By Ray Silveyra www.thatsmye.com There comes a moment in Beethoven's "String Quartet No. 14″ where at the apex of its 7th and final movement, Beethoven treats us to a contrast of the darkness and depth of the strings versus a stirring and almost angelic caress of the melody. To every note, there is meaning, to every chord we hear reason,and as the piece reaches its conclusion, we may not fully understand why, but we understand that the music must end.
If only Yaron Zilverman's A Late Quartet took a lesson from Beethoven, the audience would have been exposed to a more thoughtful, and quite frankly, less frustrating film.
A Late Quartet, starring Christopher Walken, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Catherine Keener and Mark Ivanir, revolves around members of a world-renowned string quartet, who upon learning their cellist must leave the group at the start of the season, struggle to stay together amidst personal turmoil.
The film is, at times, entertaining. The plot definitely leaves room for some decent storytelling. However, the film's biggest flaw is that the four individuals in this quartet are so indulged in a reality that this string quartet is the most important thing in the world, that the movie-goer is often left asking why is it so important. The screenplay, written by Zilberman and Seth Grossman, tries to cover this fatal flaw by simply telling the viewer that the string quartet is so important because it just is. The string quartet is both the source and solution to these individual's problems. Although it may be easy to see why it is the source of the characters' problems, the film does not firmly establish why the quartet is also the solution to the story's issues. And without this reason, without being told why, the entire plot feels melodramatic and whiny. To that point, certain sub-plots of the film (specifically, one concerning the daughter of the couple in the film) become frustrating, and at its end feels unresolved.
The only saving grace of the film is the superb acting of its cast. You know that the actors are buying into the reality that the quartet is as important as the script wants us to believe. Because of this, often times, you are attached to what happens to certain characters. Unfortunately, this adds to the frustration when these characters find solutions that just do not seem good enough. However, Christopher Walken gives his best performance in a decade, since 2002′s Catch Me If You Can. And Catherine Keener was a true standout for me, showing a constant and heartbreaking longing both on and off her viola.
The quartet in the film play Beethoven's String Quartet No. 14 as their final performance. It's unfortunate that a piece so full of reason and meaning is featured so prominently in a film that seems to lack this so-called reason and meaning. Ultimately, A Late Quartet, is a well-acted film, that falters due to a weak plot and its own self-indulgence.
If only Yaron Zilverman's A Late Quartet took a lesson from Beethoven, the audience would have been exposed to a more thoughtful, and quite frankly, less frustrating film.
A Late Quartet, starring Christopher Walken, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Catherine Keener and Mark Ivanir, revolves around members of a world-renowned string quartet, who upon learning their cellist must leave the group at the start of the season, struggle to stay together amidst personal turmoil.
The film is, at times, entertaining. The plot definitely leaves room for some decent storytelling. However, the film's biggest flaw is that the four individuals in this quartet are so indulged in a reality that this string quartet is the most important thing in the world, that the movie-goer is often left asking why is it so important. The screenplay, written by Zilberman and Seth Grossman, tries to cover this fatal flaw by simply telling the viewer that the string quartet is so important because it just is. The string quartet is both the source and solution to these individual's problems. Although it may be easy to see why it is the source of the characters' problems, the film does not firmly establish why the quartet is also the solution to the story's issues. And without this reason, without being told why, the entire plot feels melodramatic and whiny. To that point, certain sub-plots of the film (specifically, one concerning the daughter of the couple in the film) become frustrating, and at its end feels unresolved.
The only saving grace of the film is the superb acting of its cast. You know that the actors are buying into the reality that the quartet is as important as the script wants us to believe. Because of this, often times, you are attached to what happens to certain characters. Unfortunately, this adds to the frustration when these characters find solutions that just do not seem good enough. However, Christopher Walken gives his best performance in a decade, since 2002′s Catch Me If You Can. And Catherine Keener was a true standout for me, showing a constant and heartbreaking longing both on and off her viola.
The quartet in the film play Beethoven's String Quartet No. 14 as their final performance. It's unfortunate that a piece so full of reason and meaning is featured so prominently in a film that seems to lack this so-called reason and meaning. Ultimately, A Late Quartet, is a well-acted film, that falters due to a weak plot and its own self-indulgence.