Director: Dustin Hoffman
Writer/s: Ronald Harwood
Starring: Maggie Smith, Tom Courtnay, Billy Connolly, Pauline Collins, Michael Gambon, Sheridan Smith, Andrew Sachs, and more.
Requested Review from Jon Delval!
The Intro:
Well this is going to be an interesting one! Back again with a requested review during these odd pandemic times. With this post I approach a film called “Quartet,” requested by my friend Jon. Right from the start, I am cautious as I start my viewing. A film based on opera, featuring older actors, set in a retirement home. It is easy to tell this is not exactly targeting my demographic, but the final word comes when I am done with the view!
IMDB Summary:
“At a home for retired musicians, the annual concert to celebrate Composer Giuseppe Verdi’s birthday is disrupted by the arrival of Jean (Dame Maggie Smith), an eternal diva and the former wife of one of the residents.”
The Oberrating:
Not bad, not bad. To my surprise, I liked this a little more than I anticipated to. Still, it is purely about some old folk trying to put on a retirement home opera show while battling their age and old vendettas. Sprinkle in some good, charming comedic moments, and you have “Quartet.”
The performances here surely showcase that the older generation of actors still got it. Everyone was wonderful, and one word that keeps popping up in my head is “charming.”
In my eyes Maggie Smith is without a doubt the star. The focus is mostly on her for the duration of the film, but she owns every moment, and it never feels like too much.
Now, if I am being honest, there were far too many moments where I just simply lost interest in what was happening, and my attention began to coast to my phone. Then I had to snap off of it and bring my focus back in. I would say the subject matter is to blame. As I said in the beginning, this is simply not for the demographic I fall in.
The Wrap-Up:
An impressive outing for some legends of film. “Quartet” even made me appreciate and research some opera as well. Spearheaded by a wonderful performance by Maggie Smith and complimented by basically the entire rest of the cast, “Quartet” was a fun movie to test my tastes. No doubt a bit slow at times and also a little uninteresting at other times, I cannot critique it too much beyond that. A great watch for the older crowd looking for a movie to watch.
Rating: 2.5/5
References:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1441951/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1441951/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm#cast
Editor: Erica McNatt
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