Quartet (2012) Review

Just been to see a special Gala screening of this film and really pleased that I have seen it already. The story takes place at a home for retired musicians, Reg, Wilf and Sissy seem very content with their lives. Until Jean arrives at the home . . .

We learn of the history between the four former Opera singers and how Reg was once married to Jean. While the four were happy when they had their career of being an Opera singer they didn’t actually have much of a life and no family to then come and visit them in the home.

This is a very British film and it is very amusing from start to finish with some fantastic one liners and old people using swear words. Let’s face it, it really is funny and rather shocking to hear Dame Maggie Smith using the f-word. But the film is much deeper than the laughs and how they brush off old age. They admit that growing old hasn’t been fun, especially when they cannot sing the way they used to.

I thought the scenes with Sissy were very difficult as she was showing the signs of Alzheimer’s which my Nanna suffered from and there’s nothing worse than seeing that happen to someone. Such a difficult situation was dealt with in a brilliant manner in this film, how men seem to really find it much more difficult to deal with. I also thought Pauline Collins was very believable and brilliant in that role.

Sheridan Smith was fantastic as the young doctor keeping all of the people in check, especially Billy Connolly as the cheeky Wilf. But I have to mention the fantastic Michael Gambon as Cedric who is directing the Gala Show which is so important every year, his flamboyant dress and talking is just fantastic to watch.

I really think this film would be a surprise hit if people give it a chance. I don’t think that will happen very much though and think it will attract an older audience due to the age of the actors/characters as well. I really do think its brilliant for the actors to be able to come together in a film and not have to make do with playing the grandparents in other films.

So many different messages can be taken from this film, about having a career but then what about when you get older. Have you got to take into consideration how everything is going to be as you enter an older age? Well that is something that this film got me thinking about, that may possibly be getting a little too deep but that’s what I took from it. Yet it also tells us that it is never too late!