The Facts:

Synopsis: At a home for retired musicians, the annual concert to celebrate Verdi’s birthday is disrupted by the arrival of Jean, an eternal diva and the former wife of one of the residents.

Stars: Maggie Smith, Billy Connolly, Michael Gambon, Pauline Collins, Tom Courtenay, Sheridan Smith

Director: Dustin Hoffman

Rated: PG-13

Running Length: 98 minutes

TMMM Score: (7/10)

Review:  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…the best kind of movies are the ones that sneak up on you and take you in a different direction than you originally thought.  Like Silver Linings Playbook, Quartet is a film that on the surface (and certainly in its preview) looks like it’s rather conventional but in reality it provides a wealth of entertainment for those that like to color outside of the lines.  It takes a slower pace than one might expect and occasionally wanders off topic but it all somehow works to end up a quite satisfying experience.

I tried to resist describing Quartet as a mash-up of Downton Abbey and Fame but fans of both should see where I’m coming from once Quartet has begun.  Though it takes place in the present, it sets its action at a stately retirement home for musicians in the English countryside.  The large estate looks like a scaled down version of the famous Downton Abbey location – the various rooms and grounds provide a great setting for the story to unfold in.

The previews for Quartet are a bit misleading – it’s not an outright comedy about the antics of seniors living out their days in a community of their previous peers and rivals.  It’s also not a pained examination of what the aging process is like and how it takes its toll on all of us.  Rather, it’s a film that shows respect to its actors, characters, and subject matter by portraying these people as realistically as possible.  Even the more outsized characters (like Gambon’s puffy blowhard) seem familiar and relatable.

It’s hard to believe that Hoffman has never taken a turn behind the camera before.  The Oscar winning actor has been a lauded member of the Hollywood community for years so it’s even more interesting that he would choose such a stately British piece (by Sir Ronald Harwood, adapting his own play) to start out with.  Hoffman lets the actors play their scenes without doing anything fancy…he just lets the camera roll and some nice magic occurs.

Smith, recently self-described in an interview as ‘spikey’, has been the go-to actress for British resiliency. In 2012 she turned in a typically acerbic performance in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and her reign as queen of Downton Abbey is undisputed.  She plays a similar character here but with a grace that proves once again why she’s one of the best actresses out there.  It’s a vulnerable and intimate performance that should have been recognized by the Academy Awards.

The other three members of the quartet are played equally as strong, especially Courtenay as Smith’s ex-husband.  Her arrival stirs emotions he had long since pushed aside and forces him to confront them all over again.  Connolly plays another rascal and Collins is appropriately dotty in her comedic relief role.  Other inhabitants of the home include real life retired performers that once graced the stages all over the world.  Stick around for the credits to see pictures of the large cast throughout the years – it’s a striking montage.

Add in some nice zingers that get lobbed and Smith’s utterance of a word she’s never said in film before and you have a real winner.  While it may be slower than most will have the patience for, I was immensely satiated by Quartet thanks to Hoffman’s gentle direction, Smith’s incredible performance, and superb supporting work from a talented cast.