Eager for a scare?
Well, if you are, there’s a nice little film opening on Nov. 1 that would surely get you in the mood: “The Piper.”
Yes, Virginia, you guessed it right. It is based on the children’s classic “The Pied Piper of Hamelin,” written by Robert Browning in 1842.
For those not familiar, the story focuses on a skilled musician hired by a village council to rid them of a rat infestation.
The piper agrees but asks to be rewarded with gold.
The Hamelin elders agreed but reneged on the same after the piper successfully killed all the rats in their town.
Enraged, the piper decides to punish the villagers by luring their children to a cave, never to be seen again.
Erlingur Thoroddsen twists the story in his film, allowing for a modern take that is far more disturbing than the original story it was based on.
It’s about a young musician and composer, Mel (Charlotte Hope), who is given the opportunity to complete her late mentor’s unfinished concerto.
But what she thought was a good move for her music career did not open doors for opportunities, instead, playing the concerto made her summon the piper himself who is now bent on taking her and all the concertgoers’ children away.
Will Mel be able to figure out a way to stop the evil musician? Is she strong enough to face him?
Charlotte, who we remember for her role as Myranda in “Game of Thrones,” does good portraying Mel. We could relate to the fear and confusion of her character.
The film is dedicated to one of its stars, Julian Sands, who died early this year.
Julian is a familiar face, having been working since the 80s, going on to make his mark in such films as “The Killing Fields,” “Boxing Helena,” “Leaving Las Vegas,” among others.
In the film, he plays the role of a conductor eager to bring to life the music that would lead to the piper being summoned from beyond.
Produced by Millennium Media Inc. and released by Viva International Pictures in the Philippines, “The Piper” is now in cinemas.
