QUARTET
Director : Dustin Hoffman
Year : 2013
Genre : Drama/Comedy
Rating : ***
Rating : ***
Starring some of the most revered British actors of our time and directed by one of the greatest American actors of all time, 'Quartet' is a wonderfully charming drama/comedy that while highly conventional, should thaw the coldest of hearts. The movie is the directorial debut of the majestic Dustin Hoffman who excels in creating sympathetic and relatable characters without resorting to cliches, pathos or stereotypes and with such legends of British film and television such as Maggie Smith, Tom Courtenay, Billy Connolly, Pauline Collins, Michael Gambon and Trevor Peacock starring, 'Quartet' is a typically British picture that celebrates music, old age and life itself.
'Quartet' is set in Beacham House, a beautiful retirement home for musicians. The corridors of the palace-like mansion are constantly filled with gorgeous music and despite being old, the residents express the same joie de vivre they felt when performing decades earlier. Billy Connolly, Tom Courtenay and Pauline Collins play Wilf, Reg and Cissy respectively; three retired opera singers who are taking part in the homes annual celebrations for the composer Guiseppi Verdi's birthday. While Wilf and Cissy are eager to perform, Reg is more hesitant to sing due to both his age and the loss of his musical friends. Soon word begins to spread around that a new arrival will be joining the retirement home and the residents are eager to find out which potential musical idol it is. When the arrival day comes, the guest turns out to be Jean Horton (played by Maggie Smith); a former opera diva who coincidentally once sang Verdi's Rigoletto quartet with Wilf, Reg and Cissy to great critical acclaim. However, her arrival at the home also stirs great controversy as she is the ex wife of Reg. who is not at all happy and furious that he wasn't consulted beforehand. Ideas start to bubble about forming the famous quartet once more for the Verdi celebrations but Jean is reluctant and refuses to participate due to both her age and her past relationship with Reg and 'Quartet' shows the ways in which he, Wilf and Cissy try convince her to sing once more.
Dustin Hoffman will always be remembered for his portrayal of headstrong and sympathetic characters; some of which have earned him Academy Awards. Whether is be Rizzo from 'Midnight Cowboy' or Raymond from 'Rain Man', Hoffman is the master of bringing a vulnerability to his characters which makes them touching and sympathetic but more importantly, realistic. These same characterisations can be seen in 'Quartet', a film which is clearly a study of old age and the prospects of death. Now 75, Hoffman is not the heartthrob he oncews thanks to films such as 'The Graduate' and to me, 'Quartet' seems to be the veteran actor discussing the inevitability of death without resorting to any types of conventional heart pulling or unnecessarily graphic scenes which usually festoon this genre of film. Unfortunately Hoffman is not an extremely talented director; mostly sticking to establishing shots and medium close ups, slow camera moves and very light use of non diegetic music. As a result, 'Quartet' is a very televisual film and to me, the film would have suited much better as a made for TV movie rather than a full cinematic experience. Many will compare 'Quartet' to 'Downton Abbey' and this comparison wouldn't be wrong at all. In fact, it's quaint façade and setting does make it seem that that the film was shot just down the road from the aforementioned Abbey! However, the use of a beautiful historic house and stunning classical music in a movie is a welcome change from the kinetic and over excitable films that are now so common in our multiplexes today.
As expected from these legends of British cinema, the main cast are brilliant. Connolly, Collins, Courtenay and Smith are perfectly cast as the aged opera singers and their undying love for music is beautifully touching. However, the stand out performance to me is Michael Gambon's flamboyant and feisty musical director who is extremely difficult to please. He has the funniest lines of dialogue in the entire film and this characterisation is worlds away from his portrayal of the gentle Albus Dumbledore in the 'Harry Potter' franchise. A large proportion of the rest of the cast in 'Quartet' are actual past opera singers, musicians and theatrical actors and to me, this film is a perfect way to recognise their talents and once again, remember the greats of British music and theatre. Hoffman treats his elderly cast in a completely believable way, giving each one different interests and foibles and this creates interesting and diverse characters. Just like 'The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel', 'Quartet' is a film which celebrates old age and wisdom with a light and heartfelt joy.
Dario Marianelli has composed a beautiful score for 'Quartet' which just like opera, is able to convey emotions without being overbearing or blatantly obvious. Combining Marianelli's gorgeous classical score with the music of Verdi, Hoffman creates an air of deserved dignity, class and grandure to both the cast and the surroundings in which the film is set. However, while I find this suitably fitting, others may find it unbearably stuffy and pompous.
Unfortunately, despite all the good things about the film, 'Quartet' is far from perfect. The plot is extremely conventional, which little change in tempo or dramatic plot twists. I had guessed how the film was going to end within half and hour of the film starting, which is a shame and did hinder my overall enjoyment of the movie. Another problem is the cringeworthy scenes in which Reg (played by Courtenay) tries to compare rap music with opera, leading him to listen to hip hop and even ask a young member of his music class to rap about death. Now, I understand the reasons why Hoffman chose to film these scenes and I suppose they could be seen to bridge the gap between different genres of music. But to me, they just seemed forced and out of place compared to the overall gentle nature of the film.
While it has it's fair share of problems, 'Quartet' is a well made, beautifully shot piece of cinema which while conventional and not at all ground breaking in any sense, is an entertaining and fun confectionary. For the older viewer, 'Quartet' should be a hugely enjoyable and quaint film while those of a younger generation may find the movie to be baggy and long. To me, it is a perfectly fine film which I feel no reason to watch ever again. Nearly everything about it is conventional and the character arcs went exactly the way I imagined they would. But for a quiet movie like this, maybe reinvention wasn't needed at all.
Dustin Hoffman will always be remembered for his portrayal of headstrong and sympathetic characters; some of which have earned him Academy Awards. Whether is be Rizzo from 'Midnight Cowboy' or Raymond from 'Rain Man', Hoffman is the master of bringing a vulnerability to his characters which makes them touching and sympathetic but more importantly, realistic. These same characterisations can be seen in 'Quartet', a film which is clearly a study of old age and the prospects of death. Now 75, Hoffman is not the heartthrob he oncews thanks to films such as 'The Graduate' and to me, 'Quartet' seems to be the veteran actor discussing the inevitability of death without resorting to any types of conventional heart pulling or unnecessarily graphic scenes which usually festoon this genre of film. Unfortunately Hoffman is not an extremely talented director; mostly sticking to establishing shots and medium close ups, slow camera moves and very light use of non diegetic music. As a result, 'Quartet' is a very televisual film and to me, the film would have suited much better as a made for TV movie rather than a full cinematic experience. Many will compare 'Quartet' to 'Downton Abbey' and this comparison wouldn't be wrong at all. In fact, it's quaint façade and setting does make it seem that that the film was shot just down the road from the aforementioned Abbey! However, the use of a beautiful historic house and stunning classical music in a movie is a welcome change from the kinetic and over excitable films that are now so common in our multiplexes today.
As expected from these legends of British cinema, the main cast are brilliant. Connolly, Collins, Courtenay and Smith are perfectly cast as the aged opera singers and their undying love for music is beautifully touching. However, the stand out performance to me is Michael Gambon's flamboyant and feisty musical director who is extremely difficult to please. He has the funniest lines of dialogue in the entire film and this characterisation is worlds away from his portrayal of the gentle Albus Dumbledore in the 'Harry Potter' franchise. A large proportion of the rest of the cast in 'Quartet' are actual past opera singers, musicians and theatrical actors and to me, this film is a perfect way to recognise their talents and once again, remember the greats of British music and theatre. Hoffman treats his elderly cast in a completely believable way, giving each one different interests and foibles and this creates interesting and diverse characters. Just like 'The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel', 'Quartet' is a film which celebrates old age and wisdom with a light and heartfelt joy.
Dario Marianelli has composed a beautiful score for 'Quartet' which just like opera, is able to convey emotions without being overbearing or blatantly obvious. Combining Marianelli's gorgeous classical score with the music of Verdi, Hoffman creates an air of deserved dignity, class and grandure to both the cast and the surroundings in which the film is set. However, while I find this suitably fitting, others may find it unbearably stuffy and pompous.
Unfortunately, despite all the good things about the film, 'Quartet' is far from perfect. The plot is extremely conventional, which little change in tempo or dramatic plot twists. I had guessed how the film was going to end within half and hour of the film starting, which is a shame and did hinder my overall enjoyment of the movie. Another problem is the cringeworthy scenes in which Reg (played by Courtenay) tries to compare rap music with opera, leading him to listen to hip hop and even ask a young member of his music class to rap about death. Now, I understand the reasons why Hoffman chose to film these scenes and I suppose they could be seen to bridge the gap between different genres of music. But to me, they just seemed forced and out of place compared to the overall gentle nature of the film.
While it has it's fair share of problems, 'Quartet' is a well made, beautifully shot piece of cinema which while conventional and not at all ground breaking in any sense, is an entertaining and fun confectionary. For the older viewer, 'Quartet' should be a hugely enjoyable and quaint film while those of a younger generation may find the movie to be baggy and long. To me, it is a perfectly fine film which I feel no reason to watch ever again. Nearly everything about it is conventional and the character arcs went exactly the way I imagined they would. But for a quiet movie like this, maybe reinvention wasn't needed at all.
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