February 23, 2023
FILM: THE QUIET GIRL
DIRECTED BY COLM BAIREAD
STARRING CATHERINE CLINCH, CARRIE CROWLEY, ANDREW BENNETT
RATING: 3 OUT OF 4 STARS
By Dan Pal
The Quiet Girl is one of the five nominees for Best International Film at the Oscars this year. It also recently won the AARP Movies for Grownups Award for Best Foreign Film. (Ok, the organization’s awards aren’t usually publicized, but still…) It’s been reported that the film has become the highest grossing Irish-language film of all time around the world. This is pretty impressive although general audiences might have a hard time coming up with the names of other films from the country. (The Banshees of Inishirin doesn’t count since the language spoken in the film is English.) Why this film has struck such a chord is somewhat of a mystery from these eyes at least. Yes, it is a coming of age drama adapted from Claire Keegan’s novel Foster, The Quiet Girl, but it does take place in the past (1981) and it doesn’t exactly boast major star names or any notable action to speak of. So, what gives? Why has this film been such a hit and why should anyone see it?
Well, the fact that it has reached some historic numbers for Ireland is worth exploring enough. The film itself, like the title character, is very quiet and understated though. There are no big performances or scenes that stand out. Yet it is the stillness of the film that might make it intriguing to certain audiences. Catherine Clinch plays Cait, a young girl living with her rather large family in a rundown home that is clearly too small for them. Mom has too many kids to feed, with another on the way, and sends them off to school with nothing but bread. Their clothes are dirty and the family car is on its last legs.
The film is mostly seen from the point of view of Cait who is referred to as a “weirdo” at school and a “wanderer” at home. Given that there doesn’t seem to be much to do in their small town, it isn’t surprising that Cait would want some adventure. Seemingly out of the blue, Cait is taken to live for the summer to a family cousin’s farm. Middle-aged Sean and Eibhlin are the only residents of the home. Cait first asks if there are any other children in the much larger and tastefully decorated home. The answer is no, so Cait spends much of her time with the adults. She develops a strong attachment to them, in part, because they are markedly warmer than her own parents and siblings. Sean gets Cait active by timing her runs to the mailbox each day. Eibhlin similarly lets Cait help her in the kitchen. Even though much of what Cait does in the home is pretty mundane, it becomes clear that this is a much better place for Cait to spend the summer than in her home. She feels loved and useful.
From there, not a lot happens in the film. The narrative is quite slow moving but not necessarily in a bad way. In fact, it is the subtle activities that reveal much about each of the characters and their growing attachment to each other. We do find out why Sean and Eibhlin are alone in their home and why they might really show the care they do for Cait but I won’t spoil that here. It’s not overly surprising but it does work in the context of the narrative.
Eventually a reckoning for Cait does come and it is emotionally affecting. However, don’t expect big swings in the narrative here. This is a pleasant, quiet film with some nice settings and very good performances, particularly from Clinch as Cait and Carrie Crowley as Eibhlin. It would be hard to imagine this film having a major impact here in the U.S. where mass audiences tend to prefer spectacle to subtly. Still, for those looking for a sweet story, The Quiet Girl may prove quite satisfying.
The Quiet Girl opens in theaters tomorrow. In Chicago it is playing at the Landmark Theatre.
FILM: THE QUIET GIRL
DIRECTED BY COLM BAIREAD
STARRING CATHERINE CLINCH, CARRIE CROWLEY, ANDREW BENNETT
RATING: 3 OUT OF 4 STARS
By Dan Pal
The Quiet Girl is one of the five nominees for Best International Film at the Oscars this year. It also recently won the AARP Movies for Grownups Award for Best Foreign Film. (Ok, the organization’s awards aren’t usually publicized, but still…) It’s been reported that the film has become the highest grossing Irish-language film of all time around the world. This is pretty impressive although general audiences might have a hard time coming up with the names of other films from the country. (The Banshees of Inishirin doesn’t count since the language spoken in the film is English.) Why this film has struck such a chord is somewhat of a mystery from these eyes at least. Yes, it is a coming of age drama adapted from Claire Keegan’s novel Foster, The Quiet Girl, but it does take place in the past (1981) and it doesn’t exactly boast major star names or any notable action to speak of. So, what gives? Why has this film been such a hit and why should anyone see it?
Well, the fact that it has reached some historic numbers for Ireland is worth exploring enough. The film itself, like the title character, is very quiet and understated though. There are no big performances or scenes that stand out. Yet it is the stillness of the film that might make it intriguing to certain audiences. Catherine Clinch plays Cait, a young girl living with her rather large family in a rundown home that is clearly too small for them. Mom has too many kids to feed, with another on the way, and sends them off to school with nothing but bread. Their clothes are dirty and the family car is on its last legs.
The film is mostly seen from the point of view of Cait who is referred to as a “weirdo” at school and a “wanderer” at home. Given that there doesn’t seem to be much to do in their small town, it isn’t surprising that Cait would want some adventure. Seemingly out of the blue, Cait is taken to live for the summer to a family cousin’s farm. Middle-aged Sean and Eibhlin are the only residents of the home. Cait first asks if there are any other children in the much larger and tastefully decorated home. The answer is no, so Cait spends much of her time with the adults. She develops a strong attachment to them, in part, because they are markedly warmer than her own parents and siblings. Sean gets Cait active by timing her runs to the mailbox each day. Eibhlin similarly lets Cait help her in the kitchen. Even though much of what Cait does in the home is pretty mundane, it becomes clear that this is a much better place for Cait to spend the summer than in her home. She feels loved and useful.
From there, not a lot happens in the film. The narrative is quite slow moving but not necessarily in a bad way. In fact, it is the subtle activities that reveal much about each of the characters and their growing attachment to each other. We do find out why Sean and Eibhlin are alone in their home and why they might really show the care they do for Cait but I won’t spoil that here. It’s not overly surprising but it does work in the context of the narrative.
Eventually a reckoning for Cait does come and it is emotionally affecting. However, don’t expect big swings in the narrative here. This is a pleasant, quiet film with some nice settings and very good performances, particularly from Clinch as Cait and Carrie Crowley as Eibhlin. It would be hard to imagine this film having a major impact here in the U.S. where mass audiences tend to prefer spectacle to subtly. Still, for those looking for a sweet story, The Quiet Girl may prove quite satisfying.
The Quiet Girl opens in theaters tomorrow. In Chicago it is playing at the Landmark Theatre.