Movie Snapshot: Dustin Hoffman's "Quartet" - Starring Maggie Smith

Dustin Hoffman's directorial debut, Quartet, follows the exploits of the residents of a retirement home for gifted musicians. The title refers to opera singers who decide to form a quartet in honor of a yearly concert to celebrate the birthday of famed Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi. Three members of the group, Cissy (Pauline Collins), Reg (Tom Courtenay) and Wilf (Billy Connolly), attempt to persuade a new arrival, Jean (Maggie Smith), to join them for the concert. However, Jean has decided that she will never sing live again because her voice is simply not what it used to be. Further complicating matters is Jean's shared history with Reg - they were once married for a very brief period of time and Reg has never gotten over her. 

One of the unique aspects of Quartet centers around the majority of the supporting cast members, who are actually former singers/musicians and have the opportunity to display their considerable talents throughout the film, which adds a strong degree of realism to the proceedings. They are led by talent director (and prima donna) Cedric (pronounced Cee-dric), who rules with a firm and often rude hand. Michael Gambon (Harry Potter) portrays Cedric and elicits many laughs, along with the irrepressible Billy Connolly, as the rascally and eternally horny Wilf. Indeed, the performances from the immensely talented cast buoy Quartet, which has something to say about growing older, just nothing profound. For instance, Cissy is forgetful and appears to be in the early stages of dementia, while Wilf experiences bouts of chest pains and feeling light headed. Thankfully, those health issues do not stop the characters from doing what they love, but are reminders of the aging process, nonetheless. 

Quartet is based on a play, of the same name, by Ronald Harwood, who also wrote the often amusing, candid and thoughtful screenplay. The talented cast make the most of the material, which is highly enjoyable, but not necessarily original or surprising. However, I was disappointed with the ending, which left me feeling a bit cold and cheated, courtesy of a bait and switch. In any event, I can recommend Quartet for the performances and the music, which both deserve at least one encore.