Movie Review: "Quartet"

This British comedic drama takes place in a home for retired opera singers and musicians. The home is on the brink of insolvency and must come up with a financially successful public performance of a Verdi piece to stay open. The harmony of the home is disrupted when Jean, played by Dame Maggie Smith, an eccentric diva, arrives in the home. She was previously married to one of the residents, Reggie, a retired operatic tenor. The bulk of the plot involves the reconciliation of the two. The musical score contains many familiar pieces. The acting, plot and character development are sophisticated and proceed at an interesting pace. Interestingly, almost the entirety of the cast is retired opera performers. Were it not for a couple of obscenities, the movie could have earned a “G” rating.