Five AI-recommended piano movies to watch over the holidays (and three months of diatonic)

Photo: Ajeet Mestry

It’s been about three months since I started this blog. And I told myself to take it slow. My idea is to publish one interview per month, additional articles here and there … that means one more interview for December. And then again one in January.

I know: Slow, isn’t it? But the whole idea is to think long-term. After all starting a blog in my free time shouldn’t keep me from playing the piano and making music among other things.

But so far it has been a rewarding experience: I published three interviews already … which, again, doesn’t seem like much; but they actually took way longer than expected … from research to proof-reading to taking and editing pictures there’s a lot to consider. But eventually I’ll be quicker in the future I hope!
For the holidays though I am looking forward to just practicing a lot and also spending some time watching movies.

Regarding the recent AI-craze, I thought it’d be fun to ask for movie recommendations over at OpenAI’s playground. More specifically I asked:

”I am writing a piano blog. And I want to recommend five movies for piano players to my readers. Can you suggest five that are not too common and really appeal to musicians and write a short outline for each of them so they know what it's about?”

And three seconds later came the reply … I’d love to cover the subject of AI and music in another post and in-depth. But for now: Here’s the answer I received.

1. Amadeus
Amadeus is a classic drama about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, a famous composer of the 18th century. It follows the life of Mozart and his struggles as a musician, including his rivalry with Antonio Salieri, a court composer. The film depicts the dramatic events of Mozart’s life, as well as his passionate love for music and the piano.

2. Shine
Shine is a biographical drama about the life of David Helfgott, an Australian pianist. The film chronicles Helfgott’s struggles with mental illness and his triumphant return to the stage after recovering from a breakdown. It follows his journey from a child prodigy to a renowned concert pianist and features stunning performances from the star.

3. The Piano
The Piano is a romantic drama about a mute woman named Ada who is sent to New Zealand in the 19th century. After arriving, she begins a passionate affair with her piano teacher, who helps her to rediscover her love for music. The film follows Ada’s journey to self-discovery and the power of music to bring people together.

4. The Talented Mr. Ripley
The Talented Mr. Ripley is a psychological thriller about a con man named Tom Ripley. The film follows Tom as he infiltrates the lives of a wealthy family in order to gain access to their money. He also learns to play the piano and uses it to further infiltrate the family.

5. The Red Violin
The Red Violin is a drama about a rare red violin and its journey across the globe. The film follows the violin’s history, from its creation in 17th century Italy to its final destination in present-day Canada. Along the way, the violin is played by several musicians, including a young pianist.

Was I expecting more? A little bit, I guess. I’ve seen all of the movies above; are they really that uncommon for people interested in piano movies? Probably not. But still: The fact that an Ai can basically write or outline blog posts, give recommendations and also create music … is both fascinating and discomforting at the same time.