Dustin Hoffman has worked in the film industry since his youth, but waited until his twilight years to step behind the camera. It is fitting, then, that his directorial debut contemplates the evolution of four creative personalities beyond the occupations for which they were best known, albeit focusing on opera singers rather than actors.
His protagonists have descended from their professional peak, and linger in a retirement home for gifted musicians. An annual concert to celebrate Verdi’s birthday allows an outlet for past collaborators Reg (Tom Courtenay, The Golden Compass), Wilf (Billy Connelly, Brave) and Cissy (Pauline Collins, Albert Nobbs) to once again perform. Then the former fourth member of their quartet, Jean (Maggie Smith, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel), moves in, disrupting the delicate balance.
Long-held rivalries and regrets form the heart of playwright Ronald Harwood’s (Australia) adaptation of his own stage work, but Hoffman’s first filmmaking effort shows no signs of such sentiments. Instead, he continues to contemplate the human condition – albeit in a manner more reserved than his most noted on-screen roles (Midnight Cowboy, Kramer vs Kramer and Tootsie among them) – with warmth, wit and wisdom.
Hoffman’s movie is measured; Harwood’s characters are anything but. Age may have wearied their bodies and faculties, but their spirits remain vibrant in the face of their impending mortality. The central cast prove paramount in portraying the delicate balance, whether melancholy (Courtenay’s jilted husband, pining for a marriage that lasted mere hours), messy (Collins’ affable but increasingly forgetful sweetheart), prideful (Smith’s grand diva, coming to terms with her fading stature), or providing comic relief (Connolly as the affectionate mischief-maker in their midst).
Their efforts help mask the familiar formula, which builds to a last-ditch concert staged in order to save their stately home. Similarly, the film’s penchant for stereotypes – evident in Michael Gambon’s (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) flamboyant director and Sheridan Smith’s (Hysteria) comely doctor – is evident, but is easily overlooked given such superb performances. The soundtrack by Dario Marianelli (Salmon Fishing in the Yemen) and cinematography (by Made in Dagenham’s John de Borman) also play it safe, however both match the movie’s mood. Indeed, Quartet’s strength is in its sympathetic approach, as embodied by its cast and crew.
Rating: 3 stars out of 5
Quartet
Director: Dustin Hoffman
UK, 2012, 98 min
In cinemas 26 December
Previews in select cinemas this weekend
Distributor: Transmission / Paramount
Rated M
Actors:
Director:
Format:
Country:
Release:
