Quartet [Blu-ray]

Of the 1,776 reviews stated as posted on the UK site at the time of writing it is apparent that the majority of the 1 & 2 star ratings (5%) originate mainly from 2013/14. Many appear to have purchased ‘Quartet’ on the strength of the casting of Dame Maggie Smith and her previous role in ‘Marigold Hotel’. Small wonder that they were - shall we say - ‘disappointed’. Her versatility in portraying two very similar, yet also very different characters seems to have proved slighty divisive initially. Though ‘Quartet’ may at first glance be considered a ‘niche’ subject attractive only to classical music and opera fans, this would be to totally miss the point.The real story concerns the very human condition of aging which will come to most readers and viewers. The musical aspect is simply a vehicle to portray the process and it’s effects, how it can be a positive force for the individuals concerned and for those younger people around them - families, children, grandchildren, and indeed their own peer group, friends and colleagues etc. Think of ‘Last of the Summer Wine’ or ‘The Bucket List’ or ‘Waiting for God’ for example.I admit the title gave away the premise to me immediately before reading anything about it - I being a classical music and opera fan. I was intrigued of course by the casting of such diverse actors and actresses. Yet that is exactly what you would expect to find in such a retirement home......diversity.Is it so unimaginable to see Billy Connolly cast as ‘Rigoletto’, Maggie Smith as ‘Gilda’, Tom Courtenay as the ‘Duke of Mantova’ and Pauline Collins as ‘Maddalena’? I say not - just use a little imagination and accept the story for what it is - a human story.We were never going to see them mime out the famous and fabulous Act 3 Quartet ‘Bella figlia dell’amore’, that would have been utterly incongruous and absurd. I was though, totally looking forward to how Dustin Hoffman would therefore treat what was always going to be the climax - and always of course his main problem and concern - how it would resolve.This fictional quartet could not suddenly transform into Sherrill Milnes, Joan Sutherland, Luciano Pavarotti and Huguette Tourangeau respectively (as used in the OST from the 1985 Decca recording - not my own personal favourite offering).Let us just accept that Hoffman found a way to make a triumphant coda. It is after all I repeat, part fantasy in interpretation. It is a film and it is an entertainment.The acting performances, I felt, were in total keeping with the simple story line. There was no incongruity. I even accept the use of the ‘f’ word as a real indication of anger and frustration experienced by the characters played by David Ryall, Billy Connolly and Dame Maggie. Ageing does bring anger and frustration - as brilliantly portrayed in ‘The Rebel’ by Simon Callow.For me, Pauline Collins stole the show. Her interpretation of the onset of Dementia was both moving and humbling. Given the statistical prevalence and widespread mounting concern for that very affliction, it may be seen as a most apposite - and certainly not subliminal reminder - if any were needed.I always look forward to seeing Michael Gambon, terrifically in character and utterly believable; also Sheridan Smith so versatile and pleasing on the eye - as Cissy (Pauline Collins) deliciously indicated from her bed!Trevor Peacock (The Vicar of Dibley) was a bit of a surprise but I was interested to learn about his earlier connections with songwriting as highlighted in Dustin Hoffman’s commentary which just has to be listened to - I suggest after watching the feature.It was also pleasing to note that repeated reference was made to Daniel Schmid’s 90 minute documentary ‘Tosca’s Kiss’ (1984, re-issued in 2000), which was the germinal seed for the original play and screenplay by Ronald Harwood. I did read one review that chided the fact that this had not been credited. Perhaps I have hopefully provided some redress here. Schmid’s filming took place in the Casa di Riposa in Milan, a place as the name suggests of rest and repose, bequeathed by Verdi in 1896, less than 4 years before his death on 27 January 1901 aged 87. It is said that 28,000 people lined the streets for his funeral, other accounts give much higher figures. However many - they all sang ‘Va, pensiero’ (Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves) from Nabucco, which since earliest days had been a nationalist anthem.If you want more of the music - perhaps especially the complete version of the opening ‘Brindisi’ (or Drinking Song) from Act 1 of ‘La Traviata’ then buy the OST. Sadly the end ‘gala’ concert of the film only gives us around 30 seconds of this glorious Verdian chorus - a real ‘lollipop’!A point of interest: The gala is said to take place on Verdi’s birthday. That effectively gives the organisers a choice of date - either 9th or 10th October (1813) - as related in ‘Grove’. At least the autumnal falling leaves indicate a thorough research process.For the really bargain price that I paid including P&P, this movie and all its’ featurettes gave over 3 hours of solid entertainment. Money well spent in my view, especially considering that it is a repeatable experience as it will become timeless.Hope this is helpful, at least to some.

Watching

Absolutely love this movie, we have already watched it 3 times and we have only had it a few weeks. Funny, poignant and brilliant music. Love that the director, Dustin Hoffman, allowed a bit of add lib and he wanted actual opera singers and top class musicians to play some major parts. Brilliant

If you are a fan of Billy Connolly, Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon et al then you will love this. Wonderful acting and great storyline. It's not 'old codgers go wild' as some may expect ~ it's actually quite gripping in places.

This is a great example of British acting at its best. The four leads - Maggie Smith, Pauline Collins, Tom Courtenay and Billy Connelly - play at the top of their game with wonderful, deeply thought out, detailed characterisations. No hint of 'Actorly Acting' here, there is a touching, believable naturalness that draws you in. Maggie of course is as superb as we have come to expect, always with subtle nuances to her performance that surprise and delight. Pauline Collins is astounding in her portrayal of a very fully realised character - truly moving, and totally endearing, a character many of us will recognise from our own experiences with elderly relatives and friends - totally sympathetic and real. Billy Connolly is a revelation as (supposedly) the 'non-actor' here. His total investment in his character shows a warmth and wit - and truth - that is rare, and totally charms. He's every bit a match for the other three of the Quartet. And Tom Courtenay quietly and skilfully shows his extraordinary ability to convey deeply felt internal feelings with minimum outward show. Very fine acting all round.Dustin Hoffman deserves every credit for his superb direction - especially of actors, who he allows to fully inhabit their roles with the naturalness of his own film acting, and the whole film seems to have been a labour of love which draws the best out of all participants.And to add extra enchantment to this film, the 'extras' (residents in the Retirement Home for Musicians) are all actual retired musicians and performers, so that all the ad hoc musical performances you hear during the film are being performed live by these people, and this undoubtedly adds to the authenticity. (Incidentally, don't turn off at the end credits - they are accompanied by genuinely fascinating photos and captions of some of these extras as seen in the film, and as they were in their hay day in one of their famous roles. It certainly adds something to the film which was so obviously conceived with such affection and rapport amongst all the participants.My apologies for missing out anyone (Sheridan Smith, for example, deserves credit, and steps up an acting league in her role) - everyone was superb. Of course, none of my personal comments matter a jot - you can just buy it and enjoy it. You'd have to have a heart of stone not to. And the invisible, but obvious, underlying craft displayed by everyone makes this a film to enjoy more than once.As you can tell, I loved this film, and if forced to suggest my favourite performances I'd have to single out Pauline Collins and Billy Connelly. See if you agree.

To adapt an original theatrical play into a film can be tricky of which Dustin Hoffman’s version of Ronald Harwood’s play is an example. Though Harwood adapted the play himself, the final form doesn’t seem to be the same. The four central characters, though performed magnificently by the quartet (or Quartet?) of great actors don’t have much in common with the ones in the original play. Jean Horton’s trauma of having lost her voice and the conflict with Reg lack the suspense of the gradually revealed secret(s) which is what makes the play ever so attractive. Actually, nothing mysterious or even shocking is revealed in the end. The two new characters, who never materialize in the play, though being irresistibly pleasant and undeniably compassionate (Dr. Cogan) or equally irresistibly irritating and funny (Cedric Livingstone), are too one-dimensional to be of more importance to the story apart from contributing to the length of the film. Even the purpose of the annual concert as presented in the film feels quite out of place – somehow conforming to the general trends of promoting “good causes” whenever the creators find it suitable. The original idea of making the Verdi anniversary a useful pastime activity for the aging former stars was more true to life.

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.

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.

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 !'sAs 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.

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.