Quartet is one of
those rare movies that is funny, inspirational and charming without being
anything else whatsoever. It is a movie about a British nursing home for
retired musicians called Beechum House. The story is partially based on fact
and, aside from the four main characters, the cast is comprised of actual
retired musicians playing themselves. The setting should be somber and there
are winks and hints that the plot will inevitably take a dismal turn. It never
does, though, and not a single elderly individual dies or becomes seriously
ill. This just isn’t that kind of movie.
The story is simple. It focuses initially on three of the
retirees. Billy Connelly plays a man who, after suffering a stroke, is no
longer able to censor the things that come out of his mouth. That’s his excuse,
anyway. Pauline Collins is a woman who has a bit of a memory problem. Tom
Courtenay is a man who doesn’t really seem to have anything much wrong with
him, except, apparently, for a broken heart. This was caused by one Jean
Horton, played here with an elegant ease by the great Maggie Smith, who becomes
a new resident at Beechum House towards the beginning of the film. In addition
to these two having to face their past indiscretions, the four have also been
asked to sing the famous quartet from Rigoletto, for which they were famous
during their career, at a gala the house is putting on for needed funds. Jean
is afraid of singing again, because she isn’t as good as she used to be and
doesn’t want to harm the memory of her great career.
I’ll give you twelve guesses as to how it all turns out and the
first eleven don’t count. Quartet is
not a movie you watch because it is intricate and complex. You watch it to
laugh and be happy, and it will not fail you. The jokes mostly come from the
idea that being old doesn’t have to be a painful experience. These characters,
though they may suffer from time to time, can smile through anything. It is for
this reason that I loved the movie, because a cinema experience that is truly
joyful without also forcing the issue or being excessively vulgar is a special
gift. Yes, I admit there are notable flaws. The movie abruptly ends before we
are able to actually witness the performance towards which the entire picture
builds, and I just can’t believe that anyone with “severe hip problems” would
spend all day every day walking and walking and walking. In the end, none of
that really matters because first-time director Dustin Hoffman has created
something so enjoyable that it simply doesn’t require realism. If this all
sounds too light for your tastes, Maggie Smith may have something very rude to
say about it.
8/10
No comments:
Post a Comment