(EUFF) Film Review #66: THE QUIET GIRL [Screened on 26 May 2023]
European Film Festival 2023
Film Review #66 [Ireland]: The Quiet Girl
*This film review may contain plot spoilers, reader discretion is advised.
A first for both Singapore and Ireland, The Quiet Girl (An Cailín Ciúin) is the first film in the Irish language to have its premiere at this year’s European Film Festival. It’s not a common language to hear spoken in films, even those taking place in Ireland. As such, hearing it felt like uncovering a hidden dialect that that was embedded with much of its own culture.
At nearly a sold-out screening,
The Quiet Girl
feels like a film that is the pride of the Irish diaspora here in Singapore. Set in 1981, Cáit is one of several girls in a big family, but mostly keeps to herself due to her reticent nature, which makes it difficult for her to fit in at school. When her mother goes into labour with another child, she’s sent to live with her distant relatives, Eibhlín and Sean.
The Quiet Girl is a simple enough narrative that tells a multilayered story through its various characters. On the surface, it seems like a mere character study of Cáit’s adolescence, a coming of age story in which she breaks out of her shell. While that remains true, having her as the centerpiece of the film reveals truths about the other adults in the film. There are those who see her merely as a liability, where others pretend to be nice simply to elicit information. Only Eibhlín and Sean seem to truly care for her as they would their own child.
This tender drama is one that carries its weight emotionally. Director Colm Bairéad lets the film speak for itself. The quietly intimate moments hold a richness in their sincerity, with almost a childlike innocence that stems from Cáit herself. Bairéad however, doesn’t get entirely carried away with trying to make it a sentimental mood piece. There’s a healthy dose of Irish humor to give it that lighthearted edge, giving some respite for both the film and audience.
Performance wise, it can be harder to form a proper opinion of a child’s performance due to the nature of their role. In her debut playing Cáit, Catherine Clinch shows a quieter, perhaps more contemplative side. Often, she wears an expression that betrays little about her emotions, almost like she’s uncertain how to react or behave. The frame, rather than being pressed against her, hangs back to not only give her space, but shows how she interacts with the scene. For a girl that is awfully quiet, her actions do truly speak louder.
Not only did this film turn into a box office hit back home, it was also able to win the hearts of the audience at the cinema, mine included. As his debut film, Bairéad succeeds in giving life to a less prominent language, and is itself a poignant film that resonates deeply with many of us.
About the Author: Ivan Chin has a penchant for Hong Kong cinema and science-fiction films, but enjoys anything from blockbusters to the avant-garde. His favourite directors include Johnnie To, Denis Villeneuve and Stanley Kubrick. He also fervently hopes to see local films blossom. In his free time, he can usually be found wandering around cinemas.
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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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