I reviewed by Colm Bairéad’s The Quiet Girl (aka An Cailín Ciúin), an Irish-language film nominated this year for Best International Feature (a first for Irish-language films). Based on a famous short story by Claire Keegan (later turned into a novella), the film is told intimately from a child’s point of view, what she sees, hears, absorbs. It is a quiet film, indeed: she’s quiet, the people who care for her are quiet, and the rhythms are that of farm life – slow, deliberate, careful. But the film did its work. It’s been a long time since I literally dissolved into stormy tears at a film’s final sequence. I was a MESS. The film is not really bilingual. It’s mostly Irish. And that’s kind of a big deal. I reviewed An Cailín Ciúin for Ebert.
-
Recent Posts
- “Improvement makes strait roads, but the crooked roads without Improvement, are roads of Genius.” — poet/engraver/visionary William Blake
- “You can’t dance in a long dress.” — Tina Turner
- Happy Birthday, Emir Kusturica
- “What’s the difference between an exile and an expatriate? It seems to me that an Englishman in France is an expat, but an Irishman is an exile.” — Irish poet Derek Mahon
- Posters in Aki Kaurismäki’s Fallen Leaves (2023)
- “[I wish] to trace the gradual action of ordinary causes rather than exceptional.” — George Eliot
- “There were so many things I wanted to say, stream-of-consciousness things, designs and patterns while listening to music. I felt I might be able to say [them] if I had an unending canvas.” — pioneering experimental animator Mary Ellen Bute
- The (Fractured) Male Gaze
- “Being understood is not the most essential thing in life.” — Jodie Foster
- Happy Birthday, Graham Parker
Recent Comments
- Chris on “There were so many things I wanted to say, stream-of-consciousness things, designs and patterns while listening to music. I felt I might be able to say [them] if I had an unending canvas.” — pioneering experimental animator Mary Ellen Bute
- Mitch Berg on “What’s the difference between an exile and an expatriate? It seems to me that an Englishman in France is an expat, but an Irishman is an exile.” — Irish poet Derek Mahon
- Sean Giere on “I don’t like being approached by people who look at me too intensely, who needed something from me that I didn’t have. I don’t represent anything.” — Liz Phair
- Jessie on Review: May December (2023)
- Jessie on Review: Holy Frit (2023)
- Jessie on She’s not a bad person. Honest she isn’t: Kerry O’Malley in David Fincher’s The Killer
- Ginny SH on “There’s nothing you can tell me about guilt.” — Martin Scorsese
- Clary on The (Fractured) Male Gaze
- sheila on “I don’t like being approached by people who look at me too intensely, who needed something from me that I didn’t have. I don’t represent anything.” — Liz Phair
- SeanGiere on “I don’t like being approached by people who look at me too intensely, who needed something from me that I didn’t have. I don’t represent anything.” — Liz Phair
- sheila on She’s not a bad person. Honest she isn’t: Kerry O’Malley in David Fincher’s The Killer
- Melissa Sutherland on She’s not a bad person. Honest she isn’t: Kerry O’Malley in David Fincher’s The Killer
- sheila on “There’s nothing you can tell me about guilt.” — Martin Scorsese
- sheila on “There’s nothing you can tell me about guilt.” — Martin Scorsese
- sheila on Review: May December (2023)
- sheila on Talking 1953 movies with Jason Bailey and Mike Hull: A Very Good Year podcast
- sheila on Review: Holy Frit (2023)
- sheila on “Given as much to the gutter as to the gods” — Nick Tosches
- sheila on She’s not a bad person. Honest she isn’t: Kerry O’Malley in David Fincher’s The Killer
- sheila on She’s not a bad person. Honest she isn’t: Kerry O’Malley in David Fincher’s The Killer
Categories
Archives
-
FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM
Oh, what a film! It seems nothing is happening, but a lots go with just a few words. The girl acts superbly, nothing betrays her quietness, even when she runs.
The use of such lovely rich and warm pale yellow (I can’t really describe it) on her clothes, the cars, the soft walls of the kitchen is so delicate and poetic.
Clary – you’re so right, the yellows were so soothing – normally yellow isn’t soothing, right? but here it was. peace and quiet for this girl, finally.
Those scenes where she runs – I was just a mess! She got to be a kid.
A whole life changes in this quiet rural world and their quiet unassuming kindness to her. I just loved it.