Quartet (2012)

There are few movies that are centered around and made for an older generation of stars. Far too often, talented seasoned stars will make an appearance as someone's parent or grandparent rather starring in their own movie. Quartet is a film that peeks into the lives of a retirement home that has been made especially for elderly musicians.

The Premise

An annual benefit has been planned to celebrate Verdi's birthday and to raise money to help with expenses at a home for retired musicians. A group of long time friends are in the midst of rehearsals when the fourth member of their quartet arrives unexpectedly at the retirement home, shaking things up.

My Take

Cissy, Wilf and Reginald are long time friends and opera singers who live together at a home for retired musicians in England. Every year the home puts on a benefit concert on Verdi's birthday to help raise money for the expenses of their beloved home. The benefit is being led by the larger than life, Cedric Livingston, played by Sir Michael Gambon. Cedric is determined to have the event go off without a hitch and it will be his way or no way at all.

Cissy, Wilf and Reginald, once part of a famous quartet, are rehearsing their various parts. One day, a new resident arrives at the estate. It is the much esteemed Jean Horton, the final member of the famous quartet, played by the incomparable Dame Maggie Smith. Jean has come to the retirement home begrudgingly and continues her diva like ways with the staff and her former colleagues.

Reginald (the wonderful Sir Tom Courtenay) and Jean were once married causing friction in the one time group of friends. Cissy, the very talented Pauline Collins, and Wilf, the very funny Billy Connolly, try their best to mend the broken quartet but to no avail. Cedric comes up with the idea to have the group reunite and sing at the Verdi benefit concert. Jean, however refuses to sing. But what Cedric wants, Cedric gets. After all, the show must go on.

The Verdict

Quartet was a wonderful vehicle for director Dustin Hoffman to really show his talent behind the scenes. All of the casting was wonderful from the main characters to the singers to the musicians to the staff at the retirement home. There as not a bad person in the bunch. The cast may have been primarily a cast of, shall we say, seasoned actors, but the movie's themes were still relatable to people of all ages. Love, loss, anger, grief and fear are things that we go through at all stages of life. Quartet (written by Ronald Harwood) was surprisingly funny and touching, given the setting. I give Quartet 3/4 members.