Quartet - 14th May 2013

Tuesday Night is Film Night attempts to brighten a wet and miserable May day, with a film from 2012;

Quartet

Quartet is based on the Ronald Harwood stage play of the same name and is set in the fictional nursing home for retired musicians, Beecham House. At Beecham House, fading and aging musicians spend their twilight years, entertaining themselves, and others, with their various musical abilities.

The first thing to note about this British film, is the stellar cast. All the leading actors are instantly recognisable and are very well suited to the characters they play. Michael Gambon plays retired musical director Cedric Livingston, who attempts to lead the residents of Beecham House, in a gala performance to raise funds, for the upkeep of the home.

Tom Courtenay, Pauline Collins and Billy Connolly play Reginald, Cissy and Wilf respectively  who are all retired opera singers, but also form three parts of a quartet, famous some years ago for their performance of Verdi's Rigoletto. However, the problems start, when the fourth member of the quartet, who just happens to be Reggie's ex-wife, turns out to be the latest resident of Beecham House. Maggie Smith plays the fourth quartet member; Jean Horton and tempers and relationships are frayed at Beecham House, as the past is dug up.

Quartet starts out to be a melancholic amble through the slow and steady lives of the residents of Beecham House. It takes a while for the film to get going and for the story to develop into a cohesive plot, however getting there, albeit slowly is worthwhile, as it gives the cast time to grow, develop and introduce some levity into the proceedings, which breaks the seemingly slow start.

It is a shame that the music scenes, especially surrounding the quartet, were edited in such a way, that we didn't actually see them singing. This, ones supposes, is because the cast could not in reality sing, in such a style that would befit their characters. However, to counter this, experienced (and aging) musicians and singers were used, interspersed with the actors, to bring some authenticity to the proceedings.

Overall, Quartet is a  slow, almost graceful movie and a credit to it's director, one Dustin Hoffman, in his first major film directorship. It produces all the qualities required for a feelgood film and ticks all those boxes.

One to watch.

Scoring a respectable 7 out of 10 with the TNiFN audience.