Set in the beautiful surrounds of Centennial Park in Sydney, the Moonlight Cinema has very much become a part of the essential annual filmgoers calendar in Sydney, with a relaxed family atmosphere, a string of anticipated movie previews along with a host of the past year’s favourites (and a couple of classics along the way). You’ve just got to hope it doesn’t rain! In typical fashion, this year’s opening night event featured an Australian first preview of the anticipated Boxing Day release Quartet.
The film is Dustin Hoffman’s directorial debut and features a who’s who of British acting royalty. Some are faces we’re more than familiar with, while others are ones who have been more than active in the arts for decades (as the credits go on to show). It’s definitely Maggie Smith’s film though, and she’s now got a Golden Globe nomination to back it up, though fans of her “cranky old woman” display will probably feel like they’re seeing a prequel to The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel – she, too, requires a new hip here! But this is said as much in jest as anything else – she does deliver a fantastic performance, as does the rest of the ensemble cast.
Pauline Collins is fantastic as the quirky but forgetful Cissy, while Billy Connolly is expectantly hilarious as the cheeky Wilf. Tom Courtenay, meanwhile, alongside Smith’s Jean, make up the rest of the films “Quartet”, a group of operatic singers who are put in a position to revisit one of their famed performances when they find themselves together in a retirement home designed for elderly musicians and singers, and a concert approaches to “save the home”!
The film follows a predictable path and Hoffman has done little to reinvent the wheel. A decent script accompanied by actors who have long past the time where a director would have to do much to get a great performance out of them, the film serves as a safe but solid debut for Hoffman and is doubtful to be his last.
For me though, for a film like this, it comes down to the individual moments, the little touches that move it away from the typical elderly humour we’ve become quite familiar with of late, much in thanks to the aforementioned Marigold…. On that note, there are two scenes that really sell this film – one that asks the question: what happens when you put a bunch of operatic singers in a home for the elderly and it’s time to sing “Happy Birthday”, and a moment involving a clarinet player in a gazebo which feels far too poignant to try and recreate here. They were far from the only scenes in the film to highlight, but are definitely the two that have stuck with me.
A lovely film and one that will be enjoyed by anyone who found joy in Marigold…, even if it doesn’t try and reinvent the wheel along the way.
Review Score: 7.0 out of 10
Quartet is in cinemas nationally on Boxing Day. Centennial Park’s Moonlight Cinema continues until March 31st. Tickets are in sale now with different films appearing each night. Check http://www.moonlightcinema.com.au/ for more details.
