a late quartet

Another cheap Wednesday afternoon’s cinema at the Watershed!

This time, it was to see Yaron Zilberman’s directing debut in “A Late Quartet” featuring four wonderful, highly-talented actors: Christopher Walken, Catherine Keener, Mark Ivanir and Philip Seymour Hoffman.
The film features the Fugue String Quartet, an internationally acclaimed musical group based in New York, who have been playing around the world for past 25 years. Their founder, brilliantly played by Christopher Walken (cellist) is diagnosed with the early signs of Parkinson’s disease (I’m not really giving the game away here, I promise) and this throws the quartet into a somewhat confused self-questioning group, with an uncertain future. That’s when the film starts to explore them as individuals as well as part of a celebrated group of musicians.
It’s a beautiful, subtle, moving and intelligent film (and the music is rather good too!) AND New York looks stunning in the winter snow. Although the actors are clearly not professional musicians, the film was apparently made without “hand doubles” for the vast majority of “takes” – I have to say, it’s all pretty convincing to my untutored eyes.
I loved the film and would highly recommend it.
PS: Please note: this is NOT Dustin Hoffman’s film “Quartet:, this IS “A Late Quartet” starring (amongst others) Philip Seymour Hoffman! Confused? Don’t worry, rest assured, THIS is the one you should definitely see!…