strike-1995
Saved by its cast, which is hardly surprising. There isn't much else to say.
Nobby Burden
Samuel Goldwyn said "if you want to send a message, call Western Union." The Weinsteins never fail to forget this piece of advice because they are vile propagandists who want to keep all the bad and destroy all the good.The acting is OK, Maggie Smith makes all her usual head tilts, and Tom Courtney is barely recognizable from his days as Billy Liar or The Long Distance Runner. Never mind all that. The dialog is mundane stuff; a one hour TV show padded out for an extra hour. Nice interior shots and some beautiful landscaping at an English stately home for retired orchestra and opera performers whose world has sadly been run into the ground by vermin like TV and movie producers.The movie was a nice little story about old people until they dragged in guttersnipes who lectured the audience about the virtues of rap and hiphop at which point I turned off the goggle box, ejected the disc and took it back to RedBox. Call me a bigot, but I hate, no, detest and abhor being lectured by the people who wreck traditions.
jesjenmom
How wonderful to see real actors (professional) doing their "thing" AND all that glorious music--AHHHH! I often wondered with short careers (like professional sports players BUT MUCH LOWER PAID)---how the soloists live and where when they get on in years.To see these people living and still filling their lives with music and "living in the music" was just wonderful.Finally a movie with NO car chases, no huge explosions, no killing, murder or mayhem! BRAVO!!!It proves the fact of America getting cruder and not teaching music in schools anymore with the fact that this movie made so little money--so sad.
ianlouisiana
Apart from a couple of excruciating moments(the samba class and the patronising rap scene),"Quartet" is a very good film that differentiates between growing old and getting old. Yes a working knowledge of music made before the age of recorded sound is an advantage,but,as in Harwood's "The Dresser" where it helps if at least you've heard of Lear,it is not essential. Humanity is all that's required - a quality missing in some of the ageist comments on this site. You get old if you're lucky.If you're even luckier you retain some of the God - given talent that has set you apart from your fellows for half a century,and luckier still if you live amongst like - minded people. So "Quartet" is about a fortunate group of men and women who are still indulged and respected in their dotage - not a fate befalling many of the elderly in Britain today. "Beecham House" is alive with the sound of music,jazz,music hall,Bach,operetta and,mostly,gloriously,the grandest of opera. On Giuseepe Verdi's birthday it is the tradition to perform his music and some of the residents chose to sing the quartet from "Rigoletto" in all its soaring brilliance. I have reservations about the twinkly - eyed Mr B.Connolly but they are assuaged by knowing he was only third choice for the role. The other leads are perfect,particularly Miss P.Collins who hits just the right note as a sufferer from early stage dementia. It is unlikely to fit comfortably on the shelves of admirers of "Grand Theft Auto" or "Fast and Furious",but admirers of gentle boutique movies will appreciate its qualities.
AD
