Quartet

Running Time: 98 minutes.

Media: Cinematic Release, Hoyts Penrith, NSW.

I must admit, I had some hesitations about seeing this film at first... It's a bit of a stand-alone film, distributed by The Weinstein Company and BBC Films... it's a British comedy, and in my belief they kinda stopped being funny after "Are You Being Served" disappeared off TVs worldwide... I was also concerned that this movie was not going to get its point across in the 98 minute time frame. I mean, what a challenge, I thought! I sat there in my seat at Hoyts Penrith at 4:50 p.m. wondering whether I was going to enjoy this along side of my fiancée.

I found that I had considerable time to think, as it took 30 minutes from the projected starting time for them to get the film on the projector. I did sit through a half-hour's worth of movie reviews and ads, and I have to say, I could feel the audience's mounting anticipation too... That being said, I sensed everyone's relief when the screen curtains parted further to signal the beginning of the film.

Now, British comedies are a sort of like Forrest Gump's "box of chocolates" analogy, you'll never know what you're gonna get; particularly when you're dealing with a plot line such as that in this film, but I wasn't sure what to get from a directorial debut film by Dustin Hoffman. Pauline Collins, Tom Courtenay and Billy Connolly play three-quarters of a operatic quartet that sang Verdi's Rigoletto several years ago. Now the've since retired and living in a retirement home for gifted musicians, who put on a concert on Giuseppe Verdi's birthday every year. Reg, played by Tom Courtenay, is quite comfortable with his life there, giving talks to young kids about music, and his occasional performance. Enter Reg's ex-wife, Jean, played by Maggie Smith... Reg's life is run a-shambles as a result... It seems that he hasn't forgiven her all those years ago.

Reg is accompanied by his other Rigoletto members, Wilfred, played by lovable Scottish larrikin, Billy Connolly; and Cecily, also known as "Cissy", played by Pauline Collins, who is known for her role as Shirley Valentine in both the play and 1989 movie. Jean is still not ready to accept the idea of singing in public again, stating she's a confirmed retiree; Reg can't get over Jean's presence; Wilfred keeps flirting with staff... and the leading doctor... and other retired musicians; and Cecily keeps forgetting things... supposedly due to an inferred case of Alzheimer's. Combine these personalities with the rather loud and obnoxious character of Cedric Livingstone, played by Michael Gambon, and you've got a very interesting dynamic. Michael Gambon as most people would know played the part of Professor Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter series after Sir Richard Attenborough's death. Strange as this may sound, it seems that Gambon decided to raid Dumbledore's wardrobe and use it for the role of Cedric; he's shown in a number of robes and unusual hats that could only be found Hogwart's School of Wizadry and Magic. Most amusing.

Courtenay plays the role of Reginald well, and despite my lack of knowledge of other films I've seen him star in, he is a fine actor in Quartet. He plays the betrayed soul quite well, and hams it up just a bit to seem like a drama queen, but without overdoing it. I wish I could say the same about Gambon...

Billy Connolly... he's an enigma, this one... I know I used this word in a previous review, but he is... I'm not sure why he got the role, but I think it was simply due to the nature of his character, a rather randy musician who likes to talk up the ladies. His one-liners and brazen boldness in chatting to anyone with cleavage brought a number of laughs to the audience, including myself. But one thing kinda keeps niggling at me... Connolly isn't known for his operatic vocals... if any. So how did he land a role that involved his "attempts" at singing, and singing opera no less? The mind boggles as to the reasons.

Pauline Collins is a great actress, and she shines in this film. She seems younger than she's meant to portray and I think that's kinda reflected in her character's occasional bouts of Alzheimer's which send her back a few decades, making her think she's still a young girl, or making her forget simple facts. My heart went out to Cissy, and it's an incredible film that can make you want to reach out to a character on the screen and give them a hug. Her BAFTA for Shirley Valentine is testament to her performance ability.

Maggie Smith, another Harry Potter alumnus like Michael Gambon, is supposedly the star of the show. When Reg, Wilfred and Cecily approach Jean (Smith's character) about the idea of singing their Rigoletto quartet at the annual concert, her reactions are quite astounding. She's accepted and yet not quite accepted her age, and her now retired vocation as an opera singer, she comes to blows with Reg about their past (which is never fully revealed) and there is the still lingering love between her and Reg that is the focus of the story and Jean's shell which she is desperately trying to come out of in order to move forward.

The dynamics of the quartet are healthy, albeit a little dry, but enjoyable to watch. Gambon's flamboyance throughout the film are somewhat of a annoyance, however... Honestly, he wasn't this annoying in the Harry Potter series, but then again, one shouldn't pigeon-hole him. I am a little disappointed that the film didn't show the quartet singing (even if they were miming, it would have been pleasant to watch), but there is some compensation with a number of the cast being portrayed in the ending credits in their long-ago performances. It seems a number of the cast were indeed stage and musical performers in their own right, and this final realization has salvaged my ritique of this film. As a result, Quartet, gets a star for each of its four main characters. Four stars.

The overall experience in the cinema itself also gets four stars, but they would have gotten the full five if it weren't for the plethora of ads and previews they inundated us with before the actual movie.