Hammerman Ikon

Hammerman Ikon Film Guide

Quills
2000
***½
Director: Philip Kaufman
Cast: Geoffrey Rush, Kate Winslet, Joaquin Phoenix, Michael Caine, Amelia Warner

A charming fictionalised story of the Marquis de Sade, set in the asylum of Charenton where he still tries to write and get published. This is first and foremost a showcase for Geoffrey Rush, who is indeed excellent as the lewd and sharp-tongued scribe. The sets, costumes and photography are first class, but the confined settings and the vivid dialogue regularly remind you that it's based on a stage play (by Doug Wright).