Capsule reviews for March 7

Awful Nice

There are some scattered big laughs, but not enough of them, in this broad male-bonding comedy about estranged Midwestern brothers forced to reunite after their father’s death for a road trip and a restoration project on the family lake house in Branson, in order to claim an inheritance. But first, overbearing control freak Jim (James Pumphrey) and unemployed slacker Dave (Alex Rennie) must overcome their differences and their childish bickering. The script by Rennie and director Todd Sklar, expanded from a short film, manages an effective mix of slapstick and sentiment that can’t quite sustain itself at feature length, despite some genuinely amusing moments. (Rated R, 92 minutes).

Grand Piano

Even a symphony performance isn’t safe in this nifty low-budget thriller about a neurotic concert pianist (Elijah Wood) whose latest performance is interrupted by a note from a psychotic fan (John Cusack) on his sheet music threatening to shoot him or his wife (Kerry Bishe) if he plays a wrong note. As the scenario unfolds in front of an oblivious audience, it’s all pretty ridiculous, of course. But the smartly paced and well-acted film has some genuine visual flair within its single location, courtesy of Spanish director Eugenio Mira, and it keeps building enough tension to keep moviegoers from caring about such contrivances. (Rated R, 90 minutes).