Movie – Quartet

Wonderfully cast with Billy Connolly, Michael Gambon, Pauline Collins and of course, Maggie Smith, immediately I’m reminded of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and that is absolutely fine.The story is of four (as the title suggests) retired opera singers all residing in a grand, luxurious home for retired musicians (see, it sounds brilliant!). Billy Connolly plays a lifelong flirt and Pauline Collins a slightly irritating, but with a heart of gold, friend to all, with on-coming dementia. Tom Courtney plays the more serious minded musician and the story starts with him hearing that his ex-wife, and as it turns out, the love of his life, super star, Maggie Smith is reluctantly moving in.I love how the three support each other, having been friends and colleagues for so long, especially with the arrival on the scene, of one time heartbreaker, Jean (Smith). They hate growing old but some are taking it better than others. Reg teaches occasionally and there is a glorious scene with him engaging with young people who have no idea what opera is and he is clueless about hip-hop (not the same as rap, apparently).The whole film accumulates in a fundraising concert where two of the quartet dearly want all four to be singing together.Oh, and it’s the directorial debut of some chap called Dustin Hoffman.8½/10Smile factor 9/10