Quartet
Starring: Maggie Smith, Tom Courtenay, Billy Connolly, Pauline Collins, Sheridan Smith, Michael Gambon
Director: Dustin Hoffman
Rating: 4/5
Dustin Hoffman has enjoyed a career that has spanned over fifty years and he is the kind of actor that you would expect to try his hand at directing.
And yet as they years passed he never made that move... until now as he helms his directorial debut Quartet.
Lifelong friends Wilf (Billy Connolly) and Reggie (Tom Courtenay), together with former colleague Cissy (Pauline Collins), are residents of Beecham House, a home for retired opera singers.
Every year on Giuseppe Verdi’s birthday, the residents unite to give a concert to raise funds for their home.
But when Jean Horton (Maggie Smith), a former grande dame of the opera fallen on hard times, also Reggie’s ex-wife and the fourth and most celebrated member of their former quartet, moves into the home to everyone’s surprise, the plans for this year’s concert start to unravel.
As old grudges threaten to undermine past glories and theatrical temperaments play havoc with the rehearsal schedule, it becomes apparent that having four of the finest singers in English operatic history under one roof offers no guarantee that the show will go on.
This is an incredibly charming movie that will warm the hearts of audiences that see it - much like The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel did earlier this year; and I hope it enjoys that level of success.
Hoffman blends love, drama, music, comedy together so seamlessly that you would think that he has been directing for years.
And his actor's eye really shows as he focuses in on the characters and their troubles and relationships rather then getting carried away with the bigger story of the musical gala.
But where the strength of this movie truly lies is with the performances from the four central characters.
Maggie Smith is simply terrific as Jean, a woman who misses the past and yet is sorry for some of the decisions that she made.
In some scenes she comes over as quite hard and cold and in the hands of a lesser talented actress Jean really could have been a very hard character to like and root for.
But Smith does bring a warmth to her as we see her struggle with her new life - there is an endearing quality to her that you can't help but like.
Tom Courtenay is also superb as Reggie a former singer who has been happy with getting old and his life away from the spotlight and yet he carries a great pain and disappointment.
And while Pauline Collins has some great moments as Cissy it is Billy Connelly who well and truly steals the show.
Wilf is a character who says exactly what he thinks and feels and, as you can imagine, this has very funny consequences.
Much like The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel this movie is very much about excepting later life but realising that it is not the end and you can still live life to the full.
There is a real warmth in the story and in the friendship within the central trio as they all battle with their own problems.
Quartet is a delight from start to finish and the funny and emotional script really does bring out the best in the actors.
The BFI London Film Festival runs 10 - 21 October
Quartet is released 4th January
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw
Tagged in Billy Connolly Maggie Smith Dustin Hoffman BFI