Quartet-2012

Director Dustin Hoffman

Starring Maggie Smith

Scott’s Review #122

Reviewed July 20, 2014

Grade: B+

Quartet (2012) is a fantastic little British film, directed by Dustin Hoffman, and starring the always wonderful Maggie Smith, whom one might argue could be watched in anything.

I certainly could.

Smith stars as a stubborn retired opera singer who begrudgingly settles in at Beecham House, a luxurious senior retirement home for former musicians in their final years.

There, she reunites with colleagues from years past who try to reunite for a concert to save the home from foreclosure.

The cast of senior citizens in Quartet is quite likable, and it’s one of the few smart films that handles aging gracefully.

Comedy and drama mix as the intelligent characters are treated as such in their final years, with a hint of soap opera, since some were intimate with others in years past, and the current hijinks are hysterical.

The film treats aging with respect and dignity, not as a joke, which is one aspect I adore.

A talent-filled cast of British theater actors, along with some real-life musicians, makes this film a treat.

It is terrific to see Pauline Collins (Upstairs/Downstairs) in a large role.