Review of A Quiet Passion (2016) by Graciela F — 09 Apr 2017

I'm a former critic who gave it up some years ago when I ran out of synonyms for "lousy." This masterwork by Terence Davies is, on the other hand, the movie of the decade thus far. One of the rare movies about a literary figure that actually includes a copious amount of the writer's published work, its ravishing aesthetic and formal control doesn't for a moment mitigate against its profound humanity.

There are images here that I'm unlikely ever to forget and Cynthia Nixon gives a performance for the ages as Emily Dickinson. I've seen around 1700 movies since the beginning of 2010 and this transcends all of the rest.

Those who regard it as "static" or "stiff" deserve to watch nothing but Marvel comic-book movies from now until Hell freezes over.