Quartet

Quartet (2012) Way back in 1978 Dustin Hoffman began directing a nice little film called Straight Time. But he found it too demanding to both direct and star in the picture, so he handed it off to Ulu Grosbard, a Belgian. Other than that, he has directed no movies until this one. It’s not bad, and considering he’s now a senior citizen like me, even the choice of subject matter is not surprising.

It’s based on a play by Ronald Harwood, who also adapted it for the screen. It is set in an old folks home for retired musicians. Quite a place, this is, with extensive grounds and a big old house full of people who don’t need hospitalization yet, but soon will. That, or an undertaker. But there is financial trouble. If they can’t raise some money the place will close down. They have always had an annual concert, but this year it must be really big to bring in the donors. Michael Gambon assumes the dictatorial task of organizing it all, with acts from British music hall to Gilbert and Sullivan to Verdi. Most of the instrumentalists are still quite capable of performing, other than the occasional arthritic piano player. But what about singers? Particularly sopranos? As you get old, you lose the high notes.

Maggie Smith arrives. (She has no trouble getting in, though it takes five big orderlies to manhandle her ego through the door. Once a diva, always a diva.) Already here are the other three from a legendary quartet: Tom Courtenay as the man she betrayed and still loves her all these years later; Billy Connolly as the house horndog; and Pauline Collins as the bewildered but sweet old thing who can’t cross a room without forgetting where she’s going.

The tension, of course, is will Maggie relent and perform with the others, even though she is far from sure she can nail those high Cs?. They are going to do a quartet from Rigoletto, and it’s a killer. Well, we all know she will, and I even knew how to win her over. Appeal to her ego! One of her old rivals is going to do a solo; could Maggie possibly let her steal the stage?

It’s all handled very well. The only remaining question is, will it be a triumph or a disaster? Dustin handles it very well, putting them on the stage and then pulling back into the night as the music is sung. We can listen to a perfect performance without worrying if it is really them (obviously it’s not) and appraising how well they fake it.

There is a very sweet little footnote. As the end credits roll, it is revealed that all the minor roles were filled by men and women who actually were performers, many of them of great distinction. We see them as they are today alongside an older photo, some of them going back to the ‘50s. They did the music here, and it’s quite good. Bravo, Dusty, for doing that. One of the singers was Patricia Varley, first time I’d ever heard of her. I guess she’s a distant relative. Varley is a much more common name in the UK than it is over here in the Colonies.