(EUFF) Film Review #65: THE QUIET GIRL [Screened on 26 May 2023]
European Film Festival 2023
Film Review #65 [Ireland]: The Quiet Girl
*This film review may contain plot spoilers, reader discretion is advised.*
The highly anticipated short story adaptation of Claire Keegan's Foster, and Ireland's first nomination for best international feature in this year's Oscars, had its Singapore premiere at the European Film Festival 2023 (EUFF 2023).The Quiet Girl is an unintended uncanny allusion to Aftersun (2022); it too portrays the world from the perspective of an adolescent who is grappling with the environment they are living in. It defies the mold of an Oscar-nominated picture with its subtlety, but yet packs a punch with its meticulous examination of growing up.
Poignancy is at the heart of this film. We witness how Cáit, played by Catherine Clinch making her debut at the tender age of 13, is referred to as 'a quiet girl' because she is laconic. Her deeper pain is that within the contexts of family and school, she is tossed around and almost dispensable, and she is not shown affection by those who are close to her.
The film provokes thoughts about how one interprets being 'at home': does it imply that you are surrounded by family ties or people who truly care about you? I was particularly mesmerised by the dialogue since they were mostly in Gaelic, which is still unusual, even in recent Irish films like Banshees of Inisherin (2002).
While subtle, the minute complexities in portraying the world through an adolescent's point of view provide delicateness and depth to the tale, and thoroughly engage the audience. The perspective treads the ground of naivety and not fully internalising what is happening around her, and at the same time reveals the depths of a child's thoughts in processing things beyond her experience.
The cinematography hints at the profound sense of solitude yet desire through intentional zoom-ins; one wonders about the intent till the end, when it all ties up, presenting an excellent chance for recollecting the story from start. Written and directed by Colm Bairéad, an Irish filmmaker with a background in documentaries, the sequences sparkle because of their attention to detail.
The naiveté of a young child's thought process and curiosity are faithfully demonstrated, and the cinematography allows us to pay close attention to the protagonist as her circumstances develop. Even though it is on the opposite end of the verbose, it adds layers of mystery and underlying tension that serve as a driving force for the story, while also encouraging audiences to think back on their own childhoods.
Adults inherently influence a child's situations, and the conflict between the seemingly peaceful and the disturbingly unknown serves as a crucial turning point in the movie.
With its sincerity and moving performance by its lead,
The Quiet Girl is sure to profoundly affect viewers. I also believe that it will act as a catalyst for dispelling the stigma associated with a formulaic Oscar-nominated movies, and for the dissemination of more intimate stories to a wider audience.
About the Author: Deepag is highly interested in adding films with innovative voices and historical significance to his Letterboxd watchlist.
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This review was written as part of a series of reviews by SFS writers for European Film Festival 2023.
For more films and info on EUFF 2023, visit the official website: https://www.euff.com.sg/
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About European Film Festival 2023:
The European Film Festival (EUFF) is an annual event that showcases a curated selection of European films. The films showcased in this festival may belong to a specific country, but they are all representative of Europe’s shared cultural heritage. EUFF is a window into the intriguing world of European cinema and also offers a platform to young Singaporean film-makers.
More info on
THE QUIET GIRL:
https://www.euff.com.sg/film/ireland/the-quiet-girl-an-cailin-ciuin
About the Movie:
GENRE: Drama | Adaptation
DIRECTOR: Colm Bairéad
CAST: Carrie Crowley, Andrew Bennett, Catherine Clinch, Michael Patric, Kate Nic Chonaonaigh
PG13 | 2022 | Irish w/English subtitles| 94 minutes | Preceded by Memoirs of 15
SYNOPSIS:
Irish filmmaker Colm Bairéad’s debut turns a short story by Irish author Claire Keegan into a tender coming-of-age film. Nine-year-old Cáit quietly struggling at school and at home is sent away from her overcrowded, dysfunctional family to live with distant relatives for the summer. She is left at the strangers’ house with only the clothes she is wearing. Her foster family, the Kinsellas, are hard-working farming people, like her own. Slowly, in their care, Cáit blossoms and discovers a new way of living. But in this house where affection grows and there are meant to be no secrets, she discovers a painful truth. Set in rural Ireland in the early 1980s.
HONOURS:
Nominated for Best International Feature Film at the 95th Academy Awards, Nominated for Best Film Not in the English Language at the 76th British Academy Film and Television Awards, Winner Grand Prix for Best Film from the 'Generation Kplus' International Jury at the 72nd Berlin International Film Festival.
This review was written as part of a series of reviews by SFS writers for European Film Festival 2023.
For more films and info on EUFF 2023, visit the official website:
https://www.euff.com.sg/
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