Review of The Quiet (2005) by Jaime R — 03 May 2011

The Quiet is an incredibly dark and disturbing movie about what could pass by our very eyes in a seemingly normal suburbian family. This film may disgust you, or bore you. It could have been better, but the strong themes make this movie compelling.

After the death of her father, Dot, a deaf teenager, moves into the home of her dead mother's friend and her family. The family is dysfunctional, and Dot isn't exactly getting along with the family's daughter, Nina, nor at school. Though Dot cannot hear, she discovers a sick secret of Nina's. The Quiet is a very good character based movie. You have a bunch of characters who do not face their problems. They do not make choices. They prefer to be as silent as Dot is. A little resolution or redemption would have been nice to see in this movie, which is probably why this movie isn't favourable with critics. I see this movie as one that is not about redemption, it's about the lack of redemption in the real world and the consiquences for our lack of action. There are a tone of good themes about comfort and acceptance too which don't seem to be touched as thorough as it could have, but this is a story about Dot and Nina. It's a scary and haunting story that is unforgiving and personal. Everything a good story should have.

There's a very nice lonely and haunting effect done in The Quiet that fits like a glove. There's no stylized look of the world, but the cinematography and effects make a fantastic tone. There always seems to be a calm yet distant feel between characters and their view of their world. Rarely do characters feel connected. Always distant. Very dark lighting and heavy shadows adds a brilliant effect. The movie is depressing, and it lets you know that from the start, but you still won't know just how depressing the movie is until you see the plot unfold. What I also like about this movie, and this is really important, are the little details and effects. There's a spacific shot that is set at night when it's raining and you can see the shadow of the raindrops dripping down the window. It wasn't a spacifically significant scene, but that detail was not only important, but the way it was done and shot was very emotional and effective. I love little details like that, and this movie has some nice effects like that.

Camilla Belle and Elisha Cuthbert, who are known for playing not too smart teenage sex symbols, do an exceptionally excellent performance as their roles. Always in the moments, always mysterious, wonderful through and through. Disturbing content like this movie deals with doesn't get a lot of praise or recognition, but The Quiet is definitely an underrated indie film that hits hard with important subject matters.