Quartet

For me, anything with Maggie Smith is a must-see. This film was no exception. The mix of humor and deep feelings was perfect. The incomparable elegance of Maggie Smith was a wonderful counterpoint to the whimsical, yet almost sad, humor added by Billy Connolly.

What will follow will be a sophisticated adult version of a 10-year-old squealing OMG I love this movie, with six L s and about 10 !'s As I write this review there are 285 four and five star reviews two hundred of them five-star, 28 one or two star reviews and 48 straddling three stars. Several of the movie haters speak of technical problems with the DVD and perhaps should not be counted. You should be aware that some folks have had technical issues. Others who speak against the movie seem to be upset that the language is not uniformly dignified. I'm not sure what to say to that. The language seemed very authentic. One soul felt that the movie was to geriatric. I'm guessing they missed all of the advertisements and did not pay attention to the picture on the cover. One negative person sniffed that this movie did not deal authentically with aging issues. This is not an issues movie; Quartet is if anything a slice of life -it is just happens that the slice of life under discussion is very close to the end-of-life. Director Dustin Hoffman has assembled one of those classic casts of British performers who are as at ease in supporting roles as in leading roles and know how to impart a quality depth to every performance. The philosophy on display here is that there are no small roles and small actors need not apply. While the performances and the script tends to favor classifying this is a comedy, the underlining theme is that these are people serious as death. Quartet takes place in a retirement home for British musicians. Overall these are plush quarters but clearly assignments are made based on the reputation and status of the now retired artists. The story arc revolves around the long ago failed marriage between newly arriving Opera diva Jean Horton (Dame Maggie Smith) and equally diva -ish longer retired Reginald Pajet ( Tom Courtenay). Between them must be resolved first the issues that ended their marriage issues he has never gotten over. And second her loss of confidence in her singing ability so that she can participate in an upcoming fundraiser needed to keep the retirement home open. We can be almost confident how the story lines will be resolved but the brilliance in the writing is to keep us just enough unsure such that the dramatic tension holds through to the end. The real story line in quartet and the reason why I will not shrugged it off as a light comedy is in the nature of the personalities involved. The most immediate fact is that these are old people very aware that they are losing all of their individual capabilities due to their advancing age. These people are very aware that death awaits them impatiently. Secondly these people are all artists used to performing at very high levels. All have had to make sacrifices in the name of their artistic skills and now they are facing the fact that they must now sacrifice their standings as artists. There is an old expression "nothing quite focuses the mind like the certainty that one is to die in the morning". A premise of quartet is that to the degree that these minds can focus; they are aware that time is against them. Consequently decisions that have been delayed for years have to be attended to rapidly and in such a manner as to leave them neither compromised nor dissatisfied with their decisions. Ultimately these are people who choose to enjoy the time that is left to them. Besides a very well written story, a first class team of actors and one of those classic British Manor home film sets; Quartet is graced with the plethora of enjoyable small things. There is a 2 to 3 second image of a young girl in a white summer pinafore running across a green grass trailing a red shawl. It is visually breathtaking. There is a similar visual of Dame Maggie Smith in a simple, regal turquoise dress suit striding into the dining room which again speaks to what superb cameramen can achieve. Dir. Hoffman has filled the retirement home with real musicians. They are honored in the closing credits and they honor us with beautiful musical interludes throughout the movie. Something else Dustin Hoffman gets correct is that faces do not have to be conventionally beautiful to be beautiful. If there is one thing that American movies tend to render boring it's conventionally beautiful faces. From beginning to end quartet is filled with faces that are not normally allowed in close-ups and the movie is better for this decision. I am a huge fan of small-scale movies that do not require lots of flashing lights or loud noises or huge scale issues. Quartet is homage to art, to artistry and a movie that respects and therefore honors the elderly. This movie could have become maudlin or morose. It has more than a few cliches except that they are all used in creative and original ways. If you haven't figured it out yet I like this movie and I recommend it without hesitation.

Here is a cast to die for, playing characters in a home for retired opera singers; they are preparing for their annual celebration of Verdi's birthday. But there is a "spanner (wrench) in the works" when a former diva arrives, in the person of Maggie Smith. Based on the play by Ronald Harwood and directed by first-timer Dustin Hoffman, this delicious PG-13 comedy bathes us in classical music, witty dialogue and a lovely setting. In fact the opening credits include some of the finest editing I've had the pleasure to enjoy in recent years. Kudos to Barney Pilling for the film editing; Ben Smith for the art direction; and Dustin Hoffman for respecting the music. The world of opera is a relatively small one, so it is no surprise that a few of these divas and divos have a shared "history," and therein lies our tale. Let's look at some of this wonderful cast: * Maggie Smith ("Downton Abbey") is Jean, who always had at least 12 curtain calls but hasn't been in the spotlight for far too long! * Michael Gambon ("Harry Potter") is Cedric, in charge of the star-studded gala, with a towering ego of his own. * Billy Connolly ("Brave") is Wilf, proof positive that an old horn dog never quits sniffing around. * Tom Courtenay ("Gambit") is Reggie, a kind, considerate fellow who is still nursing a broken heart. * Pauline Collins ("You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger") is Cissy, the sweet busybody who can't think of one bad thing to say about anyone. Just a couple of important tips: 1) If you have any hearing problems, either see this in a theater that features closed captions, or wait for the DVD with Amazon.com so you can turn on the subtitles. 2) Be sure to stay through the final credits because Mr Hoffman generously included the faces of many of the performers, along with a head shot of that same performer during his or her heyday. What a beautiful finale! BTW: I just received my DVD from Amazon and it DOES have closed captions. Yippee!

I had seen a little of this movie on Showtime some months ago, but it was not repeated, so I ordered it from Amazon. What a delight! If you are a baby boomer, or a musician, or both, as I am, or if you merely want to see a good movie with the marvelous Maggie Smith, this is for you. Set in a retirement home for retired and aging professional musicians, the ladies and gentlemen of the Thomas Beecham Home are getting ready for their annual fundraising gala honoring the great composer Verdi. Three members of a renowned operatic quartet reside at the home, and the sparks begin to fly when Maggie Smith, as Jean Horton, the fourth and grand diva member of the quartet, arrives to live at Thomas Beecham. She had previously been married to one of the quartet, Reg, and their meeting is bittersweet. Faced with dwindling finances, Jean is forced to give up a spacious home to move to Thomas Beecham. It is not an easy pill to swallow. However, she is welcomed with an ovation from the other residents who remember and esteem her voice and musicianship. The quartet were renowned for their rendition of Verdi's Rigoletto, and the remaining members want to sing the quartet from Rigoletto for the gala. Jean, however, is broken in spirit and body, and not confident that her once golden voice will only embarrass her further. I will not divulge the remainder of the plot, suffice to say that this little gem of a movie, one of the best movies I have ever seen. This movie is heartwarming in its portrayal of our senior citizens, especially musicians, as the joints ache and bones creak, the reed players air support is not there, the singers' voices not as fluidly beautiful as in their heyday. But they are making do, as their life long love of music and their determination to present the show keeps them going. Especially heartwarming is that the members of Thomas Beecham all truly care for each other, and the "youngsters", the doctors and workers at the home, play second fiddle to this remarkable group, but one senses that the workers adore them. Billy Connolly is hysterically funny, a standout, as a member of the quartet who is the resident "dirty old man" and witty raconteur, keeping up the morale of the members of Thomas Beecham Home. The finale, as the members are set to perform, and come alive at the sound of the applause of the audience, will move you to tears. In all, a truly wonderful movie that casts a spell of warmth, humor and charm. It is also a tribute to the human spirit. I urge you to get it and see for yourself.

just magnificent, every aspect! kudos to Dustin Hoffman!

I'm not sure if you have to be over the hill (as I am), to love this movie (as I did) about a home for retired musicians, but it certainly appears that way to me after coming home and reading A. O. Scott's middling New York Times review and its online reader responses, which seem to be either total disdain or absolute delight and nothing in between. It probably helps to have a lifelong love of classical music, especially opera, with just a smidgen of Gilbert & Sullivan & vaudeville mixed in. While, as expected, Maggie Smith, Pauline Collins, Tom Courtenay, Billy Connolly and Michael Gambon are superb in the leading roles, the supporting player-musicians, who also inhabit the beautiful, scenic Beecham House, some of whom are familiar faces but most of whom I'd never heard of, are a joy to behold as well. Please be sure to stay for the closing credits where you'll see headshots of each of them as they are now and as they were in a key role from their heydays. No one sums it up better than Ann Hornaday in her rave review in the January 24, 2013 Washington Post: "Smoothly navigating the perilous line between insufferably twee and heartbreakingly grim, "Quartet" is a subtle, sure-footed delight -- made all the more enjoyable by the fact that it was directed by a 75-year-old first-timer named Dustin Hoffman. Judging from this debut, the kid's got a future." RE THE DVD EXTRAS: There's a batch of short clips of the leading actors talking about the movie and what it was like to work with Hoffman. But my fave is Hoffman's commentary track. You get the impression of an old friend sitting alongside you with his feet up, filling you in on the story behind the creation of these scenes, how they found all those wonderful old musicians for the supporting roles, sharing anecdotes about the actors and production challenges, pointing out how much of what's on screen was in the script and how much (quite a lot) was improvised. (Example: Pauline Collins's request--which was granted--that she adapt and play her character as being in the early stages of dementia, modeled on her own real-life mother.) It's great fun to go back to the movie for another look with DH's insights and anecdotes and backgrounders in mind. I'm thinking this DVD might make just the right double feature for "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel."

Although this is a movie about elderly musicians, it is also a story about hope and life, giving all of us the goal of making our last years as full of joy as these people have. The principals are all great actors and much has already been said about them in other reviews, all praise deserved. Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon, and Tom Courtenay - we have come to expect amazing performances from them. But the best of them as far as I am concerned was Billy Connolly. His humor and wit not only keep the movie light and enjoyable, but cheer and comfort those around him. He is a true spirit of growing old gracefully, a true morality tale of choosing to enjoy life rather than let it get you down. Another plus in this movie is that most of the musicians in this ensemble are real musicians who have had music careers in their lifetime and are still amazing. The music is fantastic and mixes up all sorts of styles with even an appreciation of 'rap'. Another actor who must be mentioned is Pauline Collins and her portrayal of a woman who is 'losing it'. Here was another example of growing old with dignity and grace, loved by everyone around her. I am sorry that Dustin Hoffman has waited so long to direct a film. He is certainly gifted as a director and I hope he will consider other projects. This film is very highly recommended.

What do you do when you are old and gray and your art is no longer able to be performed? In this case you retire to a beautiful old English Manor full of classical musicians and singers. All performers, once at the top of their game. Which is best to acquiesce or resist the inevitable? At Beecham House, the inhabitants are planning a fund-raising gala to commemorate Verdi’s birthday. it is directed by Cedric, played by Michael Gambon, and the usual who is best game is played. The appearance of Jean Horton, played by Maggie Smith, who is a brilliant British soprano, brings issues. If she joined three old friends for the quartet from “Rigoletto,” it would bring in a lot of mney. Wild, played by Billy Connolly, is the lovable lech; Cissy, played by Pauline Collins , lovable but who is losing her memory. Reggie, played by Tom Courtenay, was married to Jean for nine hours years ago and has never gotten over her. Will the four come together and make music? This is at once a lovable film, but also a look at the lives of those who are growing older. We can see ourselves in this elders. The terrific actors play their roles with grace and wit. Real musicians are interspersed into the film as residents of the Manor. Great music comes from the film, and it is an enjoyable film. You may become weepy eyed, but go into it. Recommended. prisrob 06-18-13

I was truly disappointed with this film, as despite the enticement of a great cast and a simple set-up, it failed to deliver. It was tedious and disjointed, so much so that it was more a homage to an aging generation of performers than a film.

Bislang kannte man Dustin Hoffmann nur als einen großartigen Schauspieler. Doch jetzt hat er die Seiten gewechselt und führte zum ersten Mal Regie. Um es vorwegzunehmen, QUARTETT ist ein gelungenes Regiedebut. Dazu tragen aber auch die Schauspieler bei, die einen Heidenspaß gehabt haben mussten, unter seiner Regie zu arbeiten. Und dieser Spaß überträgt sich sofort auf den Zuschauer. Das Beecham House ist ein Altersheim für Musiker. Hier verbringen die ehemaligen Opernsänger Reggie (Tom Courtenay), Wilfred (Billy Connolly) und Cecil (Pauline Collins) ihren Lebensabend. Es laufen gerade die Vorbereitungen für das alljährliche Konzert zu Ehren von Guiseppe Verdi’s Geburtstag auf Hochtouren. Alle sind voller Vorfreude und fiebern dem großen Tag entgegen. Doch dann zieht Jean (Maggie Smith) in dieses Haus ein. Sie ist nicht nur eine gefeierte Opernsängerin, auch eine Diva, die kurze Zeit mit Reggie verheiratet war, wodurch ihre Ankunft nicht bei allen Begeisterung auslöst, zumal sie auch schnell erklärt, dass sie kein Interesse hat, an dem Konzert teilzunehmen. Doch nur mit ihr kann das Konzert ein Erfolg werden, vor allem ein finanzieller. Denn das Haus benötigt dringend Geld, ansonsten wird es schließen müssen. Und der Vorverkauf verläuft bislang schleppend. Dass die Opern von Guiseppe Verdi eine zentrale Rolle in QUARTETT spielt, hört man sofort. Egal welcher Aufenthaltsraum betreten wird, es wird musiziert, über ein schlecht gestimmtes Klavier gemeckert oder gejammert, weil man im Alter die hohen Töne nicht mehr erreicht. Doch Dustin Hoffmann weiß, dass die Jugend ihren eigenen Musikgeschmack hat. So gibt es einen netten Vergleich zwischen Oper und Hip-Hop, bei dem Reggie einer Schulklasse die Schönheit der Oper erklärt, und ein Schüler genial kontert. Absolut klasse! Nicht nur die Musik beschäftigt die ältere Generation. Man vertreibt sich auch die Zeit mit Spaziergängen im großen Park des Anwesens, mogelt und zankt sich beim Croquet spielen oder sitzt gemütlich beisammen, plant das anstehende Konzert und versucht Jean zu überreden, doch aufzutreten. Die Seniorinnen und Senioren wissen schon ihren Lebensabend zu genießen. Vor allem Wilfred, der immer noch ein Schürzenjäger sein möchte, und die vergessliche Cecil sprühen vor Lebensfreude, während Reggie ernster ist und Jean jedem ihre Hochnäsigkeit („Ich hatte nie weniger als 12 Vorhänge!“) spüren lässt. Gleich zu Beginn wird der Zuschauer mit einem unglaublich trockenen und bissigen Humor konfrontiert, wie er besser nicht sein kann. QUARTETT ist von der ersten Sekunde an eine wundervolle Komödie. Sie profitiert von den Schauspielerfahrungen aller Beteiligten, allen voran natürlich Dustin Hoffmann als Regisseur. Er weiß, wie die Charaktere sich zu verhalten haben und „zwingt“ seine Protagonisten zu Höchstleistungen. Als Ergebnis sieht der Zuschauer einen kurzweiligen und sehr unterhaltsamen Film, dessen Geschichte von den Schauspielern bestens erzählt wird. Man muss kein Opern Fan sein, um an diesem Film seine helle Freude zu haben. Dustin Hoffmann hat die Musik dezent eingebaut, so dass der Film damit nicht überlastet ist. Gerne empfehle ich diesen Film für Jung und Alt. Doch man muss schon etwas für richtig trockenen und bissigen Humor übrig haben, sonst wirkt er nicht.

It's hard to go wrong with a cast of the likes of Maggie Smith, Tom Courtenay, Pauline Collins, Billy Connolly and Michael Gambon with direction by Dustin Hoffman. The setting is an elegant retirement home in England for former opera singers and musicians. Sparks start to fly when former opera diva Jean Horton (Maggie Smith) takes up residence and upsets the cozy environment which includes her former lover and husband Reggie (Tom Courtenay). Old rivalries, jealousies, hurt egos clash as an attempt is made to convince Smith to join her former opera companions in a gala that might well save the residence from its financial woes. To describe this film as merely warm, tender and charming is to do disservice to the wit, musical talent and pathos that are part and parcel of this very human drama. While definitely not just for music lovers there are fabulous moments when we see many incredible icons like Dame Gwyneth Jones show they can still strut their stuff. The story was inspired by a real retirement home in Milan founded by Giuseppi Verdi. Very highly recommended.

Tous les acteurs sont formidables autant dans les scènes émouvantes que comiques. Et en plus, tous les acteurs-chanteurs-musiciens interprètent leur propre rôle d'artistes de haut niveau. Surtout ne passez pas outre la fin des crédits en fin de film pour les voir : de quoi nous faire regretter de ne pas être soit même artiste de haut niveau. Un vrai régal sur le sujet de l'arrivée du 3ème voir 4ème âge ( pour ceux qui ne peuvent plus vivre chez eux) et dont le talent encore très grand dans leurs domaines artistiques n'intéressent plus que peu de monde; cela leur donne un sentiment de ne plus être reconnus et d'être oubliés du monde extérieur contre lequel ils combattent avec tous les moyens à leur disposition. Tout cela avec... humour (oh so british !) et poésie.

magnifique film. Maggie Smith est extraordinaire une fois de plus