A Late Quartet Reviews

Movies about violinists aren't usually my thing, but looking over the cast I figured I would give it a shot. Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Christopher Walken, Catherine Keener, and Mike Ivanir star as a string quartet with a lot of drama. 1 is retiring because of Parkinsons, 2 are in a failing marriage, and the other is sleeping with the married couples daughter. It's all made for tv type of stuff, but the performances set it a few steps above. Hoffman shines most, but the rest all do very well. Overall, it is what you would expect. Slow and geared towards a much older audience. It's not a bad movie, but it's not a very entertaining movie either. I liked some parts of it, but was ready for it to be over halfway through. If you like classical music or are much older than 29, then you might like this. Otherwise, wait til your older.

A Late Quartet is a superlatively acted, well written, intense and downbeat melodrama. It's quiet and heartfelt, though probably too intellectual and pretentious for the escapist movie goer, or if you feel like a romp where you can turn your brain off at the movies, don't go (or rent).

It's the story of the labyrinthan and conflicting relationships between the members of a veteran string quartet, with loyalty, jealously, sex, and ambition pushing the envelope on everything. The catalytic event is a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease, forcing the retirement of the groups cellist father figure, played by Christopher Walken.

Every performance is a gem, but Christopher Walken is a revelation, since he usually plays weird over the top surreal clowns (albeit compellingly each time). Here he plays a real man, facing death and decline with his whole heart and soul on display. P.S. Hoffman does his usual angst filled disapointment filled character with his usual skill, as his wife, Catherine Keener gets to do a more muted but well calibrated take on on her bitchy brutally honest but soulful charcter, Israeli Mark Ivanir plays the star lead violinst, a distant, arrogant but alpha male with sensitivity, I haven't seen him before in anything. English up and coming Imogene Poots plays the daughter of the couple, who enters into a sexual relationship with Ivanir (his mother's old flame) causing the group to almost flame out.

As much as I loved it, be warned the movie involves lots of talk about Beethoven and classical music that may bore some viewers (I loved it). Further, the film which feels very real most of the time, depends on French Farce like coincidences and meolodramatic over the top tropes to advance its story, which may annoy some viewers hooked up on realism. First time feature writer/director Yaron Zilberman does a wondeful job here, and I look forward to his next film.

Finally, the wonder that is Beethoven's opus 131 is the star of the show, and its melancholic, mournful yet life affirming strains are lived up and matched by this terrific chamber film.

"A Late Quartet" is a magnificent film, the best I've seen in 2012 thus far. It reminds me of when "In the Bedroom" was released in 2001. From out of nowhere, a filmmaker no one has heard of explodes onto the world-cinema stage with a quiet, spectacularly artful near-masterpiece.

"A Late Quartet" was directed and co-written by Yaron Zilberman, only his second film. His first film was a 2004 feature-length documentary called "Watermarks," about an Austrian sports club that was a training ground for Olympians. Shut down by the Nazis in 1938, its mostly Jewish members were scattered across the world but reunited by Zilberman for the making of the film.

With "A Late Quartet," his first fictional film, Zilberman explores the world of top-flight classical music. A world-famous string quartet is approaching its 20th anniversary. The stresses and strains of, in a sense, being married to each other for so long are starting to show. Much has been said over the years about the strains of being in a rock band for many years, where a handful of individuals have their personal, economic, and creative lives completely interwoven. But little has been said about this in other musical worlds. Until now. "A Late Quartet" brilliantly captures what this might be like.

The quartet members are played by three famous actors and one lesser-known but equally powerful actor. Mark Ivanir (whom I've never heard of until now) plays the founder of the quartet and lead violinist. The others are played by Philip Seymour Hoffman (second violinist), Catherine Keener (viola), and Christopher Walken (cello).

All are wonderful, but it was a special thrill to see Walken as the cellist. Known for playing action-movie sociopaths and other various and sundry nutjobs, Walken at long last comes in from the wild to play a highly civilized, bookish man. There is no crazy in his character. Walken can't rely on histrionics here. He's got to convey his character in an under-stated way, and he does it masterfully. I'd like to see him nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his work in this film.

One scene in particular has stuck with me. Walken's character was recently widowed. His wife was an accomplished opera singer. One night, when he is feeling most alone in his big empty apartment, he sits in the dark listening to one of her albums. The grief and loneliness register on his face in a way that shook me greatly.

One of the many things I love about "A Late Quartet" is that its characters go through the same kind of traumas and struggles that you and I go through. Adultery, lust, career advancement, jealousy, cross-generational relationships, juggling career and family, youth, aging, illness, death, cruelty toward those you love the most.

Look at that list. Those are just some of the themes that come up in "A Late Quartet," and yet it doesn't seem over-stuffed. The film breathes, flowing with the normal rhythms of everyday life. It's also not particularly long: 100 minutes. Zilberman is such a masterful filmmaker that he doesn't waste a second. Every move has meaning. Every turn of the corner involves a gentle revelation of what this quasi-family is going through. Its secrets are revealed in the quiet, understated way of a great piece of chamber music. It's not in your face; it's in your hands.

The film takes an unusual context, a string quartet, where four adults and their families lead exceptionally intertwined lives in order to show in sharper relief the kinds of things with which everyone struggles. It explores so many aspects of life, gets one pondering about so many elements of one's own life, and does this elegantly and artfully. In other words, "A Late Quartet" is a major work of art.

As a backdrop, there are numerous reflections on Beethoven's difficult life, as this quartet specializes in Beethoven. This provides beautiful resonance with other time periods, expanding the reach of the film.

What of the film's flaws? Yes, there are a couple. There are one or two moments when the quartet's struggles come across as shrill squabbling, and the issues they're fighting about sometimes feel predictable and reminiscent of a soap opera. I would have appreciated Zilberman working a bit more to inject an element of surprise into the story. The entanglement between the lead violinist and the daughter of the second violinist did once or twice seem predictable, similar to many soap operas we've seen before.

But these moments constitute about 2% of the film. At all other times, "A Late Quartet" is superb.

Daniel (Ivanir), Peter (Walken), and married couple Robert (Hoffman) and Juliette (Keener) form 'The Fugue Quartet', New York's most respected string quartet. With the quartet's 25th anniversary approaching, a number of events conspire to tear the group apart. Cello player Peter is diagnosed with the early stages of Parkinson's disease, rendering his hands incapable of the more complex expressions of his instrument. Robert is unhappy with, literally in this case, playing second fiddle to first violinist Daniel and falls out with Juliette when he forces her to admit she doesn't think he has the skills to lead the quartet. Juliette herself is becoming increasingly estranged from her daughter Alexandra (Scarlet Johansson lookalike Poots), who rebels against her mother by conducting an affair with Daniel.
For first time director Zilberman, whose only previous credit is the 2004 swimming documentary 'Watermarks', the task of directing such a trio of acting heavyweights as Hoffman, Walken and Keener must have been a considerably intimidating one. The same can be said for the relatively unknown Ukrainian actor Ivanir, the odd one out on a roster of top quality American acting talent. Both men hold their own admirably. Casting an unknown for the part of Daniel was an inspired choice as his character, a Russian immigrant, is himself something of an outsider amongst the quartet. A familiar face in the role wouldn't have conveyed this quite so convincingly. Equally impressive is the young English actress Poots, who gets some of the film's most dramatic scenes. She may bear a physical resemblance to Scarlet Johansson but, unlike the American star, she can act. Hoffman and Keener are brilliant, as you would expect, but the standout is Walken, here allowed the opportunity to play a real character and not just a parody of himself.

Zilberman wisely gives his cast freedom, employing what Spielberg refers to as a "quiet camera", eschewing any flashy camerawork. On this evidence, he's a director of some promise. Unfortunately, his script, co-written with Seth Grossman, lets him down. Every scenario on display feels like one we've seen countless times before. The musician who is slowly losing the use of his hands? The daughter who accuses her artist mother of not being around her enough during her childhood? The performer tortured by a lack of recognition of his talents? All stale as June bread on an August picnic.
While its story is nothing we haven't seen before, the performances from its ensemble cast and some stunning work by legendary cinematographer Frederick Elmes make 'A Late Quartet' a worthwhile watch. As a scriptwriter though, Zilberman could heed the advice of that old musician's joke, "How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice!"

At the first rehearsal for the Fugue Quartet, Peter(Christopher Walken), the cellist, feels something is not quite right and requests an adjournment. This is about all they can agree on, however, as Robert(Philip Seymour Hoffman) wants to supplant Daniel(Mark Ivanir) as first violin while making the acquaintance of Pilar(Liraz Charhi), a flamenco dancer, in Central Park. Otherwise, Robert and his wife Juliette(Catherine Keener), who plays viola in the quartet, have a grown daughter, Alex(Imogen Poots), who is herself a musician in training.

Right off the bat, "A Late Quartet" has certain things going for it like a great cast(nobody does thankless as well as Catherine Keener while it is nice to see Christopher Walken cast so against type), good music and intelligent thoughts on important themes like mortality. But sadly, it is not as good as it should have been due to its being forced, especially in its cliched soap operatic subplots that lead into a surreal climax, the more so after a little research. For example, Peter is already suffering from the death of the love of his life which could alone cause him to reexamine his life, so why also burden him with Parkinson's? At the same time, Alex's outburst comes as a breath of fresh air with its sudden injection of honesty into the proceedings.

Huh, there are people out there who say that not a whole lot of music critics out there are actually good musicians, yet here is Lester Bangs, playing one mean violin, when he does, in fact, show up, that is. Man, first Madonna is a couple of hours late to her own show, and now even our string quartets are struggling with punctuality, probably because they're held back by their silly little problems like crumbling friendships, sexual tension's coming to a head and Parkinson's disease. Shoot, as if it wasn't hard enough to distinguish Christopher Walken and Christopher Lloyd, two eccentric older gentlemen with crazy hair, now Walken has done gone and gotten himself a mean case of the Michael J. Fox disease, but only in this film, so don't get too scared, Walken fans. Really, if anyone involved in this film has serious issues in real like, it's well, Imogen Poots for being pretty yet still haunted by the last name Poots (By the ways, her middle name is Gay; what is wrong with her parents?), as well as the poor sucker who's still keeping RKO Pictures alive in hopes of getting it back into the public eye, because, come on, how many of you even knew that this RKO production even existed? Well, it's still nice to see them kicking, as well as keeping it old-fashioned, because even their latest film is essentially a rock band break-up drama, only with a string quartet, rather than a rock band. Of course, if nothing else is old-fashiond about this film, then it's its old-fashioned melodrama. Eh, whatever, I still like this film just fine, though not quite as much as I would like to, because melodrama is hardly its only problem.

At just over 100 minutes, this character drama appears to run a reasonably comfortable length on paper, and often is in execution at quite a few times, yet there are still spots that feel a touch undercooked, with development especially being too tight for its own good, because outside of occasions in which expository dialogue goes crowbarred in (Oh man, Philip Seymour Hoffman delivers a confrontation speech to Catherine Keener nearly at the hour mark that is bloated to no end with borderline random little-known facts), as well as even an awkwardly forced sequence in which our lead quartet watches a documentary on them that outlines their origin, there is hardly any bit of development to this film, whose driving characters are portrayed well enough to sustain a fair degree of your investment, but not with enough genuine meat in the story structure department for you to gain all that firm of a grip on things. What further distances the impact of drama resonance is, as I said, its going haunted by melodrama, which isn't so exceedingly immense that you feel as though you're watching Hallmark filler, but very firmly secured, growing greater and greater as plot unravels, until, after a while, genuineness slips just enough for you to go thrown off. Sure, there is enough inspiration in direction and acting for emotional resonance to feel more genuine that the drama itself at times, but inspiration in execution of flawed concept structuring can only do so much to battle back issues that were established from the pen-to-paper stages, and sure enough, with histrionics come predictability and issues in full dramatic kick. What further throws off your full engagement value with this film's various subplots is, of course, inconsistency in the focus on these subplots, which aren't tossed all over the place, but much to unevenly handled, to where certain plot layers go pushed too far into away for their return to be all that organic, and that really messes with the film's momentum, though perhaps not as much as a degree of aimlessness. While the film definately shaves off some time by scrapping much development, lost time all too often goes made up for through padding, made all the more glaring by slow spells that, against my fears, rarely, if ever slip into dullness, but help in giving plotting a kind of aimless feel that brings all other flaws in story structure to light. There are a fair deal of moments in this film that are genuinely strong, but there are too many issues in this film's decent, but underdeveloped, melodramatic and even aimlessly padded script, whose issues stand as just pronounced enough to hold back the final product's full potential. Still, much like the band, the audience plays on, or at least would be hard pressed to not, because as improvable as this film is in plotting and drama, its high notes keep you coming back to a flawed story that still keeps up a reasonable degree of dramatic sharpness, as well as musical sharpness.

If this film is going to keep up its integrity as a study on a string quartet, it's going to need to really play up classical string musicality, and does so quite well, with the Brentano String Quartet supplying this film's soundtrack with fine renditions of many an excellent classical piece, especially Beethoven's String Quartet No. 14, Op. 131, a piece whose being played in this film that discusses, if not all-out rather heavily focuses upon it on more than a few occasions, helps in keeping you grounded in the final product. Sure, this film's music isn't sweepingly dynamic, much less strikingly powerful, nor is it featured all that often, but this lovely soundtrack smoothly breathes some degree of life into this film, helping in keeping it lively, and helping in reinforcing thematic weight, while what reinforces dramatic weight are the fair deal of high spots in this film's story. The film is too flawed in its story structure and dramatic structuring, getting to be aimless and melodramatic, so of course potential is diluted, but not so much so that it can be ignored, as this film's plot concept, while not too extraordinary, or even all that refreshing, has enough conceptual kick to its intelligence and humanity to keep you, to one degree or another, intrigued. The value of this film's concept is all too often betrayed, but still stands firm enough to hold your attention, while your investment goes adequately sustained by what is done right in the directorial efforts of Yaron Zilberman, who doesn't do too much to compensate for the missteps in his and Seth Grossman's script, but keeps up enough juice in the air to keep you reasonably entertained throughout the film, until we come to a moment in which Zilberman wakes up and delivers on genuine dramatic resonance, which stands to have more to it, as far as quanitity and quality are concerned, but gives this film its share of truly strong moments, including the ending, which is still too abrupt to not feel rather offputting, but would have gone horribly wrong if Zilberman didn't handle it with such unexpected genuineness that cleverly and rather deeply draws from atmosphere with enough attention to delicacy to comfortably tie everything around, or at least as much as it can with its abruptness, and deliver a pretty rewarding final note to a flawed, but generally dramatically engaging movement. Zilberman, as director, does only so much, but what he does do ultimately proves to be enough to get the final product by as decent, with golden occasions, some of which go carried, not just by Zilberman, but by a certain strength that stands as consistent throughout this film. If there was more acting material to this film, then we would be looking at some excellent performances that rank among some of your better ones of 2012, but as things stand, this film fails only to put its excellent cast to good use, as each performance feels genuine, with emotional range and layers that help our performers in defining their undercooked characters as humanly compelling, and by extension, probably more than this film's script deserves. This film's script isn't bad, or even mediocre, being genuinely decent, but still too flawed for the film to achieve the overall goodness that it almost claims, thanks to inspired performances, on and off of the screen, that hit just enough to make this film a nevertheless enjoyable one, with occasions of strength that stand to be a bit more recurring.

To bring down the final note, this film find its potential undercut by considerable underdevelopment that distances dramatic resonance about as much as the melodramatic touches that grow greater and greater as the film progresses, and aimlessly so, thanks to the bland padding that gives you enough time to meditate upon shortcomings and find that the final product doesn't quite hit as many high notes as it should, which isn't to say that this movement doesn't go smooth enough to sustain some degree of your investment, boasting a strong soundtrack, as well as a story concept that goes handled well enough by Yaron Zilberman, as director, and carried far enough by strong performances, to make "A Late Quartet" a reasonably entertaining and sometimes impacting drama, in spite of its shortcomings.

2.5/5 - Fair

"A Late Quartet" is as basic as dramas get these days. Based around a quartet with a questionable future, each character faces a different obstacle to overcome. Unraveled in the most basic of ways, the heft of this film falls on the shoulders of its veteran cast, who raise this film out of the doldrums of dry drama. Philip Seymour Hoffman and Christopher Walken are at their best, effortlessly playing the most interesting characters. With little connection to Mark Ivanir, he is able to peak my interest and produce a respectable performance as the least known of the group. Imogen Poots shines in her roll as well, bringing a perfect blend of innocence and maturity to her role, a character that could easily have been thrown away becomes relevant because of the heart put into her. Even though the film stays at a constant lull, with these big stars, "A Late Quartet" becomes something slightly more than just another drama.

Proving once again that creativity thrives in chaos, A Late Quartet dives into the deep end of artistic and emotional angst that's intriguing and irksome simultaneously. Christopher Walken performs a master class of wonderful nuanced acting while PSH proves that you don't need to be the Master to shine. Very well layered narrative. Nice shots of NYC in winter. (11-13-12)

I was surprised this was not as terrible as I had imagined, but it was also not as good as it could be.

I loved this movie. They really do not do movies like this anymore. It shows how difficult it is to produce music or anything as a group given our present reality ego- centricity.

My impression of this is very positive. A Late Quartet moves deliberately, but sterling performances all around account for a pleasant result. Philip Seymour Hoffman is excellent (as always), and it's nice to see Christopher Walken in a straight role (he's amazing as well). The big question is how the music community will receive this film, since its main storyline runs parallel to one of Beethoven's most-beloved and accomplished works.
Director Yaron Zilberman, in only his second feature, makes known the importance of uniformity and integration of Beethoven's opus and juxtaposes it with the troubles of the film's main players, a quartet of musicians that include Robert (Hoffman), Peter (Walken), Juliette (Keener) and Daniel (Mark Ivanir). This group, professionally known as the Fugue, suffers from personal issues outside of performing arts, and these issues are all related and intertwined. The beauty of A Late Quartet is to see such consternation and disconnect amongst people who make a living playing in unison and without error.
Overall, I was moved by A Late Quartet. Maybe it's due in part to the sheer emotional power of Beethoven's music, maybe it's partly due to the fine acting. But surely, the combination of the two helped me to understand the eery symmetry that music has with life, and vice versa.

A Late Quartet is filled to the brim with notes of wondrous grace. It is a small gem that burrows into your heart and mind with the dazzling power of music, not to mention its top-notch performances. There's a major crisis facing New York-based chamber quartet The Fugue as they are heading into their 26th year together. Cellist Peter Mitchell (an outstanding Christopher Walken) has been diagnosed with Parkinson's. His colleagues offer their support and sympathy. First violinist Daniel Lerner (Mark Ivanir) feels Peter should continue playing while he still can, while second violinist Robert Gelbart (Philip Seymour Hoffman) reveals his desire to play first chair, a goal that shocks and appalls his violinist wife, Juliette (Catherine Keener), who has long looked at Peter as a mentor. When Juliette becomes aware that Robert has cheated on her and that Daniel is sleeping with their student daughter, Alexandra (Imogen Poots), festering tensions boil to the surface.

It may sound a bit soap-opera contrived, and sometimes it does get a bit too off the rails in melodrama, but director Yaron Zilberman and co-screenwriter Seth Grossman fine tune their film with all the skill and care of a quartet. Like the chamber music featured in the film, solos are a rarity. Loyal partnerships are what's required among the players, and the actors meet that challenge head on. It's riveting to watch The Fugue rehearse Beethoven's String Quartet No. 14 in C-sharp Minor, a piece the composer insists must be played without pause or delay, and see a once tight-knit family fall apart. It's a bonus that the music, played by the Brentano String Quartet, is also a thing of beauty.

This quartet of actors are more than a pleasure to watch as well, all of whom learned to play small phrases on their instruments. It's the music they make without their instruments that burns in the memory. Hoffman and Keener, co-stars in Capote, play off one another like any skilled artists, exuding raw intensity between them. Ivanir is just as vital as the spark that ignites the two against each other. The best is Walken (on a roll from Seven Psychopaths to Stand Up Guys), in one of his most heartfelt and outstanding performances, full of subtlety and nuance. It's a joy to watch him take on his cello, hands trembling, his once cool assurance slipping away from him. It's a reminder this Oscar-winner is still one of the best, and shows it in this terrific, heartbreaking performance.

Inspired by Beethoven's String Quartet No. 14, Opus 131 -- a long piece of music (at approximately 40 minutes +) that is meant to be played through its entirety "no matter what" -- A Late Quartet is a dramatic film from first-time director Yaron Zilberman about the four immensely talented members of the Fugue Quartet, a world-renowned, New York City-based string quartet who have performed together for nearly 25 years. Upon the eve of the Fugue Quartet's twenty-fifth year together, the cellist and oldest member of the group (played by Christopher Walken) is given life-changing information that -- along with desire and rampant egos -- imperils the purpose of the Quartet itself.

I realize this was supposed to be dignified people dealing with the complexities of life, but to me they all came off like petulant children.

A well-constructed, well-played fugue on loss and restiveness among a string quartet (with Walken!).

Saw and very much liked. Great ensemble of talented actors and strong story.

Yes, they are musicians, and music should continue. But they have to live a life, too.

An engaging film about talented individuals trying to conform for the sake of the team. A stellar cast (especially Christopher Walken) and an intelligent script. The music was top notch too. I felt afterwards as if I had been to an amazing classical concert!

4/5 Never heard about this one being released. Glad I found it. It could have ended more realistically, but definitely a good watch.

If you are into chamber music and bad soap operas, this is perfect for you.