Review of Quills (2000) by Mirabella 1 — 26 Feb 2010

QUILLS (2000).

Directed by Philip Kaufman.

Written by Doug Wright (based on his play).

A treat for linguists & those who appreciate fine wit....this film is a wordsmith's delight.

Geoffrey Rush's performance as the irrepressible Marquis is superb. He negotiates just the right balance of salaciousness & pathos, so that he never quite 'crosses the line' & loses the sympathy of the audience.

Kate Winslet gives a strong performance (in what must have been a very trying role), but the real star of the film is the writer. All credit must go to him, for he never once lets the pace of the pithy repartee slacken nor the drama descend into lazy melodrama. We look forward with keen anticipation to his future offerings.

PS : I remember being CRUSHED when I first heard that this film had been made.

In my early 20s, I had been inspired by youthful dreams of being a famous film-writer & had researched & written about a quarter of a script on de Sade's final years in the Bastille, where he would spend his days in idle reverie of his youthful debaucheries. It was called The Divine Marquis & was to be directed by no-one other than my idol, Ken Russell.

I knew he would love it (the idea, at least, if not the actual script itself).

But Time....Exams...Life....they slowly kill off one's Dreams, don't they?

I never finished it, but I knew it was always there to go back to. That is, until this film was released. It took me several months before I was able to bring myself to see it & I expected to loathe it with a passion. But, I surprised myself...it was good & I could (graciously?) appreciate that.

And so, the Dream moves on.

****4 out of 5 stars****.