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A Quiet Passion

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A Quiet Passion (2016)

October. 07,2016
|
6.5
| Drama
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The story of American poet Emily Dickinson from her early days as a young schoolgirl to her later years as a reclusive, unrecognized artist.

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Odelecol
2016/10/07

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

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Adeel Hail
2016/10/08

Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.

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Loui Blair
2016/10/09

It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

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Zandra
2016/10/10

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

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kenny-164
2016/10/11

I gave this 2 stars, which for me is a very low rating - I have rarely given one star. Many films that do not succeed do so despite having a good cast, or at least more good acting than bad. Some fail despite being strong in this or that area of writing, cinematography, interesting subject matter, above average directing. This is not one of those less than successful films. This film fails on pretty much every level. The acting is uniformly wooden and does not allow for suspension of disbelief. The dialogue similarly fails. As biography it may tell Ms. Dickinson's story in some fashion, but here without any illumination. The bad directing also adds to this overall failure. I suppose the costumes and cinematography are not bad, but that's it.Don't waste your time on this one.

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proud_luddite
2016/10/12

He life and poetry of Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886) is the subject of this biopic, portraying an early feminist who lived life on her own terms within limited situations while facing sadness and despair in her later years. Dickinson was from a prominent family (her father was a lawyer) and lived in Amherst, Massachusetts.Writer/director Terence Davies deserves so much credit for this fine film. The first half is blessed with sharp and witty dialogue using language and repartee in a style that is rarely used in today's America. Similarly, Davies' directing style is as poetic as Dickinson's writings which are frequently recited in the background. Even when poetry is not recited, there is a poetic mood that stays throughout the film especially in the second half when the lightness of the early years have passed.For the most part, the acting is good especially Cynthia Nixon as the adult version of Dickinson. Nixon is especially strong in the later years of despair and illness. But there are moments the actors seem ill at ease with a language that no longer exists in contemporary America. Catherine Bailey portrays a very sharp-witted, independent-minded friend of Emily and her sister. While Bailey is good in the role, some extra pizzazz could have made her a scene-stealer.The second half is quite serious at it deals with illness, dying, and the despair of living a life that is perceived as only partly lived. One particularly moving scene involved Emily brushing off the kind attention of a sincere, handsome suitor. By the end of this scene, it was easy to feel empathy and sadness for everyone involved."A Quiet Passion" was like the experience of visiting a historical home that is open to the public where ropes separate visitors from the rooms. But in this case, the ropes are temporarily removed and we are allowed in as long as we keep a respectful distance. With a fine cast as well as superb lighting, costumes, and set designs, Davies does a great job in recreating a time and place long gone. Viewing this film is a very soulful experience.

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tm-sheehan
2016/10/13

How she suffered for her Art-Cynthia Nixon is superb in the role portraying Emily Dickinson and Jennifer Ehle as her loving sister is tender and supportive in the role.A bleak film written and directed by Terence Davies but I thought though at times beautiful would have been more balanced if he had shown less suffering and more of the joyful influences that inspired her poetry i doubt her life was all despair and angst, perhaps it says more about Terence Davies than Emily Dickinson. After seeing both actresses in plays on Broadway a few weeks ago it was fascinating seeing them both together acting beautifully on film.

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Ron !
2016/10/14

I couldn't wait for this movie to end. Within the first half, I wished I could reach through the screen and strangle the characters portraying Emily and Susan. Both seemed to delight in their own incessant, yet insipid, comments, thinking it would delight the audience as witty repartee. This constant need to appear clever and superior to everyone else was grating on the nerves and lost what very little charm it possessed within 5 minutes of exposure to it. Emily Dickinson is portrayed as a woman so in love with her own intellect, independence and wit that, though she obviously desired it, there was no room to accommodate the ego of a partner in her life. Her own ego had left no space for anyone else.Cassandra Clare, in her book "City of Bones", aptly states, "Sarcasm is the last refuge of the imaginatively bankrupt." We might say something similar with respect to the unimaginative banter passed off in this movie as wit and cleverness.

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