special Effects by
David Mahlangu	....	special effects assistant
Gavin Meadon	....	special effects supervisor
Michael Nkosi	....	special effects assistant
Andrew Robertson	....	special effects assistant

Visual Effects by
Oliver Bock	....	visual effects Inferno artist: FFI
Cania	....	digital paint artist
Susa Lie	....	digital compositing artist
Martin Ofori	....	digital effects artist
Monique Ress	....	scanning operator
Thomas Schmidt	....	visual effects producer
Oliver Seiter	....	digital compositing artist

Stunts
Cecil Carter	....	stunts
Revien Crankshaw	....	utility stunts
Martin Dlamini	....	stunts
Graeme Du Plessis	....	utility stunts
Grant Hulley	....	assistant stunt coordinator: second unit
Grant Hulley	....	stunt rigger
Roly Jansen	....	stunt coordinator
Tyrell Kemlo	....	stunts
Anthony Mo Marais	....	stunts (as Mo Marais)
Anton Moon	....	stunts
Paul Piertse	....	stunts
Paul Siebert	....	stunts
John Smith	....	utility stunts
Peter Spiropoulous	....	assistant stunt coordinator (as Pete Spyropoulos)
Antony Stone	....	stunt performer
Bobby Vokes	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Gordon Adams	....	grip assistant
George Amos	....	focus puller
Alfred Ayanda	....	generator operator
Alan Barnes	....	best boy electric
Anthony Biaocchi	....	focus puller
Craig Bloor	....	focus puller
Adrian Boerlage	....	clapper loader
Elias Boyano	....	generator operator
Steven Brooks	....	lighting assistant
Trevor Brown	....	camera operator
Rhodi-Anne Buys	....	clapper loader
Greg Cameron	....	rigging grip
Derek William Carlow	....	focus puller
Rachimo Chokwe	....	grip assistant
Lars Cox	....	focus puller
Stephen Daly	....	lighting assistant
Angus de la Harpe	....	clapper loader
Owen Dell	....	clapper loader
Bernett de Wet	....	lighting assistant
Sarel Eloff	....	focus puller
Dudley Fillies	....	lighting assistant
Robert Fischer	....	best boy grip (as Rob Fischer)
Simeon Foroma	....	lighting assistant
Justin Fouche	....	camera operator
Paul Gilpin	....	camera operator
Michael Hare	....	focus puller
Dominic Hjorthen	....	grip assistant: second unit
Shaheen Isaacs	....	clapper loader
Michael Kennedy	....	focus puller
Ryan Lotter	....	clapper loader
Naz Majiet	....	assistant rigging grip
Riad Majiet	....	assistant rigging grip
Dylan McDonnell	....	lighting assistant
Graham McFarlane	....	focus puller: second unit
John McKay	....	gaffer
Elvis Mhlauli	....	lighting assistant
Guy Micheletti	....	key grip
Miroslav Moncek	....	clapper loader
Victor Moshoeshoe	....	lighting assistant
Lourence Nepfumbada	....	grip assistant (as Laurence Nepfumbada)
Willy Nkwana	....	grip assistant
Brent Nortje	....	lighting assistant
Vuyo Ntseke	....	generator operator
Justin Paterson	....	lighting assistant
Andrew Phyfer	....	lighting assistant
Alastair Rae	....	camera operator (as Alistair Rae)
Tell Reid	....	lighting assistant
Edna Roelofse	....	clapper loader: second unit
André Roussouw	....	lighting assistant
Henrik Sauer	....	focus puller: Germany
Mark Schneider	....	clapper loader: Germany
Michael Snyman	....	focus puller
Stefan Sosna	....	second assistant camera
Gay Stallard	....	lighting assistant
Garth Stead	....	still photographer
Lally Tshabane	....	lighting assistant
Damian Van Gass	....	grip assistant
Sven Vosloo	....	focus puller
Michael Watts	....	lighting assistant
Karl Waugh	....	lighting assistant
Justin Youens	....	focus puller

Casting Department
Ashley Haussman	....	casting: London
Janet Meintjies	....	casting: CTN
Benedicte Roumega	....	casting: CTN

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Hetta Burger	....	wardrobe assistant
Gillian Castle	....	wardrobe assistant
Wolfgang Ender	....	wardrobe stand-by
Jayne Forbes	....	wardrobe supervisor
Reza Levy	....	assistant costume designer
Morne Van Greeunen	....	wardrobe assistant
Joanne Walter	....	wardrobe stand-by

Editorial Department
Bauke Brouwer	....	assistant editor
Renate Dahmen	....	negative cutter
Heidi Freeman	....	first assistant editor
Kristina Hamilton-Grobler	....	additional editor (as Kristina Hamilton)
Mark Jackson	....	assistant editor
Tomomi Kitamura	....	assistant editor
Pinar Ozsenler	....	negative cutter
Christian Zacardi	....	color grader

Music Department
John Boughtwood	....	music supervisor

Transportation Department
Clint Gordon	....	transportation manager
Jean-Roux Viljoen	....	transportation manager
Widge Woolsey	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Robyn Aronstam	....	script supervisor
Adrian Augustine	....	production assistant
Craig Barwick	....	accountant: UK
Robert Bentley	....	location manager
Sean Berkhout	....	unit assistant
Daniel Carvalho	....	armorer: second unit
Sean Chisholm	....	assistant: Brian Cook
Lindi Pow Chong	....	set runner
Craig Ashton Collop	....	set runner
Jonathan Degueldre	....	production assistant
Satya De La Manitou	....	assistant: Mr. Hopper
Céline De La Pena	....	assistant: Mr. Lambert
Henry de Villiers	....	unit assistant
Laurie Dunn	....	production assistant
Calvyn Du Toit	....	unit runner
Andre Erasmus	....	production assistant
Liesl Ernst	....	post-production accountant
William Filby	....	animal wrangler
Joanne Goldstone	....	accountant: South Africa
Cynthia Hager	....	assistant accountant
Markus Hesseling	....	location manager: Germany
Edu Klarenbeck	....	unit assistant: second unit
Barbara Krieger	....	script supervisor: Germany
Danielle Lunsky	....	assistant production coordinator
Alex Marais	....	set runner
Jackie Mayou	....	extras coordinator (as Jacqui Mayou)
William McDonagh	....	assistant to producers
Juhlene Moller	....	assistant accountant
Peter Ndifon	....	unit assistant
Ester Ozgur	....	assistant to producers
Selwyn Prins	....	unit assistant
Grant Rahme	....	production assistant
Mandy Raubenheimer	....	production secretary
Kim Robinson	....	script supervisor: second unit
Alexander Rutkowski	....	unit assistant: Germany
Elke Sasserath	....	production coordinator: Germany
Brad Saunders	....	unit assistant
Wendy Sherrin	....	production coordinator
Mito Skellern	....	cast coordinator
Hugh Spurling	....	studio executive
Olly Steele	....	armorer
Juliea Stewart	....	shadow script supervisor
Garin Van Munster	....	animal coordinator
Sonia Voltolin	....	assistant: Mr. Desideri
Brent Webb	....	assistant: Mrs. Desideri

Production Companies

• American Video Films
• Bauer Martinez Studios
• Bladerealm Ltd.
• Film Afrika Worldwide
• Splendid Pictures

Distributors

• A.B. Film (2004) (Italy)
• Bauer Martinez Studios
• Eagle Entertainment (2005) (Australia) (DVD)
• Splendid Film

Other Companies

• Aquest GmbH  audio post-production
• Fatts  post-production script services
• Film Afrika Worldwide  production services
• Magic Light & Sound Pütz  lighting equipment
• Midnight Transfer  cutting rooms

Also Known As:

The Target (Canada: English title) (USA) (video title)
The Piano Player - Brennende Seelen vergessen nie (Germany) (DVD title)

Runtime:

Germany:91 min | Netherlands:87 min

Country:

UK | USA | Germany | Spain

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Certification:

Netherlands:16 | Germany:12 | Australia:MA

Filming Locations:

Cape Town, South Africa

Company:

American Video Films

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Robert Nile drives away in the desert, a man dressed in a white T-shirt is visible in the upper right corner of the screen.

Not a bad Lambert film after all

I rented this film expecting it to be like The Point Men, Vercingetorix and Lambert's latest crap films. But I was surprised it wasn't that bad. It runs at less then 90 minutes...although it can be a quite boring film (feels like 2 hours). The film tells the story of a rich lawyer (Dennis Hopper) who lives in South Africa and his life is in danger, some voodo/vodoo practicing crimelord wants him dead, so he (Hopper) brings in the help of Christopher Lambert to protect him. The film has a series of flashbacks which all make sense when you see the end of the film. There are some very beautiful shots of the South African landscape. I'll give this a 5.5/10, it's better then the latest turkeys Lambert has released on video lately and if you always thought of going to South Africa...this film might convince you to go.