Quartet
2012
**
Director: Dustin Hoffman
Cast: Maggie Smith, Tom Courtenay, Billy Connolly, Pauline Collins, Michael Gambon, Sheridan Smith, Andrew Sachs, Trevor Peacock, David Ryall
Beecham House, a retirement home for former musicians, is preparing to stage its annual gala concert. Everyone is hoping that four retired opera singers, two of whom were briefly married, can come to an agreement and recreate their famous quartet from Rigoletto. Dustin Hoffman makes a late directorial debut with this utterly forgettable comedy drama, which Ronald Harwood scipted from his own play. Like The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, this is a rare film which features a cast of characters who are mostly pensioners. However, that's where the similarities end. Will the old couple make up? Will she sing? Will the Beecham House survive? All dramatic obstacles are quickly overcome, with minimal charm and humour. The cast is lovely, but they're left with nothing to do.
