Review of Quartet (2012) by Jamie W — 02 Mar 2013

Maggie Smith, Tom Courtenay, Billy Connolly and Pauline Collins star in this charming and witty example of British humor and sharp dialogue. This is comedy of manners at its best. Courtesy of her Hogwarts and Highclerc characters, most will go for Dame Maggie Smith as the perennial Diva, Jean. I went for Pauline Collins whom I have loved since Shirley Valentine. If you have never seen Pauline talking to a Greek rock, you have missed one of the more delightful films from more than 20 years ago. She deserved her BAFTA win and Oscar nomination for Best Actress. In Quartet she is the joyful if deteriorating and slightly demented Cissy. The two ladies supported by Billy Connolly as the wisely risqué Wilf and Tom Courtenay as the patrician and heart-broken Reginald, this quartet of great actors revolve and intertwine in a dance of language as beautiful as the quartet from Rigoletto they may or may not sing before the end.

Throughout the film, you meet the residents of the home for retired musicians as they practice for the upcoming Gala in honor of Verdi's birthday. It isn't all opera as you meet pianists, violinists, musical comedy and light opera performers and as directed by Dustin Hoffman you are allowed the time to let the music tell the story of these still talented if aging performers. At the end, you get to meet some of their younger incarnations as the credits pass.

If your taste in movies allows for quiet pleasures, then you definitely don't want to miss Quartet, and you definitely don't want to miss the credits: